Vanessa Constantinidis '13, '16 (M.A.)
Majors:
English, Italian
Grad Degree:
Writing Studies M.A.
Outcome Opportunity:
Career Advancement, Graduate/Professional School, I got a job!
Position:
Associate Director of Admissions/Adjunct Professor of English
Company/Organization:
Hellenic College Holy Cross
Briefly describe your current role.
"I serve as the Associate Director of Admissions for Hellenic College Holy Cross, a small Greek Orthodox Christian liberal arts college (combined with a graduate school and seminary) in Brookline, MA--just miles away from downtown Boston. I work with all of our undergraduate students, first-year, transfer, international, and Semester-of-Faith students (an immersion program akin to a study abroad program on our campus) and guide them through the college admissions process. My main responsibilities include: leading outreach efforts, traveling domestically and internationally for recruitment, reviewing undergraduate applications, leading the admissions application review committee, developing content for e-mail communications, social media, and website information, and serving as a liaison to our external vendors (CommonApp, Ruffalo Noel Levitz, Stapleton Pascall & Lord). Additionally, I coordinate and execute daily visits, group visits, and admitted student events and supervise our Regional Admissions Counselor, our Admission Ambassadors, as well as our Alumni ambassadors. I also am an Adjunct Professor in our Department of English. I teach one course, Academic Writing II, to our FASP (First-year Academic Studies Program) students, focusing on rhetoric and research."
How did you first learn about or get connected to your current role?
"Associate Director: To be honest, this job opportunity came out of nowhere. As a Greek Orthodox Christian, Hellenic College Holy Cross was an institution that I always knew of, as many of my friends had pursued their education at HCHC, and it is a highly recognized school in the field of Orthodox Christian theology. When I was working at SJU as an Admissions Counselor, I went to visit a friend in Boston, who works in the Office of Vocation and Ministry (campus ministry) at Hellenic College, and she asked me to meet her on campus. When I arrived, she was in a meeting--so I decided to kill some time and go to the Admissions Office to take a tour. As I was not a prospective student, I explained to the Admissions staff that as a Greek Orthodox Christian, I was always intrigued by the only Greek Orthodox Christian college in the US and that a few of my friends have expressed interest in further studies. After my tour, I had the opportunity to get to know the Director of Admissions, and eventually he asked what I did for a living, I explained that I actually worked in Admissions for my alma mater, a Jesuit, Catholic University. He was intrigued that I had admissions experience, spoke Greek fluently, and understood the mission of the school; he informed me that their office was hiring and encouraged me to apply. While I was not looking to transition just yet, I did apply and eventually was offered a growth opportunity and promotion that I could not pass up. As for the Adjunct Professor position, I was actively looking to teach part-time in a community college or small, private college in the Boston area. During my search, I came across an open position at the college I work at full-time, as an Adjunct Professor for our First-year Academic Studies Program--an academic success program for students in their first-year. I was beyond excited, as I had worked with our Academic Dean to develop and execute the First-year Academic Studies Program. I was nervous, as I did not have any prior teaching experience; however, the director of the program interviewed me and offered me the job due to my strong graduate academics, admissions experience, and enthusiasm for the FASP program."
How did your SJU education impact your professional goals?
"Choosing to attend SJU for both my undergraduate and graduate degrees was one of the best decisions I have ever made. I am so grateful for my Jesuit education; I feel like I was able to take a variety of courses that enabled me to see the world through different perspectives. While this is standard for a liberal arts education, a Jesuit education pushes you to live even greater-- to not only think of yourself when making decisions, but to think about how your decision affects society as a whole. Additionally, obtaining a well-rounded education made it easier to work with others in the workplace, as my knowledge expanded beyond just my majors. Aside from having the opportunity to build exceptional relationships with other students, faculty, and staff, I also had ample opportunities to grow professionally; Through extra-curricular activities, studying abroad, and individualized attention from professors, I had no problem transitioning from college to the 'real world'. Together with my two undergraduate majors and my graduate degree in Writing Studies-- I felt beyond prepared to enter the professional world and to lead others."
Did you participate in any experiential learning activities while at SJU?
"I did! I studied abroad twice; I did a semester abroad in Rome, Italy at John Cabot University and I also participated in a study tour through Southern Italy. Both of my experiences strengthened my language skills, challenged me to immerse myself in a different culture, and enabled me to grow personally, academically, and professionally. Studying abroad was hands down the best thing I did while in college. My study abroad experience deeply impacted my professional goals. In addition to actually partaking in study abroad excursions, I worked as a work-study student in the Center for International Programs, which led to me realize that I wanted to work in international education. My first job was in international education, and now I worked in international admissions. I just got back from a week in Greece visiting high schools to recruit students, building relationships with guidance counselors, and forming partnerships with other colleges for the possibility of creating exchange programs for students. It was an amazing experience that I know I wouldn't have had without my international experience and additional language skills."