Michael Dieffenbach

I am currently completing my Bachelor's in writing at Syracuse University. I have been attending on a part-time basis and will be graduating in December. Much of my writing focuses on race, class, politics and urban culture. You can see some of my work at mdieffen.expressions.syr.edu, storfy.com/Dieff or michaeljdieffenbach.wordpress.com.

In addition to attending school I have been working as a Member Service Representative at SECNY Federal Credit Union. My particular duties are unique in that I am their only traveling teller. I provide assistance to our members in every corner of Onondaga county, with memberships ranging from areas like Mattydale and Onondaga to areas such as Skaneateles and Manlius. My experiences working with such varied constituencies and staffs has molded me into more tactful and versatile employee than I used to be. I am able to move more fluidly through different networks and fill a variety of roles depending on what is needed from me at each branch.

Outside of work and school, I spend a lot of my free time skateboarding. Though it may seem strange, I find skateboarding to be a productive activity even as I age. The principles of determination and persistence are key in skateboarding and I feel that those traits overlap into other areas of my life. In Syracuse in particular I find that there is a strong sense of community involved. A skatepark was recently independently constructed by skateboarders, with monetary and physical contributions from dozens of area skateboarders. Besides creativity and passion, I feel this project demonstrates skills in organization, motivation and collaboration to be built through the activity as well.

So if there is anything you need to know about me, it's that I reside at the intersection of all these things. I spent a lot of time up to now trying to reconcile all these different aspects of myself with one another, before realizing I didn't need to. I've given up on the notion that any two parts of who I am and what I do are mutually exclusive, and look to bring whatever skills I can to other aspects of my life.