Tess Varney
Academic Services Administrator, Master of Business Administration, Avid Movie Goer, Hot Dog Enthusiast, One Direction Fangirl, Proud Iowan
“What is your favorite part about your career?”
“I would say I get to interact with a lot of people and I’m super extroverted and get a lot out of interacting with people. So getting to interact with people and getting to figure out how to solve their problems is really gratifying. Sometimes students come in and their problems are really complex, or sometimes their problems are really simple. But being to help them and being able to leave feeling better knowing that it’s going to be taken care of is really satisfying.”
“What drives you, what is your greatest passion, and what gives you excitement and motivation to succeed?”
“I really like solving problems and I think that can kind of apply across a lot of things, not just work. I find it really intriguing and interesting, and I can get really into it. And I like solving problems in a way that helps other people, either systemic things or helping people figure out where to go to dinner, basic stuff.”
“My greatest passion might be food. That might not be a normal choice but I love food. I live to eat, I don’t eat to live. I will eat anything and everything at least once. I eat a lot of hot dogs, which is not the coolest thing ever, but they’re delicious.”
“I think something that gives me motivation and excitement is learning, and I think you can learn in everything that you do. I think that really permeates into the kind of way that I approach things and wanting to learn new things, wanting to have new experiences that teach me new things either about the world or myself. I’m always pushing myself to do more of that.”
“What is a struggle that you overcame at some point in your life?”
“I have some learning disabilities, and so, 1) learning that that’s okay and that doesn’t mean I’m dumb, and 2.) learning how to learn because I do think that everyone learns differently, and that certain styles of learning are more the focus of the way they were taught things, and making sure that I learn how to adjust to the way I learn and how those disabilities interact with that, and being able to be successful in school and other things.”
“If you could pick a hobby and do it for a living, what would you do?”
“Probably be involved in film somehow. I volunteer at the independent film festival every year; this is going to be my sixth year volunteering with them. When I first started, I would take tickets and manage the line, but the last 3 years I’ve been doing film introductions and running the Q&As afterwards with filmmakers, so I’d love to be more involved with film somehow. I think for me personally I’d like to be involved on the production side, but the thing that I really like about film is the storytelling and the way that everyone approaches it differently. I think it’s really interesting the way people interpret that and make it visual, so I’d love to be involved in helping get those projects made. A movie that I always love is The Royal Tenenbaums, it’s been a movie I’ve really loved for a long time. It’s weird and dark and also really goofy at times. It’s just a really well made film.”
“What’s the craziest thing you’ve ever done?”
“Oh man. I biked down a volcano in Ecuador and we got to the top of the volcano. The bikes were in the back of this pick-up truck, and it was me, another girl I was with, and our guide. So we all get out, and we’re standing there with our bikes, with helmets on, and he turns to us and he’s like, “You guys both have really good balance, right?” And I was like, “No! I don’t, I have terrible balance!” And the truck is driving away down this volcano, and I was like, “Well, this is going to be interesting.” I fell a bunch and scraped up my leg, but it was still a really cool experience.”
“Why are there dinosaurs in all of your plants?”
“I love dinosaurs for a lot of reasons, but I think it all started with seeing Jurassic Park as a kid. It sparked an interest and fascination with them that has carried me into adulthood. That movie scared me so much as a kid. But that being said, I think they’re these fascinating creatures that, while real, also feel somewhat mythical as they have not existed in so long, and so much of what we know is based on what remains we can find. I think there is so much to learn about dinosaurs, and I also love that everyone has a different favorite. I have a bunch of tiny dinosaurs hidden in my office plants and I love them. I got them out of a piñata at a work event, and they’ve been in there ever since.”