Bailey Reagan ’12, assistant to the president, has been drawn to Ithaca College since before she was a student. She was a communication management and design major with a minor in sports studies and a passionfor classes within the writing department.

After graduating, Reagan taught English in Chile for seven months, but she returned to the college as the Leadership Programs Coordinator in the Office of Student Engagement and Multicultural Affairs before obtaining her current position in the Office of the President. Now, she has taken on new responsibilities with the departure of Anthony Hopson, former associate vice president for community and government relations.

Staff Writer Sabrina Knight sat down with Reagan to discuss her journey from graduation to assistant to the president and her future career goals at the college.

Sabrina Knight: How does your recent experience as a student aid you in your duties and perspective as assistant to the president?

Bailey Reagan: As a CMD major, you gain experience in problem solving, critical thinking, project management and leadership by working on projects that surround strategic communication design. The skills I learned and the knowledge that I gained by developing those plans and working on those projects are things I put into practice every day in my current position.

I was also very involved in student activities and student leadership during my tenure at IC. I think that those experiences in particular have helped me create and maintain my professional relationships as well as manage my time effectively.

SK: Why did you pursue your position in the Office of the President?

BR: I knew that I wanted to work in higher education, but I didn’t know what my niche was or which area I found most appealing. Whether it was student leadership, admissions, marketing, human resources or the academy, I just wanted to be in the center of everything. When this position was posted, I knew that if I was given the position I would be in the center of everything. Jokes aside, I really do love Ithaca … This job allows me to come to a place that I love … and be able to make it better both in small and large ways.

SK: Has being a recent graduate helped or hindered you in regard to your current position as assistant to the president?

BR: My being a recent grad has helped me quite a bit in this position as I already had established relationships with specific departments and was knowledgeable of the campus and everything that all the departments and offices are responsible for. As a student … I was very interested in [the Integrative Core Curriculum] and did a lot of reading on it and was a very big supporter of it in college, which is really great because now a lot of my work revolves around making it successful.

SK: What new responsibilities will you have this year with the departure of Hopson?

BR:The only main change in my responsibilities is just that I am going to be the liaison between the city, town, county, state and federal governments … I will also have the opportunity to think more about economic development opportunities for IC.

SK: What are your career goals for the near and distant future at Ithaca College?

BR: My ultimate career goal is to be president of Ithaca College. My career goal for the near future is to continue to be successful in what I am doing to make Ithaca College the place that it is and work tirelessly to make it even better … I very much picture myself working in the employee and organizational development department within Human Resources … A career within that realm is very much down the road, and if the opportunity for that is open at Ithaca College, I would apply in a heartbeat. But for now, I thoroughly enjoy my job at Ithaca College and am very lucky to be surrounded by the faculty and staff that make it such a great place to be.