Irene Colomaio
By Alexandra Napoli
Staff Writer
Loans, diplomas, class locations and exams are all significant aspects of a college career. Without these simple things, St. Bonaventure really wouldn’t exist. But who makes all of this happen? The answer is Irene Colomaio.
Colomaio works as the administrative assistant in the Registrar’s Office, a job she said she thoroughly enjoys and has benefitted from greatly. Colomaio said she wasn’t necessarily looking for the position as much as she stumbled upon it.
“I was working a temporary job for the Franciscan Institute when this job was posted,” Colomaio said. “I applied for it and started working here in November 1992.”
Colomaio’s job consists of the behind the scenes work many people don’t realize needs to get done. Colomaio said she assigns classrooms each semester for the classes offered and reserves rooms for meetings, exams and events on campus.
Taking care of loan deferment forms and education verifications are just a few more duties Colomaio’s complex job entails.
“I order diplomas for May, August and December and help prepare the Commencement program in May,” Colomaio said. “I also prepare the Special Final Exam Schedule every semester and notify professors of students missing classes because of sickness, death in the family, etc.”
Before her career at Bonaventure, Colomaio worked at a law firm for 10 years. She said she was surprised she ended up where she is today.
“I thought I would go back to legal work,” she said. “But I was attracted to this job because of the people I met in this office.”
According to Colomaio, the people in the office are only one of many benefits to working as the administrative assistant. One of the greatest things about her job, she said, is meeting new and unique students every day.
Colomaio said her daughter attended and graduated from Bonaventure. Colomaio said she has met many students through her daughter’s connection. Colomaio said she has created wonderful relationships with both students and faculty.
These bonds formed over something not very surprising to others—baseball. Colomaio is a Yankees fan, and she loves talking with fellow baseball fans.
“I really like the students at St. Bonaventure,” she said. “A lot of students know that I am a big Yankees fan and come in my office to talk baseball with me. Also, a lot of the professors talk baseball with me— even Boston Red Sox fans!”
Having fun and getting things done are what Colomaio is all about, she said. She takes her job seriously and truly loves being there for her coworkers and students at St. Bonaventure, Colomaio said. Because of all the little things, Colomaio is able to make extraordinary things happen at Bonaventure.
