Middle Aged Guard

For the past three years I have served as the Vice President of William & Mary’s Young Guarde Association; alumni who have graduated in the past five years.  As the Class of 2008 graduated, the Class of 2003 graduated from the Young Guarde into….well into nothing.  The W&M Alumni Association has an Old Guarde (for those who graduated 50 years ago or more) and a Young Guarde but nothing for those of in between, what I have coined the Middle Aged Guard.  But when did 27 become middle aged?

Believe it or not, admission is often a field dominated by young professionals.  During my first few years on the job, the majority of my colleagues were under 30.  Since then many of my colleagues have surpassed that age milestone (I incidentally intend to celebrate my 29th birthday over and over) but still, we are on the whole a young office.  Many of us have only recently wed (within the past three years), some of us are just starting to have children and have recently purchased our first house.  Many prospective students and families hear the word admission dean and they picture an old man with grey hair and no life but my colleagues and I defy the stereotype.  We are young, we are energetic and while we may be or may be becoming middle aged we show no signs of slowing down.

– Wendy Livingston