What are you thankful for?
Conflict and challenges. Divisions and differences. Sometimes when you turn on the news or check social media, it feels like bad news are the only stories out there.
But we’re entering a season filled with giving and kindness, and we thought there was no better time to step back and ask, “What are we thankful for?” So we did. And the responses poured in.
Each answer represents an individual story. But if you read closely, there’s a theme that unites them all — the joy one feels being a part of a community that cares.
Here’s a sampling of what Skidmore students, faculty and staff are thankful for this year.
Juni Ahari ‘19
Student
“I’m most grateful for the professors, who take the time to connect with students individually and encourage their growth.”
Michael Forbes
Director of IT and media services
“I’m most grateful for my staff and student workers who make my department a magical place. And Gouda soup in the Spa (a popular place to grab a quick bite on campus). It turns sad days into happy days!”
Sarah Ireland
Associate director of admissions
“I'm so very grateful for our Admissions Ambassadors. Through heat, rain and sleet, they continue to be the first faces of Skidmore guiding prospective families through campus, sharing their experiences and telling our story. I’m also thankful for community programs like Skidmore Speaks giving us an opportunity to gather, listen and talk about what we can do as a campus to continue conversations about free speech.”
Jason St. Denis ‘19
Student
“I’m grateful for my adviser — someone who tells me to chill and keeps me grounded my final year of college.”
James Rose
Executive chef
“I’m thankful for all of our student employees who, despite all their academic pressures, come to work with a positive attitude and smile on their faces. They are the best!”
Maurice Thompson ‘21
Student
“I’m grateful for financial aid and the Kettering Scholarship because it has allowed me to obtain a higher education.”
Eric Morser
Associate professor of history and director of civic engagement
“I'm most thankful this semester to teach two different courses full of smart and engaging students who are passionate about American history and care deeply about how the past continues to shape the world around them today.”
Emily Cooper ’19
Student
“I’m grateful for the relationships I’ve developed with faculty. As a senior, the professors I met my first year have had a lasting impact. In fact, I just saw two of them and it was surreal that these people, who have guided me, thanked me just as I was thanking them.”
Colleen Burke
Executive in residence and director of the Skidmore-Saratoga Consulting Partnership
“I'm most grateful for the wonderful staff in the Skidmore post office and Skidmore Shop who always greet my service dog with a smile and multiple treats. It makes us feel like we belong to a community of love and treats!”
Mark Rye
Assistant professor of psychology
“I'm most thankful for the talented and impressive Skidmore students who I get to work with on a daily basis.”
Jennifer Cholnoky
GIS Center coordinator and chemistry lab lecturer
“I’m thankful for a community that’s just small enough where I can regularly see students from past classes and hear about the incredible things they are doing, making and thinking.”
Michele Koskinen
Administrative assistant for the music department
“I'm grateful for the folks in facilities who keep things working, especially those working for grounds as we come into the winter season knowing what a huge task they face and the long hours they often have to put in during stormy weather.”
Sal Juliano ‘22
Student
“I’m thankful for my peer mentor and my fiction class, it always makes my day better. I feel like professor (Robert) Boyers really appreciates what I have to offer.”
Nurcan Atalan-Helicke
Associate professor of environmental studies and sciences
“I’m thankful for collaborations and collegiality across departments. For over a year, I’ve been working with a group of great minds from English, art, biology and the Tang Museum to co-curate an art exhibit. It’s been an amazing experience.”
Nathaniel Smith
Athletic communications and marketing assistant
“There are many things and people I’m grateful for, but none more than Bill Jones, athletics communications manager. He is a great advocate and friend. Also, Chicken Finger Friday.”
Cristal Maria ‘20
Student
“I’m grateful for intergroup relations. It has provided me with the content, language and experience needed to fuel my passion for social justice.”
Dean Mendes
Associate director of admissions
“I'm grateful to have the opportunity to travel the world to meet and interview prospective Skidmore students and to share the many benefits of a Skidmore education.”
Robin Adams
Director of leadership activities
“I'm thankful for my Skidmore colleagues, they are wonderful sounding boards for both me and the students we work with. Also a special thanks to Kathleen Harris, a cook here at Skidmore. She always makes sure I’m getting the best crunch salad this side of the Mississippi.”
Monica Raveret Richter
Associate professor of biology
“I'm grateful for my students who cheerfully and generously brave the vagaries of weather to complete their projects. They’re learning what it takes to be an ecologist.”
Natalie Wooten ‘22
Student
“I’m thankful for the support the community provides because everyone needs support every so often. Even though I’m seven hours away from home, I still feel like I have people in the community to fall back on.”
Inspired to share what you're thankful for? Join the conversation on Facebook.
Jenny Lupoff '19, Peter MacDonald and James Helicke contributed to this story