Meet Nori Barnes, the new Honors College advisor for Lubin and College of Health Professions. They started this position last semester, however, their time here at Pace goes back further than that. Nori first came to this school as a pre-med undergrad and a member of the women’s basketball team. After their sophomore year, they joined the Navy and served as a Hospital Corpsman for eight years before returning to Pace, enrolling in the RN program, and taking a job at Mortola Library. Nori graduated in 2015 and went to work at a hospital while still doing part time work at the Pace Library in order to better support themself and their family.
“Long story short, the pandemic happened, I lost my parents, and I just didn’t see the hospital in the same way anymore,” Nori says. “It just became more negative than positive, so while I was working in the library one Sunday, I saw this job opportunity… And I was like cool, I love Pace, I think I can do that… I explained my story to Carol and the honors team at that time, and they completely understood where I was coming from. And so, when I got the job, it just made sense to me.”
Nori says they enjoy working for the Honors College for several reasons. Nori now has better hours and gets to spend more time with their brother. Nori loves Carol, whom they describe as a “ray of sunshine,” and Nori loves the chance to work with and help students.
“[My students] teach me something different every day,” Nori says, “either about myself or about the perception of life now post-pandemic and how they have been able to conquer and triumph over the things that have happened to them in the last couple of years.”
One of Nori’s goals for the honors college is to start a book reserve. At the end of each semester, students can drop off old textbooks that they bought but never plan on using again, and future students can borrow these books for free and save money on school expenses.
Nori wants their students to know that their door is always open. If someone is having a rough day, they are welcome to use Nori’s office as a space to decompress and take a moment of peace and privacy. They are also looking for a worthy opponent who can beat them in a game of darts and challenges students to come down and give it their best shot.
Nori says they feel freest when on their motorcycle, and if they could offer students any piece of advice, it would be this:
“You have something to offer. It’s okay to be unique. I think a lot of people try to fit in, and it ends up dimming their own light. If you’re in a group of friends, it’s okay for you to be your own person and just bring something different to the table rather than trying to blend in to fit in.”