The inevitable conversations surrounding the fact that my dad is the president of Central College started the very first day of orientation and continued throughout my entire fall semester on campus. People would ask, "Where are you from?" and I would reply that I am originally from Boston but now live with my family in Pella. Then, the obvious follow-up question was, "What brought your family to Iowa?" Sometimes I would answer that question honestly and thoroughly; however, most of the time, I would just respond with, "My dad's job."
My goal last semester was to be as inconspicuous as possible. When I introduced myself to people I would say, "Hi, I'm Emma." My last name seemed to have been dropped out of the equation. My unconscious reason for this, as I now look back on it, was because I wanted students and faculty to get to know me first without making assumptions because I'm a Putnam. Most of those scenarios of introductions consisted of a few people who knew who I was and many others who did not.
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In July 2010, Mark Putnam became president of Central College, in Iowa. His daughter Emma, formerly a student at Northeastern University, in Boston, transferred to Central College as a junior this past fall. What is it like having your daughter attend the college where you are president? What is it like attending the college where your father is president? Here they each provide their perspectives on how the first semester went.
Many of my friends were good about keeping quiet until those inevitable conversations came up. If they surfaced, I would look to my friends to tell the others who I was. They would say, "She's the president's daughter." I had many different reactions from people. Some were surprised and tried to think if what they had said was OK to say in front of me. Others would be curious about my lifestyle and what it was like to be the daughter of the president of the college, and our conversation would continue with 20 questions. Lastly, some people didn't care about the information and would just see me as Emma.
Once people got to know me pretty well, topics about what should be changed at Central College came up. People on campus came to me with ideas they had for the college or thoughts on how something should be changed. Since I was around, it was easier for them to give me their two cents rather than go to the president. They wanted to drop hints to me, hoping that I would pass them on to my dad later. Sometimes that would be annoying; at other times it would be constructive and helpful.
My dad and I seemed to team up in trying to make Central even better. I would give him the laundry list of complaints, and he would better understand how Central functions in each department from my student perspective and interaction with different departments every day. I believe having me around helped him see things that most presidents may overlook.
My dad and I have a great relationship, and I don't believe that just anyone can pull off the lifestyle we live each day. I have been able to balance out my life doing schoolwork, being a regular college student hanging out on campus with friends, and attending many Central events at my house. There are many expectations of me wherever I go. However, I'm comfortable enough now that I don't think about those anymore. I simply have to show good judgment in different situations and just be myself.
I am excited to be studying in Granada, Spain, this semester, but I'm also eager to return to Iowa, finish my senior year next year, and become a Central graduate. I look forward to celebrating that moment with my dad, the president, as he hands me my diploma.
