Diana Vera, Writing Center Tutor Alumni Profile

11/6/25  Interview with UIC Writing Center Tutor ‘23 alumna, Diana Vera

Your pronouns:

She/her

Your major/s/minors at UIC:

Mathematics

What term did you take 222, with whom, and what years did you work as staff tutor?

Fall 2016 with Kim; worked as staff tutor Spring 2017

Your year of graduation from UIC and undergrad degrees (BA/BS?):

BS in Mathematics May 2023

——————————-

You had an unusual path to your major and career. Can you remind me of how that came about for you?

I graduated as a Math major, so that’s what my degree officially is. But I started in the Architecture School and then I switched to literature. I was taking mostly French classes and then I switched to STEM. I guess chemistry and physics don’t come as easily to me as, like, straight-up math and computer stuff, so I took that route and graduated with a Math degree.

And you were doing computer science classes in the mix?

Yeah, so my major basically, up until COVID was Computer Science with a focus in Software Engineering. And then I took 2 years off to work as a software developer. And then I came back in 2022 to finish up my degree, and the Math path was a lot faster—I think it was two semesters as opposed to, like, 3 or 4 left with computer science. I decided to go with Math, too, because that was around when the computer science bubble was kind of going left, and I was like, Alright, well . . . math is more agnostic. So that’s how that happened.

What are you doing these days for work, and how would you explain it to someone unfamiliar with the world who’s curious to get a peek inside?

Yeah, so I am, I guess— a technical title is “business process analyst” for LCP Media, which is a business unit within the much larger company called Yardi. They make the 3D [virtual house] tours, so they exploded over COVID, right? If you were able to go through a house with the little 3D walkthrough tours, that’s what they do.

And we were recently acquired. So I was used to working for a smaller company, but we recently got bought out by this massive company.

Basically what I do is I build out and maintain all of the systems that our operations team uses. We use this ERP software called QuickBase which used to be owned by Intuit, but it’s not anymore. And it’s basically setting up all the little apps that all the different teams use and customizing them to what they need, tweaking stuff as they need it. So it’s a little bit different from my past jobs, because that would be, like, every 4 week cycle there’s a new client, and you’re making a new app for them, and just kind of churning them out like that.

But with this, I’ve been working with the same groups of people for about two and a half years, and it’s been really cool because I’ve been able to improve things as I go and learn more about how everything works. And I’ve been able to sit in on more higher-level discussions than I did as just a developer.

So this role, I would say, is less technical than my past ones, but I have more agency and it’s also a much smaller team, so I am the sole subordinate on a team of two. The only other person is my manager.

How big is the team overall, and are you all local in Chicago, or is it more a dispersed remote team?

Most of the U.S. employees for LCP are in Chicago. I think there’s [about] 50 of them. We have a couple people in different states, but the company was overall based in Chicago, and then they have a team of, like, 30 or 40 3D designers in Poland.

But then Yardi, our parent company now, I think has several thousand employees, like 5,000 or 9,000 or something crazy, so much larger.

And are you going into an office, or do you work from home?

I work from home primarily, but occasionally I do have to go into the office. It’s right across from the Sears Tower, so with this buyout, we got to move to a much closer office, too, because the previous one was in Edison Park—quite a hike for me—but this one is just one straight-shot bus ride and it’s pretty cool. It’s super high-rise and has a beautiful view of the river, so I’ve gotten, like, “the Chicago office experience.” It’s been pretty cool.

How did you get to where you are now from undergrad? Can you talk about your path and any challenges or twists along the way?

Yeah, so I would say the path to lead exactly here, I think, was mostly from applying to jobs that I was not qualified for at all, and then just kind of stacking those in a row and becoming qualified for them as I go. But when applying, I was not necessarily the perfect candidate.

So it started out [that] I applied to be a web developer for UIC Office of Student Affairs. And the night before the interview, I just did, like, a crash course on HTML and stuff like that because I had just started in computer science. I was like, Oh crap, there’s so much I don’t know.

Were you still an undergrad when you applied for that job?

Yeah, it was I think the beginning of my second year. And then I worked there for I want to say a a year and a half.

But that was when one of the advisors at UIC sent out a mass email that NASA was hiring for interns and so that was another, like, 3 AM let-me-just-apply-and-see-what-happens type deal. And I ended up getting that, and then that kind of set things on a different route.

So I went to intern as Web Developer at NASA’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland. I spent a summer there. That was just awesome. And the way that the NASA internships work, from my experience, is that they love to bring people back, right? So if you show up and you’ve done a good job, your chances of getting another internship are super good—and it’s not just at the same base, too, [but] all over. They all have a preference for people who’ve been around the block before.

So then I applied to a more technical, a little bit more difficult internship at [NASA’s] Langley Research Center in Virginia as Software Engineer. I ended up getting that one, and then they brought me back for a second term, so I did basically two in a row in Hampton, Virginia, where that base is. And so that was awesome. I worked on a linear regression tool, which is so funny, now that AI and machine learning is this whole huge thing. But at that time, it was a bunch of different intern groups working on different iterations of the same computer learning type deal.

And then that brings us to the end of 2019, and then COVID hit right after, and that’s when I just got a job as a developer, coming off of those internships. I would have loved to keep just doing internships, but they have requirements for full time enrollment that I did not meet at the time.

Were they summer internships, or did they go longer than the summer?

One of them was summer, and then another one was the spring and summer term consecutively.

When you took the job as developer, you took a break from school to work full-time?

Yes, I did. That job was very stressful, and it was interesting, too, because I was just kind of getting used to, like, the very heavily male-dominated spaces.

At this developer job, they had been a company for 12 or 13 years and had never had a developer that wasn’t a guy, right? So, it was just crazy.  But I would say, in general, my work experience has benefited me the most, so that job was very useful for that.

Being the “pioneer” woman at work is a particular kind of challenge.

Yes, right, and to thrive in a space like that you do, to a certain extent, have to be a good sport about things, and get a thicker skin. But there have definitely been moments where you do have to choose between: Do I want to feel right and protected, or do I want to keep my job and my esteem with my coworkers?

I left that job voluntarily because—you know, I worked there for 2 years, and I was like, I think I should go back to school…

So I ended up leaving, finishing my degree, and then I found this job now. It paid more, was way less demanding, and way more fun.

Are there more women—does it feel like the space is a little more integrated?

Yeah, definitely, because it’s not a tech company, and it’s not a software company. It’s a 3D marketing material company. So there are a lot more women, actually, and my manager is a guy, but our department is completely new, so there’s no boys club precedent at all. So it’s been really awesome. And with my manager, we have a very equitable working relationship. I genuinely have only positive things to say about this workplace.

What are your favorite and least favorite things about the kind of work you’re currently doing?

I would say the stuff that I like the most is having my opinion be worth something, because, again—we are such a new department that arose from just the systems kind of getting out of control to where the people who started the company were like, I need to be the CFO right now, I can’t be running this stuff. So it came from a place of need. And we’ve been able to make so many improvements just with stuff like cleaning up data, automating some things.

But to actually be part of the people doing that for the first time for a small company that is now bought by a larger one—it’s been very interesting to release an app, and then continue working with those same people who are using it for years after. So it’s been cool.

So you’re kind of the designer-turned-customer support for the app you made?

Yeah, right, so I get to learn how they use it, and how it’s totally different from how I thought they would use it, but they still make it work, you know? So, little stuff like that, [whereas] if you just hand off an app to a different company, you don’t quite get that follow-up stuff unless they come back to negotiate for more features.

So I would say that part of it is probably my favorite.

My least favorite probably would be that I am not 100% sure, career growth-wise, what is next. Where if you’re a developer, then you just become a senior developer. Where with mine. . . . ideally, I can just continue working in this role for as long as I can, because I really do love it, but I don’t know if when I’m, like, 40, if that will be an option, you know? So that’s why I’ve been trying to consider further education and what kind of certifications I can get to broaden my scope.

And you applied for grad school, right?

Yeah, I don’t know if I told you, I was accepted, so that’s great. I was accepted to UIC’s online Master of Engineering, and it’s with a focus on AI and machine learning.

And I think if you do it full-time, it’s a one-year program, but doing it part-time is two years. And so I’m just interested, really, in doing stuff that I can manage while working full-time.

I’m admitted for next fall. The main thing I have to figure out now is finances, but, you know,the program itself should be cool. It’s some coding stuff, some math stuff, I think one law class, so…

I’m not sure, but I did get in, so that’s good.

I was never in doubt! I don’t know how competitive these programs are, I’m just highly biased towards Diana, so…

Thank you. I’m hoping my work experience balances out my somewhat storied undergrad journey.

Maybe it adds a little spice to the resume?

Yeah, exactly, it just adds an air of mystery. But something I’ve been up against now—especially with [my partner] Kristin, who’s in this program that she loves, and it’s so interesting, and she’ll, like, send me her readings, and I can read them too, you know?–is that I don’t really like STEM that much, you know what I mean? I’m in a field that I’m not a huge fan of because I wanted to be employed gainfully.

And then, of course, you know, the tech landscape has changed a bit, so I’m just trying to figure out what I’m supposed to do now, you know?

For people who don’t know—you mentioned that you started off studying literature, but you’re also an artist. Are you finding ways to maintain your art practice alongside [your job]?

Yeah, I mean, really, my overt motivation going into STEM was: I want a job that will fund my creative hobbies, right? So, that’s really always been the goal to some extent, and it, for now, is totally happening.

So I paint—I mean, paintings are pretty involved, so I’ll probably paint a big painting, like, once a month. But I like so many different things that I just kind of cycle through them all.

And, you know, I’ve also learned I don’t like monetizing the things that I do like to do, so it’s very safe to keep work as the thing that brings money, and then creativity is something totally separate. So we’ll see if that works long-term.

I [also] make miniatures—like miniature furniture, miniature decor, little tiny dollhouse-type deals. I knit, and I’m trying to learn how to crochet. I actually make music a little bit, too. Not well, but I do it! And, what else? Yeah, needle felting, that one is super fun. I like making little felt guys. In particular, I’ve been basically making little miniatures of pets who have died in our family, and then giving them as gifts. I mean, I really will just take an opportunity to do anything creative. I really like making clothing articles so…the spaghetti shoe and hat combination, that’s one that I’m a little scared to take out of the house, but I have to one day.

And yeah, I just try to do whatever I want and Kristin has learned that part of living with me is that I will accumulate random detritus and then use it for projects.

Do you have a designated art room, or is it more diffused over the whole living space?

Yeah, it’s diffused everywhere, because we live in a place that was initially shared with my brothers, and they still have two rooms here, but they don’t live here. So I can’t take one of the rooms and make it a studio, you know. So it’s kind of all over the place, but it’s great.

I have a niece now, and she’s about to turn 3, and so a tradition that I’ve kept up now for 2 years, and I’m gonna try to keep it as long as I can, is that every year for her birthday, I make her a custom coloring book about her. The first year was  counting to 10, the second year was Where’s Buddy? Because that’s her cat’s name, and so she eventually found him at a Royals game.

I don’t post [my artwork] anywhere, and it’s not for money or anything, but just to do it. And, I think those are the most rewarding [projects].

That seems like the correct way to be doing this. Not 80 hour weeks, fulfilling someone else’s artistic vision under deadline in an office. You can really make your art the way you want, for one individual, and give it as a gift.

Right, and just kind of really connect with it, because it’s so hard when it’s work—I just start to resent projects when I’m getting paid to do them. I don’t know what it is. But actually, funny you say that, because when my niece was born, I told Kristin, I was like, you don’t follow Kim on Instagram, but I do. And she’s, like, the coolest aunt, and that’s what I’m going for. Like, all the fun stuff. So I’ve been keeping up with that so far. It’s been pretty successful.

And once your niece becomes herself a creator, there’s a lot of collaboration that can happen that’s fun, too.

Yes—I drew Bluey on the sidewalk out of chalk, and she knew it was Bluey. So little stuff like that, I’m like, whoa. For Christmas, I’m getting her, among other things, an easel that has chalk, dry erase, paper roll, all that. We’ve been getting her mostly creative stuff and music stuff.

Are you able to visit with some regularity?

Oh yeah, we’re going out there in December, actually, and I convinced my mom to come along, because my mom’s the coolest—like, just genuinely is the best mom ever to me, and so I’m like, Mom, you gotta come with me because I don’t know how to make cookies that same way. You gotta come bring the grandma energy.

How does your experience as a writing center tutor come into play in your current role? Are there things that transfer?

I would say absolutely yes. I think that it is an overgeneralization that people make a lot, but in STEM, being able to communicate effectively, respectfully, professionally, and sound competent is just so valuable, especially if you’re a woman.

And being able to read things for work and boil them down and edit things for clarity. So, in a very real way, I still use that kind of thing.

But also, I know that, even just from tutoring—the process of reading someone’s work or talking through whatever prompt they have or basically taking whatever they have shown up with and trying to work with it—works especially well with interviews. Especially with higher-up people. Because they are usually not very technical, and they want to trust that you can give them a 2-minute breakdown of what’s going on and why, and that they can understand that that’s the right call.

[Especially] because with remote work, and highly technical work, like coding, where you don’t necessarily put a lot of your personality into things, or you’re not in the office to chit-chat with people as much—then the moments you do talk to people and interact with them matter all the more.

And I think just being able to have the confidence in reading and writing, all that just gives people a lot more to go off of with those brief encounters.

It sounds like when the tech people need to explain their work to non-tech people, having someone who can translate, who can make it legible to an outside audience—I imagine that might even be a little rare? That people who are super immersed in coding may not all have the facility to make it understandable to someone who’s not?

It does move more away from the technical stuff and more towards being able to put ideas together in a way that makes sense to everyone in the room.

Because also, if you talk too flowery, then the technical people think you’re stupid. So you really have to kind of toe the line.

So, that’s why, honestly, I don’t think it’s a reach [to say tutoring skills transfer to this work], because in the Writing Center, you don’t know what people are coming in for. You don’t know if they’re a graduate student, you don’t know what class it’s for, it’s all over the board. So I do think that really helps me be less shy, talking about stuff that I don’t necessarily know about, but can say: Okay, where can we find value in this? So I would say that was immensely, immensely useful for all kinds of things job-related.

Is there advice you would give tutors who are interested to pursue a similar field of work? Maybe you feel like things are shifting, but in particular are there things you wish you had known as a woman entering this field—advice about how to navigate a workplace where you might find yourself the pioneer vs. one that is more integrated and welcoming?

Well, you know, all of them have value, and all of them kind of suck in their own way. So being the pioneer—it’s great, because you feel like, Wow, I’m doing it, I’m trailblazing, I’m carving the way. But it’s also very lonely, and people say a lot of offensive stuff to you, so it’s kind of like, Yay me!, but also Why would he say that to me? type of thing.

So…I would say my advice is, one, apply to things that you’re not qualified for. Get good at , cramming and talking about stuff you’re cramming about. If you do that approach [you can] then back it up with learning stuff after you get in the door. Because I know for the major opportunities in my life that have changed everything for me, at the time of applying, I really was not qualified, but I learned quickly, right? And was able to communicate that well. So don’t tiptoe around the fact that you’re not fully qualified, but do try to give them confidence in other ways that you will get up to speed quickly and be worth the investment.

And then, as far as hostile workplace and being a woman and all that . . .I would say things are shifting in a way that I don’t quite know how to make sense of, because programmers and things like that are held in much lower esteem now, I think, than even a few years ago. And just overall, the landscape of it is changing a lot.  So I think it’s interesting, because even compared to when I started, there are a lot more women in the field. But at the same time, the men feel, I think—well, let me not speak for them, but I get the impression that everyone is a little bit less confident, you know? So, it’s kind of good, kind of bad.

But from my experience, I really wouldn’t have been able to tell one way or another which workplace would be hostile or not, you know, because you just talked to one person. And a lot of times, the people who you’re interviewing with, if they’re openly hostile, you kind of have an idea, but a lot of people are charismatic, but then also don’t ever draw a line, and there’s no HR department.

At least from my experience, once you’re in a situation, I would say, if you happen to be in the pioneer scenario: Try to keep your head down and get through it as much as you possibly can. If it’s really affecting your mental health, definitely leave. But if you can stand it for as long as you can, get some credibility, and then bring in other women. Truly, that’s the only approach.

As for getting in the door, even if you’re underqualified and don’t yet have all the technical expertise—I’ve found too (at least in animation) that while that tech stuff is learnable with practice, a lot of people just don’t ever want to do the communicative or managerial work, so for someone with solid writing and explaining skills, that can be a real opportunity.

Most definitely. Yeah. Exactly, and that’s the thing— people always say soft skills, you know? It’s real, it totally helps you on a resume and pitching yourself to employers, but also, once you’re in the role, it can set you up for success.

Again, tutoring, another example of the value of it, is—you don’t know these people. You gotta figure out how to talk to them within 30 seconds, you know? And about anything! Any discipline, any level. So that’s come into play talking to clients, talking to different companies you might work with, how to ask the questions and also build a friendly rapport.

It’s all useful, and yeah, if you end up in a pioneer position and can make that mean something and help more people get those jobs, it’s always worth it, I think.

Any advice for tutors about how to survive college and the post-grad transition? It sounds like one thing you did that was a good choice for you was taking a break, and that’s something many students consider, I know, in moments of stress or crisis, juggling the demands of work and school and life—when should I consider a break?

Yeah, I would say, for me, something I had to learn the hard way is—historically through high school, you can just kind of push yourself and crush it without too much damage. But the reason I ended up taking a break was because during my last NASA internship, it’s a full-time job, so, you know, 40-plus hours in the office. And I was trying to do full-time school online, and it was just too much, and I couldn’t handle it.

So I really think just knowing your limits, and going with the gut feeling in your stomach of, like, I don’t know how I’m gonna pull this off. Like, if you can only swing something if you are the perfect super soldier version of yourself, and you never have an off day—-like, If I work 8 hours at the office, and then come home and study for another 4 hours, and then don’t sleep, like, this will be great! .  . like, it just historically hasn’t been worth it. Because then you do two things half well instead of one thing really well.

My parents being doctors, the expectation is that you can just basically run yourself into the ground and thrive and smile at the end, you know? So, it was definitely that, of being like, I can’t be weak, I can’t be incapable of something, it’s just not something that I want to weave into my story, right?

But with maturity and age, I’ve learned the only person who has to live my life is me.you know what I mean? So just do what you gotta do to make your life worth living.

My mom, too, she’s an OBGYN, and to this day, she’ll tell me: Don’t do that to yourself. You’re supposed to enjoy your life while it’s happening. So grind towards stuff, but you don’t have to prove your existence to be worthy.

So, for me, that was a revelation, to hear that from her and to just hear the other side of things. Instead of “You should try to do as many hard things as you can at once”—try to do maybe one medium thing, and then have free time to have friends and stuff.

So, yeah, I feel like it’s hard because a lot of jobs will just pile the work on you, and it’s harder if you’re in a job where you can’t just say, actually, I’m only gonna do half of my role.

For our tutors who are NASA-curious: Am I right in thinking that you started with NASA as an intern over the summer, and then you stayed on with them?

I stayed on. I did one summer term with NASA, did school normally for the fall term, and then the spring and summer terms of the next year, back-to-back, I did two separate NASA internships, but basically seamless—I was working on the same project.

So you did the NASA internship full-time in person, and were doing school full-time remotely?

Yeah.

Was that remote during COVID, or you just chose online classes?

That was just remote before any of that happened, that was 2019.

And were you getting paid as an intern?

Yeah, actually, at the time, I think I was making $24 an hour, so I was like, Oh my god, that’s crazy. This is amazing. So, yeah, I mean, you’re a full-time employee, really, like, you do a full work week, you have to be there 8 hours a day,and you get paid, and there’s lunch break and stuff. They have a really good cafeteria.

And they have different sites as well—you started in the Cleveland office?

Yeah, they’re in Cleveland, Virginia, Florida, Texas…there’s just a bunch. Cleveland actually has two, or maybe did they shut down the other one? I think it was called Plum Brook Station. That’s where they filmed Avengers 2, the opening scene.

Any advice for people who are applying for a NASA internship?

Yeah, I would say that NASA more than the private sector, from what I’ve noticed, they do put more value on the culture of learning, the environment of “we all bring something to the table, and safety first, and it’s okay if you don’t know something, we’re all here to teach you, and then you will know, and then you’ll teach the next person.” I worked with multiple different groups of people, and I was so impressed by the civil servants—well, not all of them, some were contractors—but, like, the mentors, right? And they were just all very, very kind. And even if it wasn’t, like, a perfect personality match, people really are committed to this culture that is just the perfect thing for a student, honestly.

And I didn’t think I’d ever be in an environment like that, but it’s, you know, it’s not just a building, it’s a campus, right? So it does kind of have that college-y feel.

They’re committing serious resources to education?

Yeah, exactly. And there’s all kinds of internships, too, it’s not just coding and mechanical engineering. There’s art interns who do graphic design stuff, and I know this one girl, I did an internship with her, hers was more the administrative stuff, or almost like journalism, you know, putting out the press releases and showing up in the video and saying, “Coming to you live!” or whatever.

So I mean, there’s really something there for most people. Honestly, even if you think you wouldn’t have a great argument for being hired there, I would say definitely try it anyway.

It might have changed after COVID, because I think everything just got worse after COVID, but at least when I was there in 2019, people really cared about . . . I mean, they actually cared that I learned stuff, you know? Rather than just, if you don’t cut it, you’re out.

And NASA, really, it’s very close to a college environment where the interns have house parties, and they can, you know, get a little crazy.

So is there residential housing for the NASA interns to live together?

No, no housing, you have to find all your own housing. So for the Langley base, for instance, it might be an easier time because it’s also military, so there’s a lot of dorm-type things nearby—I did stay in a military complex for one of the terms. I did Airbnb for one of them.

I would say housing actually is a big consideration because, for me, it ate up most of my stipend check, because you do have to prioritize proximity and all those things.

When I first went for my first one in Virginia, I was staying in someone’s shed in Norfolk, so it was, like, an hour away, and there was no lock on the door.  And so, every night, I’d have to push the couch in front of the door to sleep, it was pretty treacherous— so I would say, if you do get accepted, first thing you should do is look for housing, because it’s pretty competitive, and they have no power over that, so you’re on your own.

What is making you happy these days?

Planning a wedding is so freaking cool. Kristin is a grad student and also has two jobs, so obviously, I’ve been mostly spearheading the fact-finding and all that sort of thing. So that’s been awesome, because I love planning stuff.

With painting,I am working on a self-portrait right now that touches on some chronic injuries I’ve accumulated and how that has really changed how I can paint and how I can do certain things. So, that has been fun, I guess.

And then we just booked our honeymoon. We’re going to Zermatt, Switzerland. I’m so excited—we are going to be taking this 8-hour train with panoramic windows through the Alps. So I’m excited for that.

Otherwise, I’m about to start the niece’s third birthday coloring book. This year is going to be a pizza theme, and so her gifts are going to be… there’s this company that does, like, hippy-dippy, all-wood baby toys, you know? So, they have one that’s a pizza stand. So, I’m gonna order it, paint it to say Zia’s Pizzeria, and then it’s gonna go with the book, which will be pizza-based, no spoilers.

Otherwise, just trying to be responsible. I’m about to turn 29 soon, and, you know, I just feel like the older I get, the better things are. I feel, you know, since I was a kid, I was meant to be 39. Like, I’ve known it, I’ve known it. So, I’m getting closer.

I’m enjoying this period of less job stress, because it’s really allowed me to create stuff without feeling like I’m at the brink of mental breakdown, so that’s been super great.

And yeah, I’m also working on an EP called Fall Risk because over the summer, my cat bit me, and I had to stay at the hospital for a night, and for some reason, they had me listed as a fall at risk, even though I’m totally not. So I had to have the grippy socks and the little bracelet and stuff. I thought that was hilarious. So that’s what that is.

That is most of what I have going on.

Is the wedding next spring?

In June and we’re leaving the day after.

Have you done international travel together already?

Yeah, actually, Kristin and I went to Colombia. We went to Cartagena in 2022 and that was great. That was fun. I mean, we’re great traveling together; we both show up at the airport so early, they don’t even let us in. Because you can’t get there 5 hours before your flight. So we were in lockstep, you know? Especially, I love to plan stuff, and she doesn’t love to plan stuff, so I will just be like, what about this? And then we talk through it.

This is a partnership that is working well.

Yeah, exactly. So, she’s my favorite travel buddy, because she knows, like, have your bag packed, dude. So we’re totally stoked.  And our hotel room has a freaking jacuzzi. You can see the mountains—it’s, like, right in the mountains, dude. It’s gonna be the best trip I’ve ever been on, probably.

Well, that makes me very happy. Seems like you’ve truly met your person.

Yeah, she’s awesome. So many people think it’s odd that we technically met in 5th grade, but we also went to middle school and high school together. We came from the same small town; we met at a park district jazz camp called We Has Jazz. That was actually the first time a drawing of mine was used for promotional material. I got to draw the pamphlet, so it was great.

We were just kind of in each other’s orbit for a while. We had a lot of the same classes, and then when I started that offshoot newspaper in high school that led to me eventually getting arrested for alleged crimes. She was my partner in that. So we were social justice warriors together before we were anything else. So yeah, we’ve known each other for a long time, and we have those great, awkward middle school pictures together and stuff. . . the whole nine.

Anything I didn’t ask you’d like to add?

People can totally reach out to me. I’m an open book, so I don’t mind. I will look over resumes, I’ll do whatever. I don’t have the most professional contacts, but if I do have an opportunity to help someone, I’ll totally do that.

They can also hit me up on LinkedIn if they want. I don’t check that as often, but I’ve had people reach out on there before. I would say the most that I can really provide is a very candid conversation. I wouldn’t say I talk like a recruiter or anything like that, but I can give an honest opinion of what I’ve experienced, you know?