The FAS Dean’s Office congratulates Jocelle Marius ’20, who has been honored with the Y-Work Award for Outstanding Undergraduate Student Employees. Jocelle, who graduates this spring with a double major in Cognitive Science and Economics, has been a member of the FAS Dean’s Office staff since 2017. The Y-Work Award is a testament to the crucial contributions that she made during her time in our office. “Jocelle is exceptionally capable and I am so pleased that she has been recognized with the Y-Work award. I’m certain that she will do great things as she moves on to the next stage of her career,” said FAS Dean Tamar Gendler. Jocelle is interested in regulatory and healthcare finance, and after she graduates she will launch her career with a position as analyst at Goldman Sachs.
Below, Jocelle reflects on her time at Yale and the FAS Dean’s Office. This interview has been edited for length.
What was most interesting to you about working in the FAS Dean’s Office?
As a student at Yale, there are a lot of administrative necessities that often take place “behind-the-scenes”, and I really enjoyed assisting with administrative aspects that I would not normally experience as a student. For example, one of my most recent job responsibilities was to track student enrollment in language classes during shopping period over the last five academic years. As a student, I have experienced both the joy and mayhem that shopping period can bring, but I had never experienced how daunting shopping period can be from an administrative perspective. I was very happy to assist the FAS Dean’s Office with this task because it allowed me to directly see the crucial role that administration plays in academics at Yale.
What will you miss most about Yale and New Haven?
One of my favorite things about Yale is the campus life and culture. Throughout my four years here, I have met such remarkable individuals and been able to form strong relationships. I will truly miss seeing my peers every day around campus as I am walking to class or hanging out with my friends on the weekend. I have also been very active in the New Haven community through the Urban Philanthropic Fund and my sorority, Alpha Kappa Alpha, Incorporated, so I will really miss the city after graduation.
What it was like to spend part of your final semester learning remotely?
As a graduating senior, I was disappointed to conclude my academic career at Yale remotely. I think one of the tremendous perks of attending a university like Yale is the social learning and feedback that helps with learning extremely dense academic material. It has taken a lot of adjustment to complete the syllabus requirements of my classes, and I have been extremely grateful for professors’ flexibility and understanding during this extraordinary time. It is a shame not to have Senior Week activities and a traditional commencement ceremony, but I look forward to the substitute virtual celebrations that the administration is working tirelessly to implement for the class of 2020.
What is one of your favorite memories of Yale?
The very last day of classes is my favorite day at Yale. Every year, the end of classes often coincides with the emergence of warm weather, and each college has a barbecue celebration full of games and entertainment for students. For the last three years, I have loved going to these barbecues with my friends as we competed in bull-riding contests, played apple-bobbing games, and ate way too many burgers! The mood around campus on this day is airy and congratulatory, as students conclude their academic classes before beginning to study for finals. I was sad to not be able to attend one of the college’s barbecues this year, but grateful to have three years’ worth of memories to look back on.
Congratulations and best wishes to Jocelle from the entire FAS Dean’s Office team!