Five days. Five trips. Ten tollbooths. Ten fingers on the steering wheel. EZ Pass. No EZ Pass. Garmin. No Garmin. John, Jane, Jetta - my travel companions. Tully's, Creekside, Cheesecake Factory - my dinner choices. Moravia, Syracuse, Buffalo, Albany, Rochester - my destinations. Prison inmates - my challenge. Prospective students - my livelihood. This was my week on the New York State Thruway. Monday - Cayuga Correctional Facility, Moravia NY. My bi-weekly volunteer experience with inmates at Cayuga is something I take great pride in. Three years and nearly 70 visits "inside" have taught me a lot about their lives, and my own. Working in a college setting has been a perfect fit for me. I'm surrounded by motivated, ambitious, and bright people who have made good choices in their lives. I find my center by also working with those who have not yet experienced that level of success - the men of Cayuga. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday were trips to Syracuse, Buffalo, and Albany respectively as we hosted receptions for accepted students. Personally, I enjoy these events as much as anything I do. Meeting students and parents face to face provides a wealth of information about what we do well, and what we need to do better. It lets me know where Nazareth is in the world of higher ed. I always come back energized. Friday was the return trip to Rochester from Albany with Diva and Robyn from the undergraduate admissions staff. I'm fortunate to have such talent working for me. Their Naz experience as students serves them well now as admissions counselors. They have a true affection for the college and it shows in their work. When asked by outsiders what I do at Naz, I respond by saying "my job is to identify and recruit talent". That holds true for bringing in new students as well as assembling my staff. I'm succeeding on both fronts.
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