By Christopher Bierasinski, Admissions Counselor
I’ve been at Rochester now for over five years. Five full years have gone by. 1,826 days. It seems crazy to me to think about that, considering I still remember sitting around in AP Calculus back in high school and excitedly activating my Rochester email address because it was required to have a “.edu” email address in order to create a Facebook account. But here I am now, a happy Rochester graduate working in the Office of Admissions, about to enter my second full year in that role. My first year was a chaotic experience it seemed, and I’m not quite sure how, but I survived and learned a great deal about many, many things in the process.
Going into my second year, I’m excited about the opportunities ahead. The reason I originally decided to stay at Rochester was pretty simple: I love this place. The environment Rochester creates for self-improvement is beyond incredible. Rochester’s academic reputation obviously led to an incredible classroom experience. Outside the brick-and-mortar learning environment, the Rochester community is made up of passionate and driven individuals who are constantly working to improve themselves and the world they live in. Rochester itself isn’t a competitive environment, but it is one where the challenge to improve is always there, and everyone strives to meet that challenge head on. To say the least, I quite enjoyed that.
I was quite fond of the time I had here as a student. I had the opportunity to work as a tour guide, which led to me deciding to stay on for a year on the Admissions staff. Well, one year has turned into two because of how much fun I have telling students about my experiences. I think the value of a Rochester education goes well beyond the price paid. I know it’s expensive. My mom knows it’s expensive, my sister (a current junior) knows it’s expensive. But it’s worth it, and it’s quite possibly one of the best purchases I could have ever made in my life. I love working with students to help them realize their college dreams and their full potential. I recognize Rochester isn’t right for everyone, and that’s fine. I really dig the experience of getting out and telling stories of what I, my sister, and our friends have gotten to do because of Rochester.
Who knows what this year will hold. I’m sure it’ll be less chaotic than my first year, with the experience helping me understand the challenges of my busy schedule. I’m excited about getting out and seeing a brand new pool of applicants and watching as they prepare to make one of the most important decisions of their lives.