education, social media

Step 175: My First College Teaching Gig This Fall at LIM College

Christa Avampato

In January, I spoke to my friend, Trevin, about my desire to teach in a college setting. At that point I was still considering a PhD program because I thought that would be the surest way to teach at a college. Trevin, now a college professor, in his infinite kindness offered to connect me to a friend and mentor of his at LIM (Laboratory Institute of Merchandising) College in New York. He thought his friend may be able to offer me some advice.

Trevin’s friend offered to take a look at my resume. He said at the time that there wasn’t a teaching position at LIM that matched my background though he’d keep my resume on file should anything come up. He mentioned that I may be a good fit for the Marketing Department so he’d keep an eye out for me. I thanked him profusely and archived the emails. Several months later, the head of the Marketing Department at LIM asked me if I’d come in to the school to meet him. He wanted to offer a class on social media in the Fall and thought I might be interested.

I went into the school, had my interview, and we talked about social media – where it might be going (anyone who says they know for certain where we’re heading is bluffing), how students could learn from the platforms available, and how brands can and should measure the results of social media campaigns. After a wonderful morning, I felt confident that this might have real potential, that I could actually teach in the subject area I’m most interested in without needing a PhD at all. We went back and forth on email over the following months, and then we seemed to reach a scheduling impasse. I thought the opportunity had died on the vine.

And then something really incredible happened. I sat down and really thought about how I’d feel in 5 years if I passed up this opportunity now, and no matter how I turned it over in my mind, I knew in my gut that turning down the opportunity was the wrong choice. (Brian’s proud of me for trusting my gut more often these days.) So I went back, worked out my scheduling conflicts, LIM compromised a bit on my behalf, and voila, problem solved. Compromise only results if we’re really honest about what’s most important to us.

This coming Fall I’ll joining LIM’s faculty as an adjunct professor, my first college teacher role (hopefully one of many). I will be teaching a class entitled Viral, Guerilla, and Social Media Marketing. (I can’t take any credit for the title, but I do love it!) The Marketing Chair and I are working out a cool curriculum, and are uber-excited to see how it all pans out. There’s magic in trusting our gut and going for what we want.

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Published by Christa Avampato

The short of it: Writer. Health, education, and art advocate. Theater and film producer. Visual artist. Product geek. Proud alumnae of the University of Pennsylvania (BA) and the Darden School of Business at the University of Virginia (MBA). Inspired by ancient wisdom & modern tech. Proliferator of goodness. Opener of doors. Friend to animals. Fan of creative work in all its wondrous forms. I use my business skills to create passion projects that build a better world. I’ve been called the happiest New Yorker, and I try hard to live up to that title every day. The long of it: My career has stretched across Capitol Hill, Broadway theatre, education, nonprofit fundraising, health and wellness, and Fortune 500 companies in retail, media, entertainment, technology, and financial services. I’ve been a product developer and product manager, theater manager, strategic consultant, marketer, voice over artist, , teacher, and fundraiser. I use my business and storytelling to support and sustain passion projects that build a better world. In every experience, I’ve used my sense of and respect for elegant design to develop meaningful products, services, programs, and events. While building a business career, I also built a strong portfolio as a journalist, novelist, freelance writer, interviewer, presenter, and public speaker. My writing has appeared in The Washington Post, The Huffington Post, PBS.org, Boston.com, Royal Media Partners publications, and The Motley Fool on a wide range of topics including business, technology, science, health, education, culture, and lifestyle. I have also been an invited speaker at SXSW, Teach for America, Avon headquarters, Games for Change, NYU, Columbia University, Hunter College, and the Alzheimer’s Foundation of America. The first book in my young adult book series, Emerson Page and Where the Light Enters, was acquired by a publisher and launched in November 2017. I’m currently working on the second book in the series. A recovering multi-tasker, I’m equally at home in front of my Mac, on my yoga mat, walking my rescue dog, Phineas, traveling with a purpose, or practicing the high-art of people watching. I also cut up small bits of paper and put them back together as a collage artist. My company: I’m bringing together all of my business and creative career paths as the Founder of Double or Nothing Media: • I craft products, programs, and projects that make a difference; • I build the business plans that make what I craft financially sustainable; • I tell the stories that matter about the people, places, and products that inspire me. Follow my adventures on Twitter at https://twitter.com/christanyc and Instagram at https://instagram.com/christarosenyc.

8 thoughts on “Step 175: My First College Teaching Gig This Fall at LIM College”

  1. Extremely lucky is the student who enrolls in that class. Congratulations, Christa – exhilarating and well-deserved!

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      1. In the grand scheme of life and the world, I am doing fine. On a slightly smaller scale, things are rough right now, but I’m confident that family and optimism will keep me buoyed. 🙂 Thanks for asking!

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      2. Hi Jennifer,
        I can only imagine how tough it is during this time. Hang in there and know that I am remembering you and the beautiful Grand Ole Opry in my daily meditations.

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I'd love to know what you think of this post! Please leave a reply and I'll get back to you in a jiffy! ~ CRA

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