An Introduction From Someone Far From Home
Hi all. My name is Claire, and I’m a graduate student in the Student Affairs Administration and Higher Education Program here at Ball State – SAAHE for short. And I am in totally unfamiliar territory – for a few reasons.
I’m a native southerner (born in Mississippi, grew up in South Carolina and attended undergrad there) who still has a taste for boiled peanuts, collard greens, and fried okra even though I relocated to Portland, OR about a week after I graduated from Winthrop University and have been there ever since. About 8 years, for those who are counting. (And no, there is no proper southern food in Portland, even though it is indeed a mecca for foodies. They try hard, but it’s just not the same).
When I graduated in 2002 with a degree in English Lit, I assumed I would follow the natural path for English majors: take a few years off, work as a server at some cozy restaurant somewhere, and then head back to graduate school for my PhD and eventually become a professor. However, life took its twists and turns and landed me in a totally different, albeit rewarding, career path – I became a recruiter. It was a perfect fit for me in a lot of ways; it fed my desire to help and connect with people, and there was rarely a dull moment.
Yet during this time I had longings to reconnect with a college campus. My father was an English professor all of his life, and I essentially grew up in a classroom. There is a part of college culture that will always be a part of me. At the age of 29, I began seriously thinking about heading back to school to use my skills gained as a recruiter to help students in college find their way. I began researching programs and applied to Ball State. In fact, it was the only school I applied to. It fit all of my criteria: it has a great reputation, it provides tons of financial assistance for graduate students, and it is a one year program – something important to me since I am now 30 and returning to school.
So here I am in Muncie, IN, working as a graduate assistant in the Career Center. I packed up my car and my dog and spent 5 days driving out from Portland at the beginning of August for a college campus in the midwest, a place I’ve never even visited before. To say I’m feeling a roller coaster of emotions would be a gross understatement. Changing careers at 30 isn’t something to take lightly, but I am thrilled to be here. Nervous? Nah. The only thing I’m nervous about is braving my first midwest winter. Other than that, I’m taking each day as a great new adventure and loving every minute of it.
