Chicago Semester

Introducing our New Recruiter:  Phil DeBoer!

Posted by Phil DeBoer in Staff Stories | Jun 24, 2010

Two weeks. That’s all. From the moment I got the call from Chicago Semester offering me the job as Coordinator of Recruitment and Student Services I had only two weeks to drop everything I had in Grand Rapids, find an apartment in Chicago, pack up my boxes and move here in time to start work. It’s been a whirlwind of a transition, but it’s probably fitting; I mean, this is the Windy City after all, right?
 
I will say it feels great to be back here. About two and a half years ago I made a similar transition midway through my senior year of college. Up to that point, I had spent my entire life living in Grand Rapids, Michigan – my hometown and location of the school I attended, Calvin College. But when I signed up for the Chicago Semester, I chose to say goodbye to my friends and familiar surroundings and hello to the big city skyline and sidewalks full of strangers.
 
Moving to Chicago as a student was met with a mix of excitement and nervousness. But I adjusted quickly to the urban lifestyle and grew attached to it. I fondly remember cramming into my apartment with two other roommates, working at my internship, attending unique art events, and exploring the different neighborhoods here. College graduation brought me back home to Grand Rapids where I began work as an Admissions Counselor for Calvin, but I’ve been itching to return to Chicago ever since. That’s why I was so excited to get the phone call two weeks ago.
 
There’s nothing quite like the thrill of waking up every morning and joining the hustle and bustle of the city. I brew myself a mug of Starbuck’s coffee (Gold Coast blend, of course. I live here now, after all), hop onto a packed train at the Clark/Division stop, and then climb up to the 12th floor of our building here on State and Adams street. From my office I can see the streets below covered with scurrying people and I think about each individual life and how, when joined together by this expansive network of concrete infrastructure, we give this great city a life of its own.
 
But I can’t daydream for long. There’s always work to be done, and I am eager to get things prepared for our students to arrive in the fall. I can’t wait to put names with faces and hear about the exciting adventures they will have throughout the semester. It’s gonna be a blast!