Through the Plexiglass: Anna Halldorsdottir
By Katie Fehrenbaker
Courtesy of Anna Halldorsdottir
Tell me about yourself!
My name is Anna Halldorsdottir, and I'm a senior (class of 2021) in Arts and Sciences, majoring in Statistics with a concentration in Machine Learning. I'm originally from Reykjavik, Iceland but I went to high school in Cleveland, OH.
Which testing site(s) do you work at?
I work at RPCC, Willard Strait, Sage Chapel, ILR Conference Center, Collegetown and East Hill Plaza, anywhere they place me, really.
Why did you choose to become a surveillance tester?
In the past I've been a House Manager at the Cornell Cinema, but because of COVID-19 the Cinema isn't open in-person this semester, so I needed another job to pay for expenses. Ultimately though, being able to be on campus near my friends for my senior year is incredibly important to me and by being a surveillance tester I feel as if I'm actually doing all I can to keep us safe and on-campus.
What has your experience working at the testing centers been like so far?
It's been incredibly positive. I feel like it definitely started pretty rocky at the beginning of the semester, but Cornell seems to really have worked out a lot of the kinks so everything seems to be running really smoothly now! It's generally a really chill atmosphere, and it's cool to get this chance to be interacting with so much of the Cornell community even during this period of social distancing.
What do you like to do in your free time? Hobbies? Fun facts? Interests?
Alongside surveillance testing, I am also a barista at the Collegetown Starbucks and I do statistics research on campus. If I have any free time, I'll either be out exploring nature or on the couch watching crappy reality TV with my friends. I also love painting and going for drives. Otherwise...I'm doing homework or sleeping.
If you could say something to the Cornell community, what would you say?
I think it's safe to say that the Cornell community has really exceeded all expectations for doing so well during this pandemic, and I genuinely think that if we all keep doing our part that we'll be able to finish this semester off strong and then have another great semester in the Spring :)