Nora M.'s TOO MANY EXCLAMATION POINTS
Nora M.'s TOO MANY EXCLAMATION POINTS
29, Specialty Admissions Recruiter, New York
The perspectives and stories shared in this conversation reflect only those of the speakers and in no way represent the viewpoints of their employers or connected organizations.
Nora is a 29-year-old working in higher education in upstate New York. During this episode of TOO MANY EXCLAMATION POINTS, she shares about getting involved in small town politics, what family means to her at this stage in her life, and her curly hair routine.
Please note: Our conversation has been edited and condensed for this newsletter. Enjoy the full conversation with Nora on the TOO MANY EXCLAMATION POINTS podcast through Substack and on Spotify.
Who are you, what do you do for a living, and what are you passionate about right now?
I’m Nora. I am in a small town in upstate New York, three and a half hours from New York City. I currently work at one of the state schools and I actually work for a grant located at the college. So, I work for the College Assistance Migrant Program. There are 52 CAMP programs, that’s what we call them for short, in the whole U.S., but we are the only one located in the state of New York. What we do, is we help out a lot of students who have a background in migrant work or seasonal or temporary farm work; they or their immediate family. To me, it’s giving back to a community that’s forgotten, that’s my passion. I’m currently the recruiter, but my role is changing. I’m now going to be the advisor for the incoming class.
That’s so exciting, congratulations! It’s interesting because that’s such a unique pocket of students. Is there a demographic that you all work with? Is it normally the standard 18 to 23-year-olds, or do you serve more non-traditional than that?
No, just the standard 18 to 23-year-olds. A lot of times people will confuse the word “migrant,” with “immigrant.” Even in high schools I’ve walked into, they’re like, “Great, I have this student for you.” But, again we have certain requirements and I’m like, “they don’t meet that,” because they may not be doing farm work, or their families don’t even do farm work, but because they have the term “immigrant,” with that, some school counselors think they would fit the program. And I have to say, “No, they don’t, but thank you.” At least with my organization, we also try to educate people on the importance of what we stand for, who we represent, and why it’s so important to also give services to this community.
What do you wish people knew about the work that you do?
That it is time consuming. I’ve worked in recruitment for eight years, and this one is more tedious. Not only am I working with the students, but I’m working with the families. Because a lot of the students are first-generation, parents do not have even a high school education, at times. For them, it’s hard to trust someone to say, “how can I give you my child and make them go away?” Some of them up to five hours away from home. It’s building relationships with parents. I think I do a really good job, but also, it’s time consuming. A lot of the times the people who are reaching out to me are the parents because the students are not great with communication, especially over the phone, and they want to know more information. There are times where it’s 10 o’clock at night and I’m ready to go to bed and I’m getting a text message or a phone call from a parent.
Thank you for sharing that. Can we backtrack a little and can you give your 3 to 5 minute career journey? From you being in high school starting your college search process all the way through to you deciding you wanted to work in higher ed and then ultimately work with the CAMP program.
I went to a public school in New York City in Queens, very underfunded of course. But one big thing, I wanted to go away from the city, just because the people that I went to high school with, there were three to four schools that everyone goes to, and I didn’t want to do that same path. Also, my brother went away to college, and I wanted to be like him. I was that annoying sister, everything that he does, I will do. So, I was looking at schools in upstate New York. Hartwick is the school I ended up going to, and my math teacher was the one who actually found it at a college fair in Long Island when she was doing the college fairs with her son. I always thought I was going to go to a big school and be successful there. And she was like, “No, you need a small school.” So, I gave Hartwick a try, I stayed there the four years and graduated. Then, like many college students I didn’t know what was next after graduation, I honestly didn’t know. But, I did work in the Admissions Office as a tour guide there, some opportunities came up, so I applied. I said, “I’ll give it two years and I’ll leave.” Eight years later and I’m still doing recruitment. I worked at Hartwick for five years, but I wasn’t growing. I knew I needed a change, there was no more growth there in that position. So, I had heard about CAMP through the director there because I had built relationships with her on a personal level, so I applied, and they needed someone who was bi-lingual who could understand recruitment. I said, “Why not, it sounds interesting, I would be using Spanish more, and it would be different.” Three years later, I’ve been doing this work going to little and very rural towns in upstate New York, but I absolutely love it.
I love that, that’s such a journey! We had a colleague who used to say that this work in recruiting/admissions is 1 to 3 years or 3 to life, I just thought of that as you were talking through that. Growing up in New York City you wanted to leave to come to college, other than the opportunities you had to work at both institutions, what was it that ultimately made you decide that you wanted to stay up here rather than go down to the city where one could argue, even in higher ed, there are more opportunities the further you get to New York City.
Yeah, absolutely. I think for me, it was the sense of independence that I needed. I have a close relationship with my family, but my family also comes with drama. I know that had I gone back home and stayed there, I would have been part of that drama, I needed something different. I decided for myself what was going to be best for me and my mental health was to get away from that and grow independently. Again, I had the full support of my mom, and my dad came around eventually, and it was their support, and they always say, “we don’t have to worry about you, you are very independent, you get things done.” So that for me, was reassuring knowing that I can do this and stay up here. I love New York City, don’t get me wrong, but when I go back home it’s exhausting to be there. It’s exhausting, it’s loud and I’ve gotten so used to the comforts of small-town upstate New York, that being back home, like I love it, but I need to get out.
As a transplant into a small city, I consider it a small city having grown up in those rural areas, but obviously for you even this is very rural. Why has it been important for you to root yourself in the community that you’re in, get involved with local politics, serving people. Why has that been important to you and what has gone into those decisions to do those things?
I think the area is changing with the voices of the young people. They (the locals) just think they’re the college students who are the young voices in the area and they leave, but that’s not the case. There are so many of us that are in that demographic of, what is there to do for us specifically? So, getting involved and into the local politics; I’m a part of the county board, I’m a board representative. It’s just getting to know what the community is like, who we’re sharing the resources with, and why it’s important. Also, it’s been a growing concern in this area about homeless rates and drug users, so what are we doing as a community to help each other out and get those resources, instead of complaining. I want to make a change, I want to learn, and I want to voice my opinion from a soon-to-be thirty-year-old, single, straight woman, especially Latina woman in a predominantly white area.
I think you really touch on it. That city is very much you’re born there, they raise their family, they retire there. Not many people leave, truthfully, and it’s very homogeneous in terms of the people who kind of control the area, they’re very similar to each other. You invigorate a new perspective, and especially thinking about the young professionals who choose to live in the area, it provides a dynamic interest, communication and perspective on it. Has anything really surprised you about getting involved with small-town politics?
That there’s a lot of people related to one another in these positions. I’m just like, “what? This is insane.” Again, opportunities are there, but I feel like some people might have gotten their positions because they’re related to XYZ.
Absolutely. As a single woman in her almost 30’s, what does family mean to you at this point in your life? How do you define it? What does that look like for you? Especially because you live away from your family.
That’s a tough one to answer because, again, I have a great relationship with my immediate family, my parents, my brother, my sister-in-law, my niece who is just 4 months old. But, I’ve also learned that you can build your family from the strangers that you meet that become such an important part in your life. Here, especially living in a small community, it is family oriented and so seeing a lot of the people who are here and who I’ve made friends with, they’re very open to welcoming me into their household, that I do feel part of their family. To me, it’s just a reminder that you can create your own family, but still keep the ones you really care and love for, don’t forget about them.
Would you have any advice for folks who don’t already have that family with them, not how to construct it, but how you have found your people outside of work?
For me, again, getting involved in the community, and then also learning the different areas. I try not to stay in my city, but if I can and the weather is good, I’ll drive out to a nearby town and see the different communities there and build relationships with them. And not be afraid to open yourself up too. I know a lot of times, especially our generation, we’re going to keep ourselves. It’s okay to give out two or three little tidbits to someone and you never know, you make a connection.
In that same vein, what do you think nowadays it takes to be a good friend, to be a good sister, to be a good daughter?
For me, I think it’s being in the moment, being in that place. I feel like we have grown up with technology and social media plays a big role, for some people it works because they get a lot of resources for themselves, which is great. But, remember where you are and who you’re with, because sometimes those people are the ones who need help, or they may be the ones to have answers when you need help. I try, and I’m the one who always has their phone next to them and I’ll be in a room with my friends and I’m the one on my phone, but we’re all in a room together and listening to each other. And I’m trying really hard to change that habit, like putting my phone in a different room, and just be in the moment with someone. I look back to, even when I was younger with my grandma, so my grandmother recently passed away and we had such a great relationship, and there was no technology. That was living in the moment, and so I think about those small little memories that had I had a phone or technology the way we do today, I wouldn’t remember those things. So, being in the moment, creating those memories that you’re going to look back at in ten, fifteen years and laugh about it or say, “Oh my gosh, I can’t believe that happened.”
It’s funny that you mention your grandmother and the lack of technology around you. Because I feel like as I’ve gotten older, I don’t take as many pictures as I did, especially when I got my first iPhone, Lord knows I took so many pictures, but because I’m trying to be so cognizant of my phone being away and being in the moment, and just trying to lock in those moments, whether it be also with my grandparents or with my niece and nephew. I’m not getting pictures because I’m trying so hard to make sure that I’m in that moment, so I really appreciate your thoughts on that.
It’s important, especially as we think about our relationships and as they move us forward. Especially for you, when you’re in a work environment where you’re “on,” you are interacting with people a lot, interfacing with them. In the best way, that can be really draining to then go and spend time with your people, it’s a lot.
It is! There are times when I get back from traveling and I’m like “I don’t want to see anyone, I’ve been driving, I’ve met with so many families, different school visits, different organizations.” I just want to be in my apartment with my cats.
What would 11-year-old Nora think about the life and career you’ve built for yourself?
Crazy, crazy. She never would have seen herself in higher education. Especially because 11-year-old Nora did not care for education. She was not with good grades in school, she did not care about school like that. So, the idea of now being in higher ed and educating other people, she would be confused.
RAPID FIRE
What is a piece of advice you received that has impacted the way you think about managing and building your career?
That with every negative, there’s a positive. Or you have to look at the positives when there’s a negative. I was always, “well, this failed, that’s it. Done.” So instead of looking at it like that, glass half empty, looking at it glass half full. If something wasn’t a success, how can we improve it, how can we change it, and look at the little positives and grow on that.
I love that, a good reminder. What do you hope for yourself in 5 years?
So, I’ll be honest, I’ll probably be out of higher education. I love the college students, but I also feel like I’ve put in too much time into higher ed that I don’t get to enjoy the little things I’ve always wanted, or even the big things like traveling. Traveling more in five years.
What are you currently reading or what have you read recently that has stuck with you?
It’s funny, but I listen to the podcast Am I the A**hole and they read all these Reddit threads. That has stuck with me, because we all have different opinions about certain situations and I love listening to them when I’m with friends, because we’re all close but we all have different mindsets, so trying to listen to the different perspectives instead of mine is so important to me. When it comes to everything that’s going on in the world, politics and everything going on, I always tell them, try to make friends with people who have a different mindset from you because it’s important to learn from others. If you’re just surrounding yourself with the same mindset, you will never grow.
What is your favorite thing to get you jazzed up or excited before a big day?
It’s the simplest thing. Getting my hair to look good. If I have a good hair day, I know it’s going to be a good interview. They’ll compliment my hair at least, which will give me a boost, the energy to say, “Okay, I got this.”
What is your preferred way to use vacation time or PTO?
It depends on my mood, honestly. There are times where I’m just going to stay home, binge on trash TV, and call it a day. But, then there are times where I need to go and explore, I cannot stay in the shell. I think traveling for me and going back to Mexico to see my relatives there.
What are you looking forward to?
My new position, that’s something that I’m very excited about. But also, bringing in the class. We’re trying to bring in 25-30 students and it’s been hard with the FAFSA changes and the headaches with that. And so, I think that’s what’s making me excited, but I’m also nervous. It’s keeping me on my toes, for sure.
Finally, what is your TOO MANY EXCLAMATION POINTS right now?
Turning 30. I don’t know what it is. Some days I’m excited about it, other days I’m like “I’m turning 30, what have I done with my life?” Having that existential crisis. But, also reminding myself that there are so many people that I know that their 30’s were their more memorable times, they built great relationships, finding love, building their families. Eventually, honestly, that’s a goal of mine, finding love or even just growing a family, even if it’s on my own.
Thank you so much to Nora for joining us this week (and happy birthday, as she celebrated her 30th on Friday) and sharing the story of her life and career journey. Our podcast together goes into even more detail, so I encourage you to take a listen.
Be sure to share in the comments something that Nora said that resonated with you or send this episode to a friend to encourage them on their career journey.
As always, I’m grateful you’re here and wish you a week ahead with only the best exclamation points! — Skylar