Interview With Tutor Adrienne Kaufmann by Prem Sitaula ('25)

ACES is a boat on a turbulent river. There are sailors continuously sailing the boats from one end of the river to another. Many travelers join from one bank of the river and leave at another bank. The short and rip-roaring trip becomes a reminiscence. The travelers move miles away, but the sailor keeps welcoming new travelers on-and-on.  

The only thing that is permanent in the world is change. All other things are temporary. In our day-to-day life, we should be brave enough to accept the change. But some changes are scary; they are very difficult to accept. This week all ACES students are going to see one such scary change: ACES is bidding au revoir to one of her sailors, Adrienne Kaufmann.

There are stories within us, around us, and with every one of us. Such stories become more valuable when it is the time to say farewell to the storyteller. Today, let’s hear some sweet, some bitter, some beautiful, some unpleasant, some ups and some downs in the chronicle of our Adrienne.

I: Can you share with us your upbringings? 

A: I was born in Florida! I moved from Florida around age 5 and was raised in Alabama, then moved to Tennessee for college and remained in the state for a few years after that. Basically all of my childhood took place in Alabama. I was raised in a small town in a rural area. It’s a place where “everybody knows everybody,” and there is a slow pace to life. I spent so much time outside when I was growing up, playing around my neighborhood with other kids and riding my bike everywhere.

I: Every one of us had a dream job in our early school days. Do you remember what was yours?

A: Well, it’s kind of embarrassing, but I had the stereotypical dream of being a famous Hollywood actress. I loved theater and musicals from an early age, then became interested in movies and celebrities as I grew up. It’s not a very realistic dream job for a girl growing up in small-town Alabama, but at the time I thought it was totally possible, even inevitable! It is funny to remember that.

I: In your high school, were you an occasional reader or avid reader? What is the line from a book or a verse from a poem which you remember even today?

A: I was an avid reader. There are so many bits of novels and poems that have been meaningful to me over the years. When I think of high school specifically, I remember reading Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston in the 11th grade and being deeply moved by her writing. The first line of that novel is so evocative: “Ships at a distance have every man’s wish on board.”

I: Today, we see most college students are involved in talks and trends about blockchain, and social media. What was so popular during your college days?

A: Great question! My college days were very influenced by the birth of many social media platforms. Instagram and Snapchat came out during my college years, and it was crazy to see how those new social media influenced and changed the ways I communicated with my friends. My first year of college, Snapchat didn’t exist, then suddenly, my sophomore year, everyone had it and it was the way to communicate with people.

I: It is said that consistent reading is the part of writing. How often do you read? What are you currently reading now?

A: I read a lot. Generally, I do two types of reading—“cultural” reading, which involves reading articles about current events, and literary reading, which involves reading literary works like novels and poems. In my cultural reading, I often turn to the New Yorker and the Atlantic. Also, Substack, which is a platform for writers to independently publish their work, has become a great source. In my literary reading, I mostly read contemporary fiction, but also enjoy memoir. Last night I just finished an incredible novel called Preparation for the Next Life by Atticus Lish. It’s set in NYC, mostly in Queens.

I: Once you said that you love traveling too. Do you see any relation between traveling and writing?

A: I see more connection between traveling and reading, actually. Both open up new corners of your mind and broaden your capacity for empathy. Also, both are really fun.

I: Now, please share with us about how you came to be a part of the SJC community and ACES family?

A: I joined ACES in the spring semester of 2021. I was looking for jobs at colleges in NYC, and I saw the job post for this tutoring position at ACES. I immediately applied because it seemed like something I would love, and I was right.

I:  You said that you moved to New York last year from Tennessee. From the serene and peaceful environment of Tennessee to the hustle and bustle of New York. How has your experience been?

A: I love both places, but I’m happy to be living in New York. It suits me better. The best way I can describe it is that Tennessee feels freer. It’s slower, easier, and more relaxed. New York feels more exciting. It’s constantly changing, challenging me, and introducing me to new things.

I: In the ACES center, with a laptop on the table, calm and focused, we used to see you continuously working with students, tutors, and professors. On a scale of one to ten, how was your overall experience in ACES?

A: Ten.

I: After leaving the ACES, where are you going?

A: I am going to work as a curriculum specialist for a digital textbook and courseware company. What that means is that I will be writing textbook material and assessments (quizzes, discussion questions, etc.) for this company, and then their textbooks and materials will be used in college courses around the country. Who knows, maybe one day you will use some of the material I write in one of your classes! But I am happy to say that I will also continue to teach a class at SJC (I teach English 103), so you might still see me around campus.

I: What message do you have to anyone reading this in terms of having a happy life?

A: This isn’t quite an answer to that question, but my advice to ACES students is to keep being yourselves. Working with all of you has been such a pleasure, and I have loved the unique perspectives, stories, ideas, and experiences you’ve brought into my life.