Q&A with 2018 Valedictorian

Jennelie Korbes - 2018 Valedictorian

What is your favorite MMC memory?

Honestly, I think my favorite memory is from Applefest 2014, my freshman year. This is totally cheesy but I met my best friend that day and my entire college experience would have been completely different if I hadn’t met her. We got introduced through a mutual friend and my first impression of her was that she was “too cool for school” and I instantly thought I wouldn’t like her. Turns out we’re soul mates and will probably remain friends long after college is over.

What is one piece of advice you have for the incoming freshman class?

Maybe this is a bit cliché, but make as many mistakes as possible when you start. I started with a major in Theatre and when I look back at it, it’s almost laughable. I am so completely in love with psychology and all of the classes I took, but I would have never found my true passion if I hadn’t stumbled through theatre first. I don’t regret it at all because it gave me great experiences like Intro to Directing and Improv. All my mistakes ultimately led me to exactly where I was supposed to be.

What is one thing you would have done differently over your time at MMC?

I would have started to integrate myself into the Marymount community sooner. It took me a long time to really make use of the amazing faculty and student community here. It wasn’t until the end of junior year that I started to make connections within my Psychology major. I guess I did the nerdy thing and kept my head down and focused on work. I wish I would have tried harder and spreading my wings and getting to know more of my senior class and the students and faculty within the psych department.

What are you most excited and most nervous about for graduation and what comes next?

I think I am most excited and most nervous about the same thing, starting my career. I recently started working as a Case Manager at a community reentry case management agency. We help individuals with mental health issues that are released from Rikers reenter the community. It’s exciting and makes me nervous because I finally get to put my education to good use. I can see how what I do can impact an individual’s life. It’s exhilarating and terrifying all at once and it’s what I plan to do for the rest of my life— improve people’s lives through the field of psychology.

Published: April 23, 2018