By, Nate Gordon ’16

This is the first edition of the Willistonian Interview-a column where Nate Gordon interviews different Williston faculty, staff, and students.

Christa Talbot, who graduated from Williston in ’98, came back to the Williston campus in 2003, to take the position of Assistant Director of Admissions. She has been coaching Girls Varsity Ice-Hockey for ten years and Boys Cross-Country for three. Outside of work and coaching, Ms. Talbot is a runner, shopper, wedding planner, loves kittens and sushi!

Nate Gordon: What is your role in admissions as the Associate Director?

Ms. Christa Talbot: I interview kids that are interested in Williston. I am meeting with families outside of Williston at different fairs and schools. I travel some, to talk with schools and consultants and meet students who are maybe interested in Williston. I also arrange tours.

NG: What is the best part of our job in admissions?

CT: Being able to talk to talk with families about all the wonderful things that Williston has to offer.

NG: So you’re interacting with families daily?

CT. Yeah, sharing my own experiences as a faculty member as well as a student.

NG: What do you see as some of Williston’s strengths compared to other prep schools?

CT: That’s a good question. I think our community is a strength. I think that the offerings that we have, so academically, athletically, there’s a lot of different thing that kids can get involved in for the size school that we are. And, I think that we have some really special programs with the connections to the five colleges, the Writer’s Workshop. And I think most kids know each other, I think that’s a real strength.

NG: Which you don’t get at other schools because they are much bigger?

CT: Much bigger, or, I just think Williston’s a really friendly place. The kids feel pretty comfortable saying, “hello”.

NG: What do you like best about being a coach at Williston?

CT: Well, I love that I’m able to coach both boys and girls, because there are some big differences. I am a competitor, so it’s a way that I can connect with kids. The sports that I coach are very, very different, so that’s really nice, too. And, I get to meet a lot of different kinds of kids.

NG: So, what’s the biggest difference between coaching boys and girls?

CT: Oh, goodness, this is gonna be a hard one. I think because it’s different sports. Because, I imagine coaching girls in cross-country would be different than coaching boys in cross-country. It’s hard to compare coaching boys cross-country to girls ice-hockey, because they are very, very different sports.

NG: What is it like to work at the school you attended?

CT: Well at first I had a difficult time with calling people by their first names that I had as teachers, or coaches, or advisors. But, it’s really a wonderful experience to give back to the place that I went to school at. So, I think it’s great, because I lived it, and I knew it, and while there have been changes, I understand what it means to be here and know the different demands that kids have and the different things that kids are interested in and that there are so many different areas of the school to get involved in.

NG: What kinds of things of things do you like to do in your free time when you’re not coaching or working?

CT: Well, you probably know running. I’m a big shopper, I love to shop. Mr. Syfu (her fiancé, who is a teacher and coach at Williston) and I just got a new kitten, so we’re spending time with her. We’re planning for a wedding! I like to go out to dinner, my favorite restaurant is Osaka, I love that place! I’m a big sushi fan.

NG: When you were a student at Williston and when you won games as an athlete, did you ring the victory bell?

CT: I did, yup.

NG: So that was already a big tradition?

CT: Yeah, absolutely. And, I actually am friends with the guy who the victory bell is named after. His name is Chuck Vernon and he is the assistant girls ice-hockey coach at Loomis [Chaffee]. And Mr. Syfu actually had him as a lacrosse coach while he was at Loomis. So he’s a good friend of mine and mentor. It’s definitely more meaningful now knowing him.