Andrea Fisher

The story of why, when and how you decided to move here (or stay here): I was born in Seoul, South Korea and was adopted when I was 4 months old. I’ve lived in Rochester ever since. I grew up in Henrietta and went to Rush-Henrietta High School. I’ve decided to stay in Rochester for now because I have a great job and an awesome group of friends and I love the cultural aspects of our city. My parents moved to Corpus Christi, Texas, last November to be with my brother and his family.

Where you went to undergraduate college / graduate school: Associate’s degree, liberal arts, Monroe Community College; B.S., international business and economics, SUNY College at Brockport. I plan to attend the University of Rochester’s Simon Graduate School of Business if I am accepted.

Where you work now and your job title: Regional account manager, PICS Telecom.

Where do you live? Highland Park neighborhood in the city

What do you like about life in Rochester? Diversity! I love all the different restaurants; eating foods from all over the world is a hobby of mine. I can go from authentic Puerto Rican food one night to halfway across the world to Thailand the next. There is something going on every weekend of the summer. I also love that I know so much about Rochester but I keep discovering new places to go or places to shop.

What do you do for fun? I play volleyball every Wednesday. I go out as often as possible with my friends to Durand Beach, local bars or just hanging out at our apartments. I travel as much as possible visiting my friends all over the country. This summer I plan on attending many of Rochester’s annual festivals. During the winter I hibernate a lot, but last winter I took up a second job as a volunteer assistant volleyball coach. There are a lot of youth leadership opportunities in Rochester.

What would you tell a college student (who is trying to decide where to live after graduation) about what life is like here post-college? People have a huge misconception of Rochester. Students rush out of college looking for that $40K-a-year job but the reality is that you need to take what you can get. It sounds harsh, but it’s true. Build your resume and then that great job will come. Rarely will a college graduate, no matter where they are, find that ideal job with no experience. Rochester has many jobs to offer; it’s just that a lot of kids are not willing to settle. They have this dream of finding the perfect money-making job right out of college. Any business-related jobs are out there—you just have to dig deeper and network! The cost of living in Rochester is unbeatable, the nightlife (if you’re open-minded) is never-ending, and the culture is rich. Rochester has a lot to offer new graduates. Any friend of mine who has moved away always looks back and says, “Rochester is a better city than I thought it was.”

What’s the best first step to making friends and finding your way around? Joining the Rochester Young Professionals is a great way to make friends. Any kind of group activities, work gatherings and sports leagues are big ones: softball at Cobbs Hill, volleyball at Hot Shots, soccer at the Sports Garden. As many of my old friends move away from Rochester I find myself also trying to make new friends to rebuild my circle. Being in sales I have a very outgoing personality, so being social is my job. But I understand for others it is not as easy. The best advice I can give is to not be afraid. Some people you will not click with and some people you will. Find something you’re passionate about—be it music or art or sports—and Google activities in Rochester about those subjects. I’m sure you’ll find people there you have many things in common with. A great Web site for Rochester info is www.rockwiki.org.
[Posted in 2008]