One thing that I love about working in Higher Education is the opportunity to work with so many amazing students to help inspire them to be the person they only dreamed of being. One of my favorite times of year on campus is mid-summer when the students I have worked with for years and who have graduated in May come back to visit or start jobs on campus. This time of year brings the opportunity to hang out with these students as new colleagues and friends for the first time ever. It is an easy transition and it is fun to count these recent graduates as friends.
You see in order to keep some professional distance I do not “hang out with my students.” I learned the hard way in graduate school that perception is everything when a rumor began to spread that I drink with my students. That was NEVER the case! Someone saw me speaking to a recent graduate at happy hour at a bar near campus one night, assumed the worst, and began spreading ugly rumors about me.This was clearly an unfortunate situation but one I quickly learned from.
Now as a professional nearly 4 years after graduating with my master’s degree. I tell all my students that once they graduate and I no longer supervise them we can then hang out and maybe having a beer after work every now and then. This is the way I get to know them as people and they get to know me better as a person. I still will give them advice, mentor them, and support them anyway I can but the relationship is different and I truly value that new relationship.
I try as best as I can to keep up relationships with my students and sadly it is usually done via Facebook, emails, and the occasional call. So whenever I have the chance I am dedicated to having a face-to-face friendship with my former students.
This summer I am making plans to go for a beer and conversation with two of my former students:
Shelby: I have worked with Shelby for the past 3 years. She is creative, smart, and hilarious. I have enjoyed watching her grow into the awesome woman she has become. She is a leader by example and people respect her for her creativity and her positive approach to life and to work. She is dedicated to her work (no matter what it is). She graduated in May and worked for a long two months with our Orientation program. Now that she is done working with us she is looking forward to the possibility of becoming one of my colleagues in Admissions and Orientation. I value the person who Shelby is and I love bonding over our shared love of Pinterest, up-cycling, and patio gardening when you have no backyard and therefore can’t plant the kind of garden we want. It will be so nice count her as a friend.
Charlie: Charlie and I worked together for 3 years. Last summer he left to study abroad in Chile for fall semester, he came back for spring semester, and then graduated in May. Charlie has recently accepted a position in our department as an Admissions Officer and I couldn’t be more happier with his progress and successes. Charlie is classy, considerate, funny, and has a little bit of a biting sense of humor when you get close to him. Charlie is a quite and unassuming leader but when he speaks people listed because he is genuine and authentic, always. He comes from Oregon so we bond about our shared love of Oregon. He also loves coffee, good food, beer, and conversation. It has been a pleasure to watch him grow into a fantastic gentleman who is conscientious, fun, and loves to laugh.
So once we can coordinate our schedules we will take a visit to Hops of Birch, which is the best place in Flagstaff to get an craft beers from all over the country. The atmosphere is amazing and super comfortable and fun.
spectaculareveryday 