 |
| Me and my incredibly cute mom, May 2001 |
When I came to Syracuse in 2000, I had pretty specific ideas about what I wanted from grad school and my plans after graduation. I'd gain some good practical skills, find a job in the magazine industry in New York, work for a few years, then relocate to a smaller city.
What I did not expect was how deep a connection I'd develop with SU. From my first visit, I felt like I belonged. Maybe it was the thrill of being in an environment of scholarship and youthful energy. I never quite put my finger on it, but I know I feel it. Even now, years later, the view of the Hall of Languages walking up University Avenue still makes me smile.
I was also surprised by the fact that while I came to Newhouse to become a writer and editor, it turned out that I was a bit of a designer, too. Looking back, I realize that was a defining event of my education and early career. Up to that point, I had only ever considered myself a writer. And the most valuable thing I learned that year was to be open to the possibility of doing something different, and enjoying it. That discovery was made possible by great professors, supportive peers and an environment that made me feel free to go off the charted course to pursue my emerging curiosities and talents. So I came to SU for a master's degree but left with much more.
After graduation, I went to New York started instead of getting in a job in the magazine biz, got hired in the marketing department at Kate’s Paperie. It was an unexpected turn careerwise, but I was lucky - I got to work with creative people and gorgeous paper in one of the most celebrated, iconic shops in New York. More importantly, it was another defining event, because it set me on the path toward Jolie Colis.
In the years that followed, I enjoyed the benefits of being an alum of Syracuse and Newhouse. It opened doors in my career and even helped me find roommates and apartments in a few cities. But the memory of this exceptional place stayed with me, and I came home to Syracuse in 2004.
My first job at SU was in the Office of News Services, where I wrote stories of ground-breaking research and real people making a difference in the world. I interviewed Professor Joseph Chaiken, whose bloodless glucose-measuring device is going to revolutionize the way diabetics monitor and manage their blood sugar. I spent time with Marvin Druger, an SU legend, who has taught over 40,000 students in his 46 years of teaching biology at SU career. In 2007, I had an opportunity to help students in my own way, in the Division of Student Affairs by creating the readySET, a system to help incoming freshmen gear up for their first semester of college. Since then, it's become an effective tool for SU's new students, and I couldn't be more proud. From 2010-12, I had one of the most primo gigs on campus - marketing and communications for SU Abroad. There were so many fabulous stories to tell, and since I didn't study abroad in college, it was a bit of a second-chance experience for me. I'm fortunate to have been a part of an institution that made such a meaningful impression, in my studies, my career, and in life.
And it gave me the confidence to try on entrepreneurship for the first time. Creating Jolie Colis has been one of the most fun and fulfilling things I’ve ever done. And I love that my business is based here in CNY. I never thought I had the stuff to make it happen, but my time at SU helped me understand the power of imagining what’s possible. Just a few years ago Jolie Colis was an idea, and now I'm on my way to making it a successful reality, thanks to a retail management class I took with Amanda Nicholson in the Whitman School of Management. Next month, I'm competing for the title of Scotch Brand's Most Gifted Wrapper, which is like the superbowl of giftwrapping. Ten years ago, I'd have never seen this coming. But I'll give it my best effort and see what happens.
That’s why I’m such a cheerleader for SU - it's the place where I learned to see myself in a more malleable and ambitious light. I hope students and future generations of them find transformative experiences of their own here. In uncertain times like these, the ability to change and reinvent yourself is especially important. I know I'll be able to evolve again soon. In fact, I look forward to it. I wasn't like that before I came to Syracuse. A skeptic might chalk this up to the regular maturation process people go through during school. But I like the idea of having found the braver and more talented version of myself here. Why question it?
Cheers,
Carol - G'01
No comments:
Post a Comment