WOW! Can you believe I’ve had a full time job for a year now! Above is a photo of my first day at Watkins! It’s crazy to think that I’ve been a college graduate for a year but it’s even crazier to realize that I’ve been a full time employee of Watkins College of Art for a year! I can’t believe it. I have absolutely loved my time here working in the admissions department. I already knew I loved working here from my time as a work study but being a full time employee as the Office Manager has been amazing. I spend my days talking to prospective students, answering phone calls, planning the year and our marketing plan out with other admissions staff and supervising our work study. It’s a little weird to be the work study supervisor since I was at one point a work study myself but it’s been great! I got to hire and train two new people and have since relinquished some of my duties such as social media management to a specific work study student who does an amazing job at it!
I feel so honored that I get to talk with and help prospective students make their college choice. I remember how big of a deal it was for me and how stressful it was to look at the endless list of colleges and realize that I had to pick just one and not only did I have to pick just one college but I had to apply and get accepted! It was a daunting task for sure especially because I didn’t figure out that I wanted to be a photographer until I was a senior in high school. It was a big step and one that many people did not understand. Now that I’m on the other side of that and I am a part of the admissions team that sees each student and each application, I am humbled by the power that has been given to me. I don’t personally get to review or accept applications but I get to meet many of the people who apply as well as email them about their application and it is not lost on me the power that I have over these young students’ lives. They come to me and each of the admissions staff not only at Watkins but other universities at which they are applying to get their questions answered and in a way for validation that what they are doing is acceptable.
Everyone has heard the term “starving artist.” When I first told everyone that I wanted to go to art school and study photography I was immediately bombarded with questions about why I wanted to be a photographer and what I was going to do about money. No one wanted me to be a starving artist. This is a common misconception about artists. Yes, there are times you will struggle, but doesn’t everyone? Graduating and going out into the job field to find your first real adult job is hard work. If people with what everyone likes to call “real degrees” can do it then why can’t artists?
I love that I get to talk to prospective students, show them the school, and talk with them about their art. I get to show them how excited I am about my art and Watkins. Part of my job is to show them how amazing the school is and how it really is a community here. Everyone here at Watkins is a creative and they all support each other in their creative decisions. It is amazing to see when people collaborate with each other and the work that comes out of it. I love my job here at Watkins and especially the people I work with. My coworkers in the admissions office are so supportive and welcoming which is wonderful. I don’t know how long I’ll be an employee at Watkins as I hope to take my photography business full time one day but for now I’m grateful for the year I’ve had here and for the opportunities I’ve had to be on the other side of the process. It has been a great experience working here and I can’t wait to see what this year at Watkins will bring. Below is a photo from my one year anniversary at Watkins. My how things have changed!
Me on my one year anniversary at work!
