Interview with Carol Turco, Senior Staff Associate

On October 24th, 2017, Honors student Micaela Quattrociocchi interviewed Carol Turco, the Pforzheimer Honors College’s head of staff and primary point of contact in Pleasantville.

Micaela: How long have you worked in the Honors College?

Carol: This is my third year in the Honors College. I came to Pace in 2005 and worked in Campus Activities for three years, until I moved to working for the Vice President of Student Affairs for seven years. In campus activities I did a lot of event planning so now that I’m in the Honors College, I feel like I’ve come full circle.

Talk a little about what is involved in being a Senior Staff Associate.

Carol with Dean Dinan, transporting balloons for the 2016 Honors Awards Ceremony.

One part of my role is being in charge of the budget. And like I said, I work with events, but I don’t do as much planning but instead help with the facilitating of it. I take student ideas and bring them to fruition. I used to come up with events that I thought the students might like, but now I take their ideas and make them happen. In addition to that, I keep the Dean’s calendar, and as the Office Manager I make sure everything here runs smoothly. I’m the only full time contact in the Honor’s College so I provide continuity and a stable environment, and encourage students to get involved.

What would you say has been the best part of your job?

Definitely coming back full circle to work with the students again. I worked with students in Campus Activities but in Student Affairs I worked mostly with faculty, and really missed the students. You kids keep me young! Everyone brings something different to the table and it’s wonderful to connect with so many different types of students.

What advice would you give to students who are just starting out in the Honors College?

Get out of the box. Get out of your comfort zone and try something new. This is the time to get involved, join a club or organization, and put the books down once and a while. And make sure to have some time for yourself. Set aside “me time” to chill out, hang out with your friends, watch your favorite TV show, or go to the gym. When you’re making your schedule for the semester, make sure to have “me time” scheduled in.

1 thought on “Interview with Carol Turco, Senior Staff Associate”

  1. Happy Birthday Carol.
    You bring Joy and Encouragement to Everyone who knows YOU.
    Enjoy YOUR Day.
    Love and Best Wishes,
    Colleen Himz

    Reply

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