By KYLE PRATT
Staff Writer
One Saint Rose student’s journey from major to major in college mirrors her journey from table to table as a waitress at a local hotel. With the desire to help people on her mind, Korilynn Farris, 19, came to Albany from New Jersey. Farris spends her time outside of school waiting tables and taking phone calls from hungry guests in rooms throughout the Radisson Hotel in Colonie.
Working at the hotel allows for some time away from school life, according to Farris. With school work having the potential to be stressful, Farris looks at her job as an escape from college, but also occasionally as a place to do extra work.
“I like my job because it isn’t a high pressure job,” Farris said, “and occasionally I can get work done for school if it’s not busy.”
The Radisson on Wolf Road in Colonie is about a 15-minute drive from Saint Rose. Farris alternates between waitressing and room service, depending on the day. When she gets to work, she has side work to do before she begins waitressing or taking orders from rooms.
“I record cooler temps, fill ice, roll silverware,” Farris said, “and then I basically wait for tables.”
Farris has a similar a process at the end of her shift at 9 p.m. when the restaurant closes. She vacuums and cleans before she is able to leave.
Farris is a very reliable and hardworking employee, according to Erin Karius, the Food and Beverage Manager of the Grille.
“She’s very passionate about what she does,” Karius said, adding that Farris is “overall a very passionate person.”
Although she enjoys it, Farris notes that she doesn’t intend to make her job permanent.
“It’s convenient for now,” Farris said, “but I don’t plan on staying there forever.”
Originally from Montgomery, New York, Farris moved to the New Jersey shore when she was 9. There she went to Lacy Township High School.
Farris transferred to Saint Rose for her second semester from the University at Albany, where she was a pre-veterinary major. She made the choice to transfer after she saw 400 students in her first chemistry class, and decided she wanted smaller class sizes.
After coming to Saint Rose, Farris initially declared a major in psychology, and eventually decided to pursue her love of the creative and switched to graphic design.
In addition to her school and hotel work, Farris finds time to preside over Sigma Rho Omega, a women’s organization she started last year. The organization has eight members, but is not yet recognized by the Student Association. The name of the club, which translates to “SRW,” stands for “Saint Rose Women.”
“It’s mostly about friendship,” said Farris, adding that the goal is to provide an environment of “bonding” among women on campus.
The organization’s treasurer, Anna Chevez, said in an online interview that Farris is dedicated.
“I’ve been working with her on this since last year and no matter how many obstacles have crossed her path, she never gave up her plan,” Chevez said.
Chevez also mentioned that Farris is a “great arts and crafts person.” She added that Farris created wooden Greek letters to represent the initials of her organization, a display in the Events and Athletics Center, T-shirts, and a Sigma Rho Omega flag.
Farris’ artistic abilities are what drove her to choose graphic design as her area of study, but her animal-loving nature, which pushed her to originally declare a pre-vet major, still lives on. Although she is working on an art degree, she hopes to work with animals. Her goal is to intertwine both interests in her life.
In high school, Farris’ love for animals and art became important to her early on. She volunteered with the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals while in high school, selling cupcakes and homemade bracelets. She made $200 over the course of her high school career for the organization.
Farris hopes to work for PETA in the future, possibly as a graphic designer. She is a hard worker with many interests, and she hopes to keep those interests at the forefront of whatever career she chooses.
As for meeting these goals, Farris, according to Chevez, “just does what she has to do.”
