As one of my internship requirements, I interviewed Jennifer about being a college counselor. Even though it wasn't for the blog, I decided to post it anyway because it's interesting and she gives some good advice.
What jobs have you had in the past?
I majored in theater in college, and I got my masters in theater as well, so you can see I really wanted to work in theater. I was a waitress right when I got out of graduate school, and then I joined a children's touring theater company, and toured with that for a while. Then I came to New York and worked on soap operas for a year. Then I started writing plays, which I loved. While I was writing plays, I got a job at Paramount Pictures, which was big in New York. I started as an administrative assistant, but then I got a job in the film acquisition department, and I worked as a reader, and I also got to screen films. So I read projects that came in to the film acquisition department. My boss was in charge of picking up films that had already started from independent films, and then buying them and making them into Paramount pictures. So they didn't have to pay for as many films from the ground up. That was a pretty cool job. So then I went away to an artist colony for 7 weeks and while I was there I decided I was going to leave Paramount, and see if I could support myself writing. I got a job with a children's theater group and I wrote 10 plays for them. At the same time, I was writing adult plays. So some of them got picked up and I went to California with one, and I won a grant from the New York Foundation for the Arts for another. I was still doing the children's plays to at this time. I knew John Pettinato at that time as well. I started a theater program for him at Greenwich Village Youth Council. And so I wrote plays while I was there, which are now published all over the country and in Canada! I get royalties from them which is very exciting. Anyway, long story short I decided I wanted something more stable, so I asked John if he had any ideas, and he told me he had just started a school and said that I should be the college advisor. That was the beginning of this. That was about 17 or 18 years ago. So I've been here a long time. Every job I've gotten has been because I know somebody.
Who are your influences in your job now or any of your previous jobs?
Certainly my biggest influence in this job was John Pettinato. I learned a lot about being open minded and not jumping to conclusions from him. It was a really great thing to learn. the way he was all-inclusive was good, and sometimes I really struggled with it, and I felt like I had to learn not to jump to conclusions. He was so good at problem-solving and I really admired that. When he hired me, he said "You know, you'll be really great at this job. All you have to do is pretend that each of the students is your child and you have to get them all into college. I keep going back to that because it was incredible advice. It was great because if you got along with them, didn't get along with them, it didn't matter because you had to think of them as your children. And maybe that child didn't like you so much but maybe someday they would. If you really began to look at it like he said, it was really an incredible way to work with teenagers. So I think he was a great influence for this job. It goes on to this day with the staff. The dedication they have is really very exciting and gives me energy and makes me remember all the things I want to do. I think the staff inspires me now and John did in the beginning.
How has living in New York City affected your job? How do you think being a college counselor would be somewhere else?
Well, I think in terms of the day-to-day, I imagine that suburban schools probably have a lot more money, and that some things are easier. You probably don't have to worry about bills being payed. Things like that. We are always struggling to make ends meet. If we had a bigger budget that would be nice, as well as different. But also, I wouldn't trade it. I love living in New York, and having such a diverse population. I don't think our community could be replicated in the suburbs. Maybe I'm wrong, but I don't think so. I grew up outside of a city, and my school was very big and it was diverse in some ways, but in many ways it was not. Everyone was pretty much from the same income area, some a little richer, some a little poorer, but pretty much the same. What is really exciting about working here is that a group of students comes through here, that for the most part is able to work together and respect each other, and by the time they graduate there is a relationship that they all have as a team together. That is such a beautiful thing really, and it makes you wonder why the world can't be like ICE. Can't we learn and accept each others differences and if we're not going to be best friends, at leas have that going forward. ICE is really incredible. Even when students have started out not liking each other, by the time they graduate, theres usually a little something there. I really don't think a lot of students have that in their schools.
What is the biggest challenge you've had in your time working at ICE?
I think that with this job, there are lots of challenges, and lots of problem solving. I think there are a number of challenges that present themselves every year, whether it's communicating clearly with parents, whether it's getting a college to take a second look at a student, or trying to get a student to go beyond looking at reach schools and make sure they have some schools they're going to get into. Sometimes I'm successful at doing those things, and sometimes I'm not. When I'm not, it feels really bad. I have to examine why it didn't work well for this kid. You only have so much control over where the kids send their applications. These are the challenges I face every year. I'd like to say that they go away from one year to the next, but I think they always present themselves again in different forms. I think that as much as I can work with the students as juniors, the better. Like this year, it was really good because of the small classes. I feel like I really got to know the kids.
What is the most fulfilling part of being a college advisor?
There are so many fulfilling parts! To work with young people at this point in their lives--when they are about to start a whole new part of their life--is pretty exciting. You all are in this really exciting place where you are thinking about the future, and soon moving away, and so just to be around all that gives me a lot of energy. I think I get to see the world a little differently then those who work at computers all day. The freshness that the students bring is like a gift. And just knowing that I can be helpful in the college process is really great. When you all graduate I feel like my heart is going to burst from excitement, and I can point to each of you and say which college you're going to. If you ask me about kids who graduated 10 years ago I'll tell you what college they went to. It all makes me feel good. I get a lot of gratification from my job, and I feel bad for people who don't enjoy their jobs. I think it's really important to find something you like to do.
Thanks Jennifer!
Isabel
This week, my class with be graduating. Most of us have spent the past seven years of our lives here, so basically we've spent nearly every day for the past seven years with the same 60 kids. After all this time, you'd think we'd be tired of each other, and ready to get out of here. Well, we are. But even though this is true for a lot of us, I think that in spite of it, we've made friendships that will easily outlast those of students at the average high school.
I'm sure everybody already knows this, but ICE is a special school. We always complain about it, but now that I'm done with high school, I wouldn't have it any other way. I am ready for college, but not only because I'm dying to get out of here, more because ICE prepared me for it. As you can see, I got a lot of good things out of ICE (my best friends, great teachers, and of course an exceptional education). I guess my point is, don't take ICE for granted. You probably won't realize this until graduation is upon you, but this is an awesome school!