GPI - Clara Machado, Area Director of Larned, Peirce, and Horace Mann halls

Courtesy of Clara Machado

By Sophia Oppedisano

Editor-in-Chief

What is your academic and professional background?

I went to Clark University. I studied management in undergrad, and then I got my master's degree at Clark University as well. I got a master's of science in management, too, so very management heavy. I didn't go straight into grad school. I took a little bit of time off when I started as a [resident director] at the College of the Holy Cross. So my whole professional background is very student affairs [and] residence life. I did my internship with RHA - the Residence Hall Association, so pretty tied to residence life. I worked as an office assistant in our student affairs office, and then I've done some variation of the residence director, area coordinator, that type of role since I graduated college.

What drew you to Framingham State?

I think I was looking for a change in student population. I've traditionally worked at small private institutions, working with a lot of students who had access to a lot of resources, and I felt that in my position, it was becoming very operational. I didn't think that students really needed a lot of support from me, and I was having a hard time connecting with students. I'm a first-generation college student. I'm an immigrant. I was born in Brazil, so I think I was really looking to find a population where maybe there were more students like me that I could connect with. When I was in undergrad, and especially my first year, and my first year being an RA, I really relied so heavily on my RD and my RA just kind of helping me navigate how things worked. My family just really couldn't offer me that support, and my life was really changed by my RA and my RD in my first two years. So I think I was looking for a community where I could maybe be that person for somebody else.

What is something our campus community should know about you?

I'm a really open person. I always say that I'll answer any question. I just want to help people with everything. I think that there's a lot of processes in college that are just really hard to navigate if you don't know what you're doing, and it can be so scary to ask for help, and sometimes, you don't even know what the help is that you're asking for. You don't know what you don't know. I think it can be really intimidating coming to a staff member who you see as a professional who works for the college, and maybe they're going to think a question is silly, or they're going to look down on you for not knowing the answer, but I think that I really want to be a resource for people who don't know what they don't know, and help them figure that out. There's really no problem that you can't solve if you communicate with your faculty and staff.

Do you have any hobbies or things you enjoy outside of your professional life?

I'm a big reader. I'm really into sci-fi and fantasy. That takes up most of my time. I have a dog. His name is Orwell. He's a border collie. He's a year old, and he lives here on campus with me. He's my emotional support animal, so he's definitely still adjusting to Framingham life living in a big apartment building like Larned, with the elevator and the lobby and all of that, but most of my free time is taken up by going on hikes with him and walks and playing fetch and all that fun stuff.

Do you have any advice for Framingham State students?

I think just trying everything and not being scared to talk to people. I think something I wish I would have known more when I was in college is that everybody feels the same way that you do. Everybody's nervous to talk to a new person, or wants to make new friends and doesn't know how to make that connection, or wants to go after an opportunity but feels like they're not going to get it, or they're not good enough, or somebody else is more qualified. So really, just putting yourself out there and trying for as many opportunities as you can. I know it's so cheesy, but “You miss 100% of the shots that you don't take.” You really would be surprised how many opportunities there are if you just connect with people. If you're interested in being an RA, get connected with your RA. Get connected with your hall staff member. They can give you so much advice on the application process. And I know I already said this, but really emphasizing that everybody here is looking to make connections, and that's half the reason that people go to college and live on campus is to network and make friends and make a community. So not being scared to just talk to somebody or go to a new club or do something, even if it's by yourself.