GNA CAMPUS – Ms. Nin is the newest member of the GNA staff here at the high school. She is the college advisor, and her purpose is to help guide students with their college decisions. 

Mis. Nin is a recent graduate of Wilkes University. I had the pleasure of getting to sit down with her. Continue reading below to find out who she is and how she plans on helping students. 

What college did you attend? What was your major? 

I graduated from Wilkes University in the class of 2021. I had a degree in criminology. I also had a minor in dance. I worked for 4 years in the Center of Global Education and Diversity. I was president of the diversity club and was a part of many other diversity club executive boards. 

What was your high school experience like? How did deciding your future go?

I went to Meyers High School and it was everything to me. It was so great. I was a good student and everything worked out for me: easy peasy lemon squeezy. My family and I had come from the Dominican Republic so we had no idea how the American education system worked. I started college with mechanical engineering because my goal was to help people, which I originally thought could be by building houses. I didn’t realize what it took to be an engineer in college and one sociology class later I had switched majors within two weeks to criminology. I hadn’t felt seen, listened to, or heard in engineering, but after one conversation with a professor, I switched. I’m very interested in the law and how directly that can affect people, so that’s why I chose criminology. 

How has your time been at GNA so far?

I love my job!! I tell the guidance counselors all the time. You guys make it so worth it and I have never felt so much professional satisfaction in helping people so hands-on. I am all about helping people and getting to see the progress that you guys work through and your whole journey, every second of it. I care about you students a lot. 

Is there anything you’re excited to see happen this school year that’s a part of our traditions?

I am such a fresh slate. I don’t know ANYTHING!! Invite me to all the events, I will go. I heard about the different spirit weeks you guys do and I am so excited to see it. I mean I’m excited to spend money on outfits. I want to eventually know all of it. I want to be so involved here at GNA. 

What is your goal as the next college advisor at GNA High School? 

I hope I can reach more students. I’m contracted here. I don’t work for the district which just means my boss has an agreement with the superintendent so that I am able to come here. So I don’t work for GNA in the sense that GNA doesn’t pay me. This leads me to have my own personal goals that I want to meet. I have to meet with a certain number of students for my job, a certain amount of families, and just a certain amount of things all around, so I just hope I can meet with more of the students. I want to get you guys to care about your futures because I care about them. I’m not the kind of person to be begging for you guys to show up to my office, I hope more people are at least willing to meet with me. Also,  I’m not just here for college-bound students. Anyone. Military, career, college. Any of it. I just graduated, so if you have any questions about college I can help to answer them. If you want to get college reps to come in, if you want a school to come in, if you want someone in a certain career to come in that’s all me. Including scholarships, anything after GNA I am your go-to person. And if I can’t find the answers I’ll find somebody that does. Please take advantage of my being here!! 

If you could pick the biggest struggle juniors and seniors face while deciding on their future, what would it be?

I’m trying to reach out to you juniors!! You guys both just don’t know enough, which isn’t your fault. Please meet with me so we can get stuff going for you. I think the hardest thing is knowing where to start because you guys are so worried about how am I gonna pay? How am I going to do all these things? What am I going to do? Nobody has ever asked me, and even some of you, what do you want to do and why do you even want to do it? It’s so hard to think of it by yourself, but when someone of some sort of “authority” asks you and genuinely cares it’s different. It’s different when you have a conversation with someone that cares. And even with parents, they have this specific expectation of you, but I make a point to YOU pick. I am here to support any decision you want to make and help you do just that. I’m not here to force college or really anything on anyone. It’s all up to you guys. I’m just here as a resource. That’s why I hope more students can meet with me!! I mean it can be terrifying. There’s so much that goes into career, college, and other workforces. I’m just here to help!!

What do some of your hobbies include?

Currently? Sleeping. Shopping. I LOVE plants, so I have some plant babies that I care for. Oh, and stressing about my job. I love cooking too, for other people though. That’s about it. 

What was your main reason for deciding to work in education?

My goal in life is to help people that didn’t have the same opportunities as me and I didn’t have many opportunities considering I was an immigrant who didn’t know English for a while. I’m a first-generation which means I’m the first in my family to graduate from college in America. I hope to give the opportunities I never had to others and one of those big things is figuring out my future. I just want to help people in any way I can and this job literally fell into my lap. My first thought was “yeah, this is right up my alley.” 

What would you say is your greatest accomplishment so far in life?

My biggest accomplishment in life so far is seeing 22. I am just working to help you kids and I’m happy to be able to be here to do that. 

If you could give students any piece of advice what would it be? 

Don’t wait. Don’t wait to do anything. Don’t wait to travel, don’t wait to seek help, don’t wait to talk to someone, don’t wait for anything. Jump on the train and just go for it. Do it. You only have this one life and I think the pandemic has certainly changed people’s perspective on how fast life can change. Now or never!!