In the Graduate and International Legal Studies Office in the College of Law where Sherry Cibelli works, one can learn the current times in Sao Paulo, Brazil; Berlin; Bangkok, Thailand; and Tokyo from the clocks on the wall. Resplendent puppets from Indonesia and an intricately carved box from Peru, among many other ethnic gifts from former international students, adorn the countertop and the walls. Cibelli, an administrative aide, is the “go-to” person for international students in the college’s master of laws (LL.M.) program, not only when they are on campus but also when they graduate and become one of the program’s more than 800 alumni, who represent more than 60 countries. This is the LL.M. program’s 50th anniversary, and Cibelli has helped administer the program for nearly half that time.
Tell me about your educational background and career with the university.
I’ve had on-the-job training. I began with the university in 1976 as a clerk-typist II in the agronomy department. I was there for three years and then came here as a transcribing secretary. I’ve been in the graduate office all that time. I took the test and moved up to administrative aide in 1983 when the incumbent in the job became the director of career placement.
What are your job duties?
My job is basically to serve as aide to the director in administering the LL.M. program. I help review students’ files and make admissions recommendations to the director. Our LL.M. program is composed mainly of international students. Each class contains 25 to 35 students who come to campus for the nine-month program.
Once we have decided who will be admitted, I work with the students from day one all the way through graduation. Some of the students are just coming out of law school; others are already lawyers. They’re coming here to take comparative law, and then they go back to their countries and use it in their jobs or education.
It’s a new group of students every year. You constantly have new faces, new challenges and obstacles. Every day is different just because you’re dealing with students.
What kinds of things do the students come to you for help with?
Everything from ‘Help me, I need a dentist’ to ‘What can I expect from finals?’ Many of them have not been in the United States before, so it’s a culture shock for them. They always come in and preface their questions with, ‘This might be a stupid question, but’ and, of course, it’s not.
Tell me about the alumni program.
In 1996, they decided to start having international alumni reunions, and because I knew all these students from prior years and have kept in contact, I was the logical person to coordinate those. I coordinate with the hosts in the countries where the reunions are being held. We’ll get the invitations out and handle all the details. The reunions are usually over in Europe and are three days long. The dean is getting ready to go to Japan for a reunion over there.
I’ve had the privilege of attending two of the reunions – one in Luxembourg, which was my first experience traveling to Europe, and the other in Munich. Europe is wonderful, but now I understand the international students’ concerns when they come here because I experienced similar problems myself, like a language barrier.
What is your favorite part of what you do?
The students: working with them and helping them solve their problems, being in contact with them from the time they’re admitted all the way through. It’s great because I learn about them from their files and then get to know them when they arrive. Afterward, when they’re alumni, I get to stay in contact with them. They may e-mail me out of the blue and ask a question or need assistance with something, so I have many friends across the world. It’s a fulfilling job to be able to help someone across the world.
What’s the most challenging part of your job?
Probably the tasks during admissions time, because it’s very busy in the spring when we admit. We also have a lot of ongoing projects and new projects starting during that time. Our summer Intellectual Property program is one, and it’s coming up in Oxford this July. We have law students from here and other universities going. They’ll take classes at Oxford. I have to coordinate everything. I do a lot of coordinating across the water.
What kinds of activities do you enjoy in your spare time?
My husband and I go to music festivals, especially blues. He plays piano and guitar. I like to read, mainly mysteries. I started walking on a regular basis recently and enjoy working out.