Experiencing MIT as both a student and as a staff member is unique. When Anthony Hallee-Farrell '13, senior program and technical associate for the MIT Community Services Office (CSO), graduated from MIT, he immediately began his time as a staff member at the Institute, transitioning from a student worker to a full-time employee. As of today, he has been a member of MIT community for 15 years: four as a student and 11 as a staff member.
The CSO is part of Institute Events in the Office of the President. It supports the MIT Activities Committee (MITAC), the Quarter Century Club, the Association of MIT Retirees, and the MIT Community Service Fund. The CSO aims to strengthen the connections between the Institute and its community members, and to optimize the work-life experience for staff, faculty, and retirees by providing opportunities to participate in social, educational, and cultural activities.
When Hallee-Farrell was a senior in high school planning for his future, he had plans for a humanities-focused college experience. With his parents' encouragement while visiting Harvard University, he stopped along the Charles River to see his brother, who was a computer science major at MIT. To Hallee-Farrell's surprise, the visit piqued his interest in the Institute. "Everyone I met had an interesting story about what they were working on. The people really drew me in," he recalls. Hallee-Farrell was also happy to learn that students who find their major in the School of Humanities, Arts, and Social Sciences (SHASS) can additionally enroll in courses in other areas of study including science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. Having the ability to continue to develop his skills in those disciplines was important to him.
The summer before Hallee-Farrell's first year as a college student, he worked as an administrative assistant with the federal courts in the northern district of New York. His job entailed scanning case files as part of a large project to digitize all the files in the district, an integral part of the project. After working at the courts, he knew that after he graduated, he wanted to continue to assist people who are passionate about their work. As a student at MIT, Hallee-Farrell continued to sharpen his administrative skills by working in the Admissions Office and Technology Licensing Office (TLO). While job searching after graduation, and continuing as a temp worker at the TLO, he applied for a full-time job at MIT and learned that the benefits are exceptional. He also wanted to remain in the Boston area and was excited when he landed the role.
