Staff Appreciation Post

Victor Hinardi, MPP Class of 2023, writes about his experiences working with Harris staff.

My experience so far with Harris staff has been extraordinary and I want to share it with other prospective and admitted students. From the moment I began my application, the Admissions team helped me navigate the process. When I initially reached out to one of the Admissions officers for application advice, I felt anxious about the application and struggled to find the right content for the essay. However, when I met with admissions, I felt immediately at ease: we discussed essay tips and how to include my best experiences in my motivation statement, which I appreciated so much. Conversing with them not only helped me to approach the application more effectively but also gave me more confidence in my writing.

The Admissions team remained accessible even after I was admitted: I had so many questions regarding housing, living costs, and things to do in Hyde Park, and the numerous insights I gained from Admissions team members really helped me narrow down my options.

Once I accepted my offer to attend Harris, the Career Development Office also reached out directly. This was incredible to me, because I never had a career advisor during undergrad: I did not  know what to expect and what kind of help I could get.

From my first meeting with my advisor, Ethan Rucker, we chatted about my career aspirations and what kind of internships I was interested in.

When I mentioned I wanted to pursue a career in consulting, Ethan directed me to the right resources to practice for the internship interview. He also allocated time to conduct a mock case interview with me, asking me about hypothetical business situations before the actual interview. I am excited to report that the preparation paid off—this summer I secured an internship with a healthcare company, Centene.

I am thankful to Ethan for helping me to reach this goal and to the Admissions team for being so welcoming and helping me find my feet before arriving on campus so I could focus on my academics. I definitely recommend admitted students tap the resources both Admissions and Career Development offer.