It’ll all be smooth sailing soon

Well, I am late posting my blog to Marginalia. This is nothing new for me. I consistently forget to get my blog up on the correct day. What is different about today is that this will truly be the last time I am late to post, because this will be my last post. After three years of working with the Graduate Admissions Office, and speaking with prospective students, my time has come to an end. 

One of the my most enjoyable aspects of my job over the past three years has been meeting with prospective grad students and talking about what Columbia can afford them and trying to help them figure out if this particular program is a good fit for them. I have had one-on-one meetings, group meetings, phone calls, and long email threads. Anyone that has met me knows that I am a talker, and I’d like to think that I left the prospective students with enough (and often more than enough) information for them to figure things out.

Sometimes I saw the students again, sometimes I didn’t. One of the students I met with and ended up seeing again was Jasmine Clark. I met Jasmine during my second year here while she was on a visit trying to decide about programs. She would eventually attend Columbia two years behind me. As I am now on my way out the door, she will be entering her second year in the Photography MFA program. It is interesting to see things come full-circle like this.

She will be introducing herself through this blog soon, so you’ll hear a lot more about and from her in the near future, but let me say this: she is a kind and generous person, always willing to help out or give input, and I think that she will be a wonderful first experience (whether it’s through the blog, twitter feed, or in-person meeting) for those students out there trying to figure out what the next step in their career is and where they best belong. You can get an early start at her website here.

Finally, I’d like to thank the personnel at the grad office for a wonderful three years. Cate, you left a while ago and your strange sense of comedy was always amusing. Caitlynn and Sarah, while you two held the job at different times, I was always able to turn things in late. I am going to assume that consistency was comforting. David’s always keeping it classy with the wardrobe. Always. And Kara, someone’s gotta keep it trill, right?

You guys don’t get enough credit for the excellent job you do.

That’s all for me. Seacrest out.