Today, is my last day working at Pitt in the Sociology Department. I am still going to be a graduate student in the School of Education’s Higher Education Management Program. I can’t believe it. I have learned so much here. I met my co-workers, who are my lifelong friends Wynn, Jenna, and Nancy.
Wynn, has been my mentor. She has helped me so much in this role. Sometimes we just go for walks outside around the building and talk about trashy novels. She was in my part of my position before Sociology became part of the Social Sciences Division. She is a departmental coordinator in Political Science now but was still willing to help me navigate my position, and was always there for me for anything.
Jenna, took Nicolette’s old position in Africana. Jenna has her Master’s in Italian. She is so sweet, and eventually took a job at Google and left the University. She and I still keep in touch.
Nancy, has been at Pitt since was 17 years old. Nancy will be retiring in January. She has been so awesome. She was like another mother figure to me. She would say the funniest things, and would always say her computer does whatever it wants. I will miss her dearly. Honestly, if I was still in this role, when she retired I don’t know how I would be able to do this position without her.
Being the Academic Coordinator in this role has allowed me to meet so many athletes. One of my favorite faculty members in this department works closely with the athletes. Sometimes some of the well-known football players and basketball players would stop by his office. I would make sure to say hi to them wish them well, and even get a selfie with them. I made friends with one of the advisors for the athletes and every once in a while, I will score some tickets to the football and basketball games. We are going to keep in touch. I am so blessed and so fortunate. I guess it is like any position. You can make it yours, and try to enjoy every day that you are in the role, or you can be miserable and count down the days until the next opportunity. I tried in this role, and I think I did well, but my heart is not in it. This position is just not for me and it is not a good fit for me and my personality, but I will miss my friends, and meeting the athletes. I hope to end up back at Pitt one day, but just in a different department, and on a different angle of the University.
Hail to Pitt!
She is our facilities lady in our department. She comes around everyday empties out the garbage cans in each office and is such a wonderful sunny presence. She is such a sweet woman. I took her to lunch at Mario’s. I wanted to thank her for everything, and for just being herself. We ate wings and fries. She only had a half-hour to eat lunch.