Annie Yu: How did you get the nickname “Lil’ Boop?”
Corinna Caracci: When I was little, I used to look like her and hop around all the place and I think I still do. My office used to be covered in it and I had a Betty Boop shrine at home. (Points to a Betty Boop figurine on the shelf). A student got that for me.
AY: So, let’s start from the beginning, how did you end up at New Paltz?
CC: It’s been 12 years. I used to work at SUNY Oneonta and it was just one of those things where a New Paltz position opened up and I’ve always loved the area. I stayed overnight in Scudder and I saw a student of mine from Oneonta and he held the door open for me as I was going in. Life is just a small world and a series of incredible experiences and he was a sign. After I spent a whole evening with New Paltz students, I loved it. A job should be a good fit; you really need to feel like you belong.
AY: What is an interesting or kooky fact about you? Do you have a special talent or did you have an interesting experience you want to share?
CC: I wanted to go skydiving for my 40th birthday and I did that. One of my passions that I’ve done for years here and at Oneonta is RAD – self defense for women. I’m also a black belt in Karate. I like teaching fitness classes because it’s important to teach people to be healthy. If you can take care of you, then you can take care of anything.
AY: Do you have any words of wisdom or anything you want to say to students who are graduating and moving on with their lives?
CC: You know, when I tell people I work at a college, they always ask me what I teach and I tell them I teach life lessons. It’s about learning about who you are and Residence Life teaches you outside the classroom. Be passionate about what you do in life. Live it to the fullest because you only have one. Be true to who you are and find one thing you love to do and do it. I’ve created this legacy, photos of the Residence Life staff, and I give it as a gift to graduating students on the staff. I want them to look at it and say “I had the most incredible experience being a part of this” and they can share it with others. That’s the best part of what I do – creating memories.