Thursday, February 1, 2007

Admissions Crew

***That's Ann and Lezlie, two of the Admissions Crew.

All Higher Education Management Masters Student are required to do an assistantship and work 20 hours a week somewhere in the Philadelphia-area, most likely on the Penn campus. There are people that work on New Student Orientation at the Graduate Student Center, Career Services at Wharton, Upward Bound, Research Assistants at the College of General Studies, The Executive Doctorate Program, Community College of Philadelphia, Office of International Programs, Office of Student Life, etc. It is a way for all of us to connect the theory we are learning in class and apply it in a practical setting.

I work in Admissions at the Graduate School of Education. It's been a great experience where I have set up a lot of campus visits for prospective students, assisted with our Open House events, represented PennGSE at a college fair at Rutgers-Camden, started up these student journals, etc. More than anything, I work with a great cast of characters who make coming to work pretty enjoyable...even on cold days like today.

Jung is the Associate Director and she is completing the Higher Ed. program part time. We took history of higher education together and we helped each other make sense of readings on a lot of occassions. She makes sure I take my vitamins.

Alyssa is my direct supervisor and also an associate director, she completed the program I am doing two years ago. She empowers me in a lot of situations to run with ideas, and I appreciate that. She just learned how to cut pineapple, which makes for a fun afternoon snack every now and again. She usually gets the pineapple from Reading Terminal Market.

Ann and Lessie are usually the people that will pick up all of your phone calls and be the first faces you see when you visit PennGSE...you see their faces and my back. I like to think of them as small rays of sunshine. Bless Lessie because she plays John Legend for me nearly every day, while Ann crosses her fingers that Celine Dion is on-deck in the playlist. During busy days or down days, I can always count on Ann and Lessie to keep things upbeat.

Stephane likes to play jokes on me, he's a funny character...sometimes (okay, once) we run into each other at the Pottruck Center. He's the marketing coordinator in Admissions and really talented. Julie seems to have answers to everything, she always knows where to find things...which boggles my mind. I've technically been here a week or two longer than her, but you wouldn't know it. Sometime I help her file...she gets swamped with all the applications at this time of year.

A big shout out to the awesome work study students we have in Admissions - Anna, Annie, Mia, and Anna (now in Italy). They are such hard workers, and so funny....not to mention bright and destined for successful futures.

And lastly, the other GA's whose journals you can read this semester too - Sadiyah, Robin, Jamie, and Lezlie. All wonderful people that are so helpful...and they sometimes even laugh at my joke attempts.

So, that's GSE Admissions.
We are here to help.

Stay warm.

Sunday, January 28, 2007

Amajuba: Like Doves We Rise

I'm going to South Africa this summer (so is Lezlie, another PennGSE blogger) to look at higher education in South Africa. One of my professors is leading a group of 37 students in July to visit three universities and explore the history, culture and landscape of a place I am very unfamilar with.

On Friday night our professor and ten or so of my classmates went to see Amajuba: Like Doves We Rise which was playing at the Annenberg Center on Penn's campus. The show was based on life experiences of the five performers, it was the true story of their own childhoods lived within the Apartheid divisions. They created Amajuba to acknowledge the hope that was present in South Africa's people, even during this awful time period. It helped make me more aware of the realities that were taking place in South Africa during Apartheid.

The stories recounted pain, hunger, violence, and death all seen by these performers as they grew up. It was hard to watch at times and left me wanting to know more stories and to understand more fully. Once I am done with grad school and can read for fun again, I want to read more about apartheid and South Africa. All five of the performers were INCREDIBLY talented. Although the show displayed deep sadness, I was most surprised by how much hope each one of them displayed.

We followed up with a discussion and dessert at a nearby restuarant with my professor, Marybeth Gasman and my classmates. It made me excited for this summer.

Back to reading about Access and Choice in Higher Education; I'm looking forward to having you follow my life this spring.