Amanda Dye is the Director of Advising & Programs at Beyond Barnard. In addition to her leadership of Beyond Barnard’s advising team, Amanda advises students and alums interested in careers in health professions. Amanda joined the staff at Barnard College after serving as Assistant Director of Admissions at Weill Cornell Medical College, and prior to that, as Associate Director of Preprofessional Advising at New York University. Amanda completed her bachelor's degree in linguistics at Harvard College and her PhD in linguistics at NYU. She grew up in southeastern Ohio and is a longtime resident of Washington Heights. She has three delightful nieces and is always interested in hearing about your dog.
If you could speak to your college self, what advice would you give them?
If I could speak to me-from-college, I would tell her that graduate school is by no means easier or more comfortable than getting a first full-time job and trying the world outside of school. I would tell her that life is unpredictable (so coping with uncertainty is an important skill) and everyone experiences failure (so why don’t you judge yourself a little less harshly). I would tell her that work and her personhood are separate things (so you don’t have to “be” any job). I would tell her that eventually we will figure out that we had a lot more to learn after leaving college, and that is a good thing. I would also tell her that therapy is a really smart investment.
What’s important to you in life outside of work?
I like to cook and bake and I read (mostly nonfiction these days). One of my favorite recent reads was Mark Griffin’s biography of Rock Hudson – a great one if you’re interested in film and/or queer history. On a typical weekend you can find me down on the Lower East Side hanging out with my two NYC nieces. Say hey if you see us at Economy Candy.