I’m not a Tufts alumna. My first personal interaction with the Tufts community was interviewing for a job in the Admissions Office. I lived nearby, yet I had never been to the campus. A short bus ride delivered me to what was immediately a stereotypically beautiful New England college scene. I was early, so I explored a bit, and I found myself on the Tisch roof, my now favorite spot. I sat on the benches there and looked out over the Boston skyline and felt calm. This could be something, I thought.
To prep for the interview, I had done my research on Tufts via the website and Jumbo magazines, so when I was asked why I wanted to work there, I had my answer. It consisted of listing the academic excellence, a tight-knit community, a commitment to research, and an open-minded student body. I believed those things to be true, and when I mentioned those in interviews, I was met with affirming nods from my soon-to-be colleagues. I was onto something. I left the day-long interview and immediately called my sister to update her on the day. “How’d it go?” she asked. “I want to be a part of that,” I said confidently.
So why? Why Tufts? Why did I want to join that community after that day-long interview? And why do I stay?
Because after nearly 2 years at Tufts, I’ve seen everything I mentioned in my interview come to life. When it comes to academic excellence, I see that play out in so many ways. Students genuinely light up when they discuss their classes. They link what they’re learning in disparate fields because they don’t believe in separating fields of study. They work on really, really cool research projects with professors. They make incredible discoveries. The education Tufts students receive…well, they don’t just receive their education, they engage in their education and are equal partners is creating a meaningful academic experience to advance knowledge and explore their curiosities.
And that tight-knit community and open-minded student body—that’s probably my favorite part. When I’m asked to describe a ‘typical’ Tufts student, I see the faces of students I interact with regularly (tour guides, student workers, other random students I’ve met) pass through my head when I confidently say that Tufts students are kind. They are intellectually playful. They are funny. They are cool. They are nerdy. They are fascinating. They are really smart. They are friendly. They’re good people. (I wrote a whole blog post about how great the students are!)
So again, why Tufts? It’s quite simple: it’s an incredible, amazing community. It’s one I’m so proud to be a part of, and one I feel so lucky to have joined. I genuinely love going to work everyday with my wonderful colleagues and doing our work to bring wonderful students to this Jumbo community.
That’s my ‘why Tufts?’.
