Full-time efforts make Jennifer Valla a strong voice for Human Ecology

By Susan Lang

While some Cornell students enroll full time and work part time, Jennifer Valla, a senior in the College of Human Ecology, has done both, full time, for the past three years.

Senior Jennifer Valla stands in front of the Human Ecology Voices bulletin board in Martha Van Rensselaer Hall. Charles Harrington/University Photography

That's in addition to untold hours she puts in, weekly, keeping her college's umbrella student organization, Human Ecology Voices, going, working with numerous high school students as a Human Ecology ambassador and serving as the student representative for her college's alumni association, not to mention her involvement in several other college organizations.

A human development major from Saratoga Springs, N.Y., Valla worked for Cornell Residence Life as a resident adviser in the Baker Court complex her sophomore year and in the Collegetown Complex her senior year, a 20-hour-a-week job. Last year, she worked as a program assistant for about 30 hours a week for Residence Life, overseeing nine resident advisers (RAs) and activities for five residence halls with a total of 500 students.

"Last year, which was my craziest," she said. "I probably attended some 15 meetings a week, responded to more than 100 e-mails a day and had untold impromptu conferences with RAs and students."

In addition, since her freshman year, Valla has worked as a student assistant for Cornell Cooperative Extension about 15 hours a week, putting together presentations, designing materials and compiling evaluation statistics. Her connections to extension go back to high school, where Valla was very active in 4-H, doing community service and assuming many leadership roles.

In thinking about colleges, however, Valla was determined not to choose Cornell because it was the alma mater of her parents: Valene '79, a sixth-grade science teacher, and Michael '76, the medical director and dentist with the Glens Falls Hospital Pediatric Mobile Dental Program, who received the Outstanding Alumni Award from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences in 2001.

She was interested in what made youngsters tick but didn't want to major in child development or education. "After visiting Cornell, though, I realized that the College of Human Ecology offered a perfect blend of the disciplines with a humanistic approach, yet it was small and intimate at the same time," said Valla, who was an early decision admission. She was so impressed with the Human Ecology ambassadors who showed her around Cornell that she became one as soon as possible, a role she has filled during each of her four years here.

Valla's greatest contribution to the College of Human Ecology probably has been her work as chair of Human Ecology Voices, which was a fledging organization with just two other students when Valla took it over at the beginning of her junior year. Now, with more than 45 people involved, Voices tries to connect the college's students, faculty and staff as well as the other 19 student organizations in the college in order to create and maintain a tightknit community.

Voices not only hosts several college--wide events a year, but works to support the events of other organizations, continually updates a bulletin board of college activities and recognizes individuals biweekly with the Bundles of Happiness Award that Valla personally delivers to a staff, student or faculty member who has been selected for making a difference to the college community.

In the winter of 2001, Voices collected more than 100 items for the time capsule that was installed in the cornerstone of the new wing of Martha Van Rensselaer Hall, gathering the efforts of individuals across the college.

For her multitude of efforts, Valla has received numerous awards, including Resident Adviser of the Year, an Outstanding Leader Award and Staff Member of the Year, all from the Residence Hall Association, and the National Residence Hall Honorary award (a Residential Life honor society). She is a recipient of the Frank and Rosa Rhodes Scholarship (only one student from each college is chosen), the Rebecca Q. Morgan Cornell Tradition Fellowship, and the Diane O'Connel Resident Adviser Award. Valla was selected a member of the Quill and Dagger Senior Honor Society and, most recently, was honored as a Human Ecology "outstanding senior."

"Human Ecology turns out to have been a great choice for me," said Valla, who is looking forward to her new job in the management development program for M&T Bank in Rochester. After her corporate experience, though, she sees herself returning to higher education.

"I don't think another college would have given me the kinds of experiences I've enjoyed here," she said. "And the special thing about Human Ecology is that, after you take the initiative and present an idea to a dean or faculty member here, they never say 'no.' Rather, they encourage and support you and teach you how to do whatever it is you're suggesting as long as it benefits the college. Their encouragement just keeps you going. I definitely made the right decision."