Taking time to read the fine print

As a Student Career Advisor in the College of Arts and Sciences Career Services Office, I have learned of many different opportunities that I otherwise would have overlooked. Sure there are flyers posted around Goldwin-Smith Hall and other buildings on the Arts Quad advertising upcoming events. The monthly newsletter for Arts and Sciences also notifies students of upcoming events related to careers and graduate schools. However, in my haste to check my emails each day or get to class as quickly as possible I often miss hearing about some of these events. That's why I was interested to learn about Wendy Gellman, a Cornell graduate, that came to speak to students on behalf of the office of Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. I had received an email about an hour long breakfast with Wendy to hear about her experiences a few weeks prior to the actual event. Once again in my email checking frenzy I failed to read much more than the subject title of the email. It wasn't until I was at work a week later that I came across the sign-up sheet for the event. I knew that Wendy would be discussing topics related to the government sector but I wasn't sure how pertinent the information would be to me as a Spanish major. Despite my uncertainties I decided to attend the meeting. Before I even had a chance to ask a question, Wendy mentioned that Senator Gillibrand's office had recently done some important work with immigration issues. Suddenly I realized that I had been neglecting the important issue of working with the Hispanic and Latino communities on immigration issues. With my newfound knowledge and an application to apply for an internship in one of Senator Gillibrand's offices I felt inspired for next summer. So I advise all of my fellow busy Cornellians to take a few minutes each day to read the fine print, whether it be flyers on the poster boards of Goldwin Smith advertising research opportunities or the monthly Arts and Sciences e-newsletter. You never know what kind of advice you could receive from a visiting alumnus or alumna or from an upcoming internship panel.
~SCA Caroline