By Lillian Murray
When I first came to SUNY Plattsburgh, I was completely lost. I had no idea what I wanted to do, no sense of direction. I wasn’t driven, I wasn’t focused — I was just trying to get by. When I left high school I had a record of eight different teachers who told my mom I was a distraction. And, truthfully, they weren’t wrong — I didn’t know where to put all my energy.
By the time I reached my junior year, I had changed my major four times. I was exhausted, uncertain, and starting to feel like maybe college just wasn’t for me. Then I met Professor Colleen Lemza.
She introduced me to the public relations department and placed me in a nonprofit organization called Shine On! It was the first time I felt like I was doing something that mattered. I started showing up and being proud of the work I was doing. Public relations work was not just a class that I had to pass, it was work that I wanted to be the best in the class.
Colleen wasn’t just my academic advisor, she became a mentor and confidant. She made time to talk with me regularly, not just about schoolwork, but about life and about how I was doing. She cared about my success in and out of the classroom. When she placed me into a third grade classroom to teach social and emotional learning, I realized that she did this to show me that my “disruptive” energy could actually be something impactful. It could be used to help others and make a difference.
Colleen never got mad at me, as other teachers had. She taught me how to channel my energy into projects that were productive and something to be proud of.
Colleen Lemza has been so much more than an academic advisor. She’s been a mentor, a cheerleader and a safe place. I genuinely don’t know who I would be today without her. I owe so much of my growth and success to Professor Lemza.
My senior year, Colleen urged me to join the Cardinal Points publication. I was nervous, as I had never been a public relations chair, and I did not know anyone besides the opinions editor, Kolin Kriner. Both Colleen and Kolin encouraged — basically forced — me into taking the position, and I am so thankful that they did.
Although I was only in Cardinal Points for a semester, it has impacted my experience and my life greatly. The work I did made me feel fulfilled, I felt like representing and doing outreach for the school paper was an important asset for all SUNY Plattsburgh students. I am so thankful that I had the push from Colleen and Kolin, as I would not trade this experience for anything.
