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May 21, 2007 Schmidt, 52, has been working at Cornell for 22 years, currently as the academic programs coordinator in design and environmental analysis.
Student profile: Linda Schmidt
Major: Communication Why did you choose Cornell?
For the Employee Degree Program. At first, my goal was just to take courses in Italian so I could communicate with newly discovered relatives in Italy. I entered the degree program in a job-related field to be granted time away from work to take the courses; earning the degree was not my initial objective. However, once I committed myself, I was determined to earn the degree in spite of the many challenges I faced along the way. Main Cornell extracurricular activity -- why is this important to you?
Working full time, going to school and parenting two kids (twins) in college and one more planning to go. While at Cornell, what other accomplishments/activities are you most proud of?
Winning second place in the Woodford Speaking Contest (thanks to Toni Russo's encouragement); being inducted into academic honor societies like Golden Key, Lambda Pi Eta and Ho-Nun-De-Kah. Who or what influenced your Cornell education the most?
First, and foremost, my family. Cliff Scherer will stand out for getting me through the final exam for his class as I faced back surgery; Toni Russo helped me get through the worst time in my life personally, professionally, emotionally and physically while I was taking her course; Will Provine -- my knight in shining armor -- going to bat for me to make his biology class count toward the intro bio requirement (Don't tell Will, but I ended up having to take another bio course anyway); and my adviser Brian Earle. I can say with certainty that if he was not my adviser I would have quit a dozen different times. He was my rock. The man has the patience of a SAINT! What Cornell memory do you treasure the most?
My professors were awesome. They were considerate of the special circumstances that nontraditional students face and were very caring. I will always remember one of my first Italian instructors, Natasha, who would say, 'Calma, Linda, calma' (Be calm) when I'd start to freak out. What are your plans for next year and beyond?
Having this experience as a student has allowed me to better help Cornell students and guide my twins, who are now in college. I may take workshops over the years to keep my skills fresh, but I'm going to look forward to nights without homework and not stressing about grades! |
