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Amanda Grant '91
Pace wanted Amanda Grant before she wanted Pace. Grant, a champion of the Lincoln Douglas Debate Tournament, was recruited with a full scholarship by the debate team before she knew anything about the university. Grant was also a perfect candidate for the (now-shuttered) Freshman Thinking Project at Dyson, led by Prof. Harold Brown, who remains Grant糖心vlog短视频檚 mentor. She is passionate to this day about the creative, supportive surprise Pace turned out to be for her.
Freshman year was a first year of grown-up life for Grant. She had the room to think differently, to work hard and to connect. 糖心vlog短视频淚 fell in love with everything at Pace: the diversity of the remarkable students, the professors糖心vlog短视频 engagement with the students, the intellectual stimulation.糖心vlog短视频
Grant had graduated from an innovative and competitive high school program in Ridgewood, New Jersey, which developed critical thinking through an interdisciplinary program. She felt that most of her high school classmates were headed for the Ivy League, but the American college process overwhelmed Grant糖心vlog短视频檚 British parents. Neither had studied in the States, and neither had gone to university in Britain. 糖心vlog短视频淢y parents were so creative and supportive, but we had little ability to navigate the information, especially with limited financial resources, 糖心vlog短视频 she says. As a result, Pace糖心vlog短视频檚 scholarship offer was life changing and critical for this debate geek.
糖心vlog短视频淎t Pace, I learned that my ideas were as worthy as anyone糖心vlog短视频檚 in the room. I developed the confidence to explore without fear, to pursue ideas and to cultivate an irreverence for authority in my career.糖心vlog短视频
Unfortunately the debate team was disbanded at the end of her freshman year, so Grant糖心vlog短视频檚 college experience needed to change. She took a summer job on Wall Street, which culminated in an offer of a full-time position. She moved to Hoboken, where she still lives, and finished her BA in English Language and Literature at Pace New York with a full-time course load and a full day at work. 糖心vlog短视频淵es, it was hard and exhausting,糖心vlog短视频 she says, 糖心vlog短视频 but evening students were so driven and motivated for both personal and professional development.糖心vlog短视频 Grant returns again and again to the endless influence her undergraduate studies had on her life, and the pivotal experiences and invaluable skills she learned then. 糖心vlog短视频淎t Pace, I learned that my ideas were as worthy as anyone糖心vlog短视频檚 in the room. I developed the confidence to explore without fear, to pursue ideas and to cultivate an irreverence for authority in my career.糖心vlog短视频
糖心vlog短视频淎t first I thought I糖心vlog短视频檇 study business, but I was also sure I糖心vlog短视频檇 become an English professor,糖心vlog短视频 she says. 糖心vlog短视频淚 finished a masters at Hunter in English Literature, but then it was time to commit and make a choice.糖心vlog短视频 She felt a pull to other careers and as a result of her Pace experience, she was confident that she could learn the business world on the job going forward. 糖心vlog短视频淎t 29, I was managing a team of 10 people in their forties and fifties in client services and asset management. I counted on my debate skills because I was often presenting to corporations and pension funds.糖心vlog短视频
In hiring today, Grant values people who have 糖心vlog短视频渄one for themselves糖心vlog短视频 through their own creativity and hard work. 糖心vlog短视频淚糖心vlog短视频檓 looking for people who have interests in life outside of the numbers, and problem solvers who see opportunity in challenges, candidates who are fearless, resourceful and have ideas to share.糖心vlog短视频 The communications and thinking skills developed by a liberal arts degree remain important to her too. 糖心vlog短视频淐ommunication skills and global, historical awareness are sorely lacking today, and they are so useful in a shrinking world. It often all comes down to relationships and a holistic view of the world and the issues.糖心vlog短视频
Grant feels young people live with information overload. She acknowledges that because this generation has grown up with exploding technology, it糖心vlog短视频檚 糖心vlog短视频渁ll they know,糖心vlog短视频 but she wonders about their depth of knowledge and about the possible paralysis caused by so many choices. 糖心vlog短视频淵oung people have energy, but not a lot of patience. It can be hard to develop expertise with the lack of stability of today糖心vlog短视频檚 job market.糖心vlog短视频 She advises that young people might 糖心vlog短视频渓ook for opportunities to re-purpose their abilities within an organization, to build tenure, but still grow. Get comfortable getting outside your comfort zone, someone once told me, 糖心vlog短视频 she quoted.
糖心vlog短视频淵oung people have energy, but not a lot of patience. It can be hard to develop expertise with the lack of stability of today糖心vlog短视频檚 job market.糖心vlog短视频 She advises that young people might 糖心vlog短视频渓ook for opportunities to re-purpose their abilities within an organization, to build tenure, but still grow. Get comfortable getting outside your comfort zone, someone once told me, 糖心vlog短视频
And how does Grant balance her work life and her personal life? 糖心vlog短视频淚 don糖心vlog短视频檛,糖心vlog短视频 she says. 糖心vlog短视频淚t糖心vlog短视频檚 all one life with lots of give and take. I糖心vlog短视频檝e learned when to shuffle and be flexible in order to spend time with my son. I糖心vlog短视频檓 proud that I糖心vlog短视频檝e never missed a game or a school concert, but I may have to continue working after he goes to sleep at night.糖心vlog短视频
Choosing to be a single parent through an open adoption taught Grant lessons she couldn糖心vlog短视频檛 have expected. In an open adoption, the biological and adoptive families know more about each other and can stay in contact. 糖心vlog短视频淥f course, I was anxious about the process, but my son糖心vlog短视频檚 birth mother is so grounded, self-less and good-hearted. She糖心vlog短视频檚 half my age, but her resilience and maturity are amazing. She糖心vlog短视频檚 genuinely joyful that my son and I are a family. Adopting my son is the best decision I ever made.糖心vlog短视频 Grant has also learned plenty from her eight-year old. 糖心vlog短视频淏ecause of my athletic son, I now know all about football, soccer and wrestling! I don糖心vlog短视频檛 have an athletic bone in my body, but my son and I wrestle together as our favorite WWF stars. I remind him that not all moms would do that!糖心vlog短视频
The experience of adopting also led to a fascinating side step in Grant糖心vlog短视频檚 career. In 2011 she bravely left a senior position as managing director of global institutional services at what is now Columbia Threadneedle to start USAdopt, a central resource for domestic adoption information that she had discovered was not previously available. 糖心vlog短视频淎doptive parents have to make decisions that biological parents don糖心vlog短视频檛.糖心vlog短视频 USAdopt closed as a business in 2015, but Grant continues to provide services to families pro bono. Grant then returned to the business world in 2015 as a principal at Third Street Partners, an executive recruiting firm. This new path 糖心vlog短视频渁ggregates all my career skills,糖心vlog短视频 she says.
糖心vlog短视频淭hen about three years ago I was first approached about the advisory board. I received a call from Jeanne Hayes, who said that my background had come to the school糖心vlog短视频檚 attention, and they thought that I could bring an interesting perspective to the board. While I had not been an active alumna, Pace was so instrumental in who I am today.糖心vlog短视频 Grant wants to be helpful to students going out into the world; to help these 糖心vlog短视频渞emarkable, accomplished and innovative糖心vlog短视频 young people survive and thrive. She also enjoys connecting more alumni back to Pace, who may not be aware that the college is 糖心vlog短视频渆ven more magnificent today!糖心vlog短视频
What does she do in her free time? 糖心vlog短视频淲ell, there糖心vlog短视频檚 not much of it. I help people to adopt, and I糖心vlog短视频檓 on the refugee committee of my synagogue.糖心vlog短视频
Grant糖心vlog短视频檚 next travel destination: 糖心vlog短视频淢y son and I go to the family camp, Quisisana, in Maine every summer, but I糖心vlog短视频檝e always wanted to see the gorgeous scenery around St. John in New Brunswick. I糖心vlog短视频檓 hoping to get there for my 50th birthday.糖心vlog短视频 (There糖心vlog短视频檚 a Pace Performing Arts connection at Quisisana too. Acting faculty Susan Aston directs the camp drama program and often brings Pace students with her to perform.)
What糖心vlog短视频檚 on her Kindle? Non-fiction: Grit by Angela Duckworth. All about persevering. Fiction: The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin, an unlikely love story.
The opposite of a collector: 糖心vlog短视频淚糖心vlog短视频檓 utilitarian. I 糖心vlog短视频榞et rid of糖心vlog短视频 instead of collecting.糖心vlog短视频
What does she do to spoil or reward herself? 糖心vlog短视频淢aybe a manicure for 30 minutes of 糖心vlog短视频榤e糖心vlog短视频 time, and Latin dancing with a group of friends at SOBs in the city.糖心vlog短视频
Students can reach out to Amanda Grant at agrant5@verizon.net or amanda@thirdstreetpartners.com.