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They have a chance to ask questions. >> I don't always have an answer, but then I know who to send them to. So, which means a lot and they're grateful for it. Hello, Blue Jays, and welcome to the nest, stories about life after Manor College. I am your host, Kelly Peiffer, vice president of marketing communications, and this is the best part of my day. My hope is that this podcast will encourage, inform, and inspire you, making you feel like at Manor College, you belong here always. Happy New Year and welcome to the second

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season of The Nest. We are so excited to be back with more alumni stories that showcase the incredible heights our graduates have reached. To remind us all that a Manor education is just the beginning of a lifelong journey. Before we get to today's guest, it is time for a brand new segment of the show. I like to call show and tell where we're going to spotlight some people, projects, and ideas that are on the top of our minds right now. It's a quick look at the work we are doing, why it matters, and why

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we're excited to share it with you. Our Manor College advertising campaigns are underway, all of which feature real Manor College students and alumni. We just published a short video where we asked these students to say in just one word what Manor means to them. Get the tissues ready because here is what Manny, Natasha, Olivia, Caitlyn, and others had to say. >> How would I describe Manor? Welcoming, >> supportive, >> community, >> inclusive, growth, >> transformative,

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>> family, >> comforting, >> community, >> togetherness, >> kind, home. Home. You belong here. >> Today's episode is sponsored by the personal and social skills leadership certificate at Manor College. In today's workplace, social and personal skills are more than just soft skills. They are the key to your next promotion. Master the human advantage with Manor College's personal and social skills leadership certificate. This flexible four-course program is designed for working

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professionals who need high impact training without the high impact price tag. Courses are just $750 each, or you can save even more with a discounted bundle for the entire certificate. It's a small investment for a massive career leap. Don't just keep ahead, get ahead. Classes are hybrid and designed for your busy schedule. Apply today at manor.edu/leader. That's manor.edu/leader. Welcome back to the show. To kick off the new year and season number two of The Nest, we are sitting down with a

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woman who quite literally is the first person many of us see when we walk onto campus. She is an alumni, a 1971 graduate of our secretarial program. Her journey at Manor spans over seven decades, a legacy that has seen the college evolve from a junior college to the 4-year institution it is today. She has served under six different presidents, witnessed the transition to a co-ed student body, and has been the steady, smiling, constant phase through it all. But she isn't just known for her longevity. She is also known for her

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magic. Whether it's the legendary aroma of her percolated coffee that fills the halls at 7 a.m., the sweet treat she keeps at her desk and always insists, "Have a couple cookies," or her uncanny ability to remember a student's face decades after they've graduated, she represents the very best of our Brazilian spirit. From her roots in the local Ukrainian community to becoming the Manor mom for every student who needs a bit of wise advice or a safe haven, she is the true cornerstone of

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our campus. She always reminds us that at Manor, you aren't just a number, you are family. Please join me in giving a warm welcome to the legendary Anne Kiczula. Hi An. >> Hi. >> Thank you for being with us today. It is truly an honor to have you on the show. So Ann, you first interviewed for a secretarial position in the yellow house down near the horse barn. What was campus like in those very early days compared to what it is today? >> Well, first of all, it used to be the

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White House and then all of a sudden they changed it to the yellow house. But the excitement was when I came I thought oh I really want to I want the position if I can get it also I wanted to go back take some courses but I knew it wasn't possible at that time so just to work was fine they offered me also to work in the bookstore which was a big thing at that time which we no longer have. >> We have Manny's Market now which is wonderful. That's the good Now we had very few students but we had

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good students >> pleasant and we had a wonderful faculty >> and the staff wasn't that big at that time but it was very good. >> Yeah. No, everything was a lot smaller and a lot more intimate even though we still today are pretty were relatively small and pretty intimate. Um, so you eventually went on to get an associates degree in 1971. So what is some of your favorite memories of being a student here? >> Well, the faculty because the faculty were very good to the students to I'm

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was one of them at that time. So at that time the faculty was very good, very helpful. some who had PhDs and some just had their other degrees, but that's okay. They were still good instructors. >> Yeah, I think that's cool to hear that you said that faculty were really helpful. I think that's something that still resonates today. >> Yes, >> our faculty are really helpful. >> Um, so that's really cool to see that, you know, here we are >> a few decades later and that's still

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really really um the cornerstone of who how our education is. So Ann, you have seen a lot of presidents in your time and where your desk sits, you've always been very close to the president because uh their office is right behind where your um area is. Any I guess do you have any memories of like a really big president moment that you got to see from your desk over the years? >> Well, yes. I think I don't know if it's possible to say, but Mother Alga was very good as a president. She pushed for

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a lot of changes. Some people didn't agree and some did, but she put up the one building, the second building, and of course the third building, which meant a lot, I know, to her and to the other presidents that came after her. >> Yeah. Mother Olga really like physically built the school in its actual buildings. >> She pushed for everything. >> Yeah, absolutely. That that's great. And now you got to um Sister Cecilia Jurasinski was our longest serving president for over I believe close to 30

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years if not a little bit over. Any memories from the President Cecilia days? >> Yes, Sister Cecilia. She pushed for a lot of things and I don't know if I should say but it had to be her way or the highway. That's my interpretation but okay good at her job. So >> yeah very dedicated and now obviously um we have Dr. Perry as a president and he's a different president than you were used to because he's a lay person. He's not a sister. He's a male. Um but he certainly

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has seen the college through some great transition and we now have bachelor degrees um a lot of different partners articulations and really growing the community aspect of the college has been a huge focal point in his leadership now for 10 years. So you've seen it all and from your desk it's pretty cool >> and Dr. Perry has done a lot of changes for the good. >> That means a lot to the students and he has an open door policy which is another thing that's good for the students. I

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mean they come can I speak to him? Of course you can. But if he's at an appointment or he has a other meetings then they'd have to come back or they make an appointment to see him which >> that's good. It's really good that students take advantage of that open door policy. I think that's really important that um that he has that but that also students take advantage of it. That's great. So Ann, everyone always talks about your coffee and now obviously um it's nice that you you make

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a a really large percolator of coffee every every day and I won't ask for the full secret recipe because I know it's secretive for a reason, but what what to important about that ritual that like every day you come in, you make the coffee, how does that set the tone for others? It helps a lot with the students. I always say you're welcome to coffee or anything else there. I said we also have things on the counter which is up for grabs. That's a big thing also for the students. They're very grateful

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for that. >> Also, they have a chance to ask questions. >> I don't always have an answer, but then I know who to send them to. So, which means a lot and they're grateful for it. And I have encouraged a lot of students to stay on and take more courses. Even if you take one or two, I think that's good for them. >> Yeah. >> I've had students who came back and said, "Yes, I'm staying for another two years." >> So, which which I'm I think is good.

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>> Yeah. I think um since you've been here for so long, you are the ultimate like ad admissions, you know, um person because you're always in and I say admissions, enrollment, retention, you're always encouraging students to sign up for that next semester, finish their degree or if they're just coming for a visit with admissions, oh we'll see you in the fall, we'll see you next semester. So really having the the coffee though, you're right, makes them stay at the counter for a few minutes to

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chat opposed to just walking on by. So it kind of slows them down um to chat and talk to you and that gives you a chance to connect with them. That's really important and I think a really special touch that not many other places have. And also the signs that you that Kelly you yourself put up and the girls look at them and they do read them >> and they said what does that mean? And I said well it means you are the one that will stay. You are the one that we encourage to do the best that you to

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your knowledge. So >> yeah it's incredible. Um, you know, a lot of alumni Ann that we've talked to, uh, in our last season of the nest here, like we had Stasia Mento Maloney on, she mentioned that you were her safe haven when she was a student. How do you think that you've been at connecting with students and staff and faculty um, in ways more than a receptionist, but really a mentor um, and like a family member? How how has it always been important to you to make

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those connections? >> I think the fact that the student will stand there and she will ask questions and I try to encourage them to like I said to my knowledge and if I don't I know exactly what department to send them to but some of them won't do that. They'll wait for a while and think about it and then they'll come back and they'll say, "Now I'm gonna ask another question." And they'll ask me and I'll say, "Well, this is my opinion, but you

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have to take it up." I said, "And you can speak to your parents because sometimes your parents will be able to help you in that aspect." >> Yeah, that's true. Um, so actually I want to talk about your parents for a minute. So, your parents were Ukrainian immigrants and you grew up in the in the nice town neighborhood. How has it been like having your heritage um being Ukrainian also where you work? You know, Manor is Ukrainian, we have our Brazilian culture. Um, how has that

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been having those two things in, you know, so core to you, integrated in your life, your heritage, your history, um, also into your work life all these years? >> Well, speaking the language helps a lot when people call in and some of them hesitate because they ask the question, do you speak another language? And I say yes. What? And if they speak Spanish, I send them to admissions because they will help them out. But most of them, if they do speak Ukrainian, I will answer them and uh I

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will tell them what department they have to speak to in order to get what they need. >> So, >> yeah, I often hear you speaking Ukrainian to either other staff members here or to students um or to some of the sisters. So, it's always really neat to hear you speak Ukrainian. Um, that's really cool. Um, and one of our things that we're running right now on our advertising is that we have a video that we ask students to describe Manor in one word. And then we made a video showing all of those one words. If you

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had to describe Manor in one word or what Manor means to you in one word, what word would it be? I would say it I would say that fact is yes you belong here. You also will have the opportunity to get your good education where you're small and everybody in the college will be able to help you in any aspect you want. >> Yeah, absolutely. We're always here to be helpful. We're always here to belong. Um, that's really good. So, we just had students start classes. Actually, yesterday was the first day of

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the spring semester. Um, which to me is always the fastest semester is the spring. What uh what advice would you give to students who are just starting out their semester for the year? >> Well, usually when they come through the door of of course I greet them with a happy smile, I guess they called it, but whatever. and they seem to say, "What do you think?" And I say, "It depends what you're asking." And they'll say, "Well, I want to take this course. I know it's

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hard. I know it's" I said, "If you try, you will succeed." And that's the whole thing, >> right? If you try, you will succeed. one of our Manor College board members, Tracy Davidson, um is a is a motivational speaker and says a lot of great things. But one particular thing that she said recently on um a LinkedIn post that I have I have a sticky note of it on my desk. It says the win is in the trying. Like if you just try, you're already winning. So I think that's great advice for our

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students as they start a new semester. Okay, Ann, you're almost done here. Um, so besides the coffee, what is the most requested item at your desk? Is it pens? Is it stickers? Is it to have a chat with you? What do you think people are coming up to you asking the most? >> Well, they do like to chat, but also anything that's put out the pens, >> cookies, >> tablets. Sometimes we have these pads they pick up and all and the pins. There's a lot. They they seem to like

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those pins a lot because they they take two or three and he said, "Can I give to my mother or to my" I said, "Yes, you can take whatever you want." >> But that means a lot when there's something up there for them to take. >> Yeah, definitely. Um stuff doesn't last up there too long at your counter. That's for sure. It's it's up and it's gone pretty quickly. >> Oh, yes. Everything even what's up for grabs. >> Absolutely. One final question for you,

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Ann. So, after 70 years of working at Manor College, what still gets you excited to get up, get the coffee going, and get here to campus every morning? >> When I see the students coming through the front door, I open that door and they come in and they have a smile and I smile back and they're all ready to get eager and going. And some of them are nervous and when they come in for the first time, especially like the f the freshman, they come in like everything I said everything's going to be fine. Just take

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one day at a time. >> Spoken like a true um receptionist. You know, the people motivate you. Seeing the students, being able to help them and make their day a little bit easier and a little bit more joyful. That's really what I think you do, Ann. who spread so much joy to so many people through coffee, through pins, through conversations. It's really special. Um I'm lucky enough. I've had a front row seat of it for quite a while now. So, thank you for sharing your heart

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with so many. It really um probably don't understand. >> And they're perfect. >> Very helpful in every aspect that I said the students do. >> Yeah. Well, thanks Ann for being with us today. I'm wishing you a happy new year. This is our first episode of the new year. Thank you for being a guest on the nest and we uh we wish you well. >> Thank you. I appreciate it. >> Happy New Year, Blue Jays. Thank you for kicking off season 2 with us today. If you like what you heard, listen and

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subscribe on Spotify or YouTube and stay up to date with all new episodes by following Manor College on Instagram at Manor College. And that's a wrap on another episode of The Nest, stories about life after Manor College. Remember, Blue Jays, you belong here always.