Mission-Driven

The Mission-Driven Podcast features conversations with alumni who are leveraging their Holy Cross education to make a meaningful difference in the world around them. Produced by the Office of Alumni Relations at the College of the Holy Cross. Learn more at holycross.edu/alumni.

Mary Beth Sheridan ‘83 12/04/2023

Cymetra Williams ‘03 11/27/2023

Annie Long Sullivan ‘94 11/20/2023

Nalani Ramos Ruiz ‘21 11/13/2023

Kerry Sullivan ‘78 11/06/2023

Quinn Fitzgerald ‘11 10/30/2023

Sean O'Connor '92 06/07/2023

Sean O'Connor '92 In this final episode of Season three, Siobhan Kiernan from the class of 2021 speaks with Sean O'Connor from the class of 1992. As a fundraiser and member of the Holy Cross Annual Fund Team, Siobhan talks with Sean about his accomplished career in fundraising. Today, he continues to make a difference as the Chief Development Officer at the National Audubon Society. Their conversation gives you a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to support the nonprofit organizations that we love. The Holy Cross mission of serving others is central to the work that they do. As people foreign with others, their careers modeled the idea of doing well while doing good. Interview originally recorded in August 2022. --- Sean: When I'm being reflective of the relationship between the effort and the work that I've applied my daily profession to the outcome, it completely aligns with my worldview of actually helping other people and helping organizations and helping the world. Whether it's through art, or healthcare or science or human rights or conservation, I feel pretty good about that. Maura: Welcome to Mission Driven, where we speak with alumni who are leveraging their Holy Cross education to make a meaningful difference in the world around them. I'm your host, Maura Sweeney, from the class of 2007, Director of Alumni Career Development at Holy Cross. I'm delighted to welcome you to today's show. In this final episode of Season three, Siobhan Kiernan from the class of 2021 speaks with Sean O'Connor from the class of 1992. As a fundraiser and member of the Holy Cross Annual Fund Team, Siobhan talks with Sean about his accomplished career in fundraising. After a year in the Jesuit Volunteer Corps, Sean accepted a role raising funds for a small Catholic school on the Lower East Side of Manhattan. Thanks to the support and encouragement of some Holy Cross alumni, he accepted a position with CCS fundraising, which brought his fundraising overseas and greatly expanded the scope of his work. Today, he continues to make a difference as the Chief Development Officer at the National Audubon Society. Their conversation gives you a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to support the nonprofit organizations that we love. The Holy Cross mission of serving others is central to the work that they do. As people foreign with others, their careers modeled the idea of doing well while doing good. Siobhan: Hello everyone. My name is Siobhan Kiernan and I am a 2021 Holy Cross grad, and current member of the Holy Cross Fund Team. And I'm joined here with Sean O'Connor. Hello, how are you? Sean: Hi Siobhan. Good to see you again. Siobhan: Yeah, you too. Where are you zooming from? Sean: I'm zooming from Goldens Bridge, New York, which is Northern Westchester County near Bedford and North Salem. Siobhan: Nice. Oh my gosh. I'm zooming from New York City, so... Sean: Oh wow. Whereabouts? Siobhan: In like little... I'm on the Upper East Side right now. It's where I grew up. Sean: Oh, that's right. I grew... For a while. I lived on 83rd and third when I did all this. Siobhan: Oh yes, we talked about this. Sean: Yeah, right. Siobhan: Oh, that's awesome. Are you from New York? Sean: No, I actually grew up in Worcester, Massachusetts where there's a school called Holy Cross, is there I think. And I in that way was born at St. Vincent Hospital and then grew up really in Holden, Massachusetts, which is just north of Worcester. And I went to Wachusett Regional High School. And I know your next question is why I don't have an accent, but for some reason I dropped the Worcester accent. When I went to Holy Cross, actually, ironically, I think my accent started to go away. Siobhan: They ironed it out of you. Sean: They must have ironed it out of me, yes. I could put on the Worcester accent, but only under severe pressure. Siobhan: That's so funny. I've been told that I don't have a New York accent either. Sean: No, you don't. Siobhan: So I guess there's something about Holy Cross and taking out accents. So you kind of really just started this, I guess, but why Holy Cross? I mean, I know you're from Worcester, but some people I know probably wouldn't have wanted to go to a school in their hometown. So why did you stay, and what about Holy Cross made you want to go there? Sean: It is a family school. For me, my grandfather was class of '31 and my father was class of '66. My uncle was class of '62. I think even have one of my other father's relatives went there. And so I always had heard about Holy Cross. And I lived on campus, I didn't commute even though I was about 10 miles away from Worcester, or from home rather. But it was obviously one of the most important decisions I made as a young person. And then probably, in truth, is probably the best school I got into when I was applying for colleges. That was another part as well. Siobhan: No, but that worked out. The one thing I love about Holy Cross is that you can feel very much away even if you are local. Sean: Right. Siobhan: I have friends who lived off campus and I remember I always lived on campus and my thought process was, you have your whole life to live outside the gates of Mt. St. James. Why would you want to go now? Sean: Right, for sure. But I enjoyed it. It was great. Siobhan: Yeah. So what was your time on campus? What did you do? What did you major in? What activities did you like to do? Sean: I was a history major, and I took my academics semi-seriously, I think. I'm a lifelong reader and I probably am still interested in history and read a lot of William Durant history surveys when I'm on the plane on a tarmac or something like that. So I still enjoy learning, but I spent a lot of time on extracurricular activities. I didn't play sports, and maybe once in a while would play a soccer pickup game if one existed. But I was involved in the radio station, I was the station manager for a year. Siobhan: Oh cool. Sean: And a DJ. And then I was involved, I think in one of the campus activity boards, I think my senior year. Is it called SS or something? I'm trying to remember then what the acronym was. Siobhan: Or is it CAB? I mean, today I think it's probably the equivalent. Sean: Something like that. I would put on concerts at Hogan. I did one concert. I think I almost got kicked off campus because I did not go through the proper channels of getting permits and things like that. So I learned a lot at college about doing things like that. We had a band called The Mighty, Mighty Boss Tones playing in the basement, which was a fun, legendary show. And then when I was at the station, radio station, we did a kind of benefit concert for the Worcester Coalition for the Homeless in Worcester. There was a band named Fugazi that we brought up to Worcester and did a show, which is fun. So we did some fun stuff connecting Worcester where I grew up to Holy Cross. I was also a resident assistant in the Mulledy basement. So yeah, it was a fun four years. Siobhan: Wow. So you mentioned you were a history major. I'm always curious, because I did economics, why history? And did you have a favorite class? Sean: I kind of go back and forth between really US history and European history or world history. And I did take an African history class, which is pretty influential. Professor David O'Brien was my advisor and he's kind of a labor and Catholic historian. And I still am interested in labor history. I can get really geeky I suppose, about history. I just really do enjoy it in terms of understanding patterns and issues and big issues that we're facing now as a country, and what are the historical analogs, and what has happened in the past that informs where you are right now. And all my family were English majors or our English majors. I think my daughter is an English, is going to become an English major, not a history major. My son was a poly sci major at Bucknell and a film major. But history is, I just enjoy it. And I go back and forth. I probably read more non-US history these days, but it's an escapism too for me. Dealing with everything else, it's kind of fun to read about the Age of Enlightenment or something like that, and just learn about different thinkers and different parts of history that you weren't aware of. And then if you get really excited, you can go deep on those things and get really geeky. Siobhan: I took one history class in Holy Cross, and I found that I almost felt like an investigator, like a detective, which as an economics major it is... That's a different way of thinking. So actually I have a lot of respect for the history department. Cause you very much have to tell a story, and really unpack documents and things. And I think that's... Sean: Yeah, for sure. Siobhan: And you mentioned your professor. I always love to hear about, because the school is so small and the community is so great. Is there anyone that comes to mind who had a meaningful impact on you at Hogan? Sean: Academically, David Chu, who is my accounting professor, and I just didn't do as well in accounting, but that taught me a lot about the importance of studying, actually. There was a professor Whall when I took my early survey class in history, which kind of awakened me to academic writing in a different way. And I lifeguarded at the pool, so got to hang out with the late Barry Parenteau who just passed away. And that was fun times there. And then some of the student life people, I think Dean Simon, I'm trying to remember his name, but he was the one that I worked with a little bit in my senior year. He was the Student Life Dean, if I remember correctly, out of Hogan. And then actually career advisors towards the end. I think one of the more influential people in my career, if we segue into that section, is this John Winters, who is there as a career advisor who really got me on the pathway of where I am right now. Siobhan: Oh, fabulous. Actually, that was a great segue. That was actually my next question was going to be, could you just take me through from commencement to where you are? Sean: Sure. Siobhan: Your journey. I did look into your bio a little bit and you had a very vast career so far, but I want to hear about it from you, your whole journey. Sean: So when I got out of school, I remember second semester, senior year, gosh knows what you're going to do. But I think I interviewed, think at some advertising agency, Leo Burnett, that has historically hired Holy Cross grads and did not get the interview. But I was able to go to Chicago for that all day interview, which was kind of fun. Get to stay in the fancy hotel for the first time. And then when I got out of school I ended up going to Jesuit Volunteer Corps. So I did the Jesuit Volunteer Corps in the northwest and was stationed, or placed, I guess is the language in Auburn, Washington, which is between Seattle and Tacoma. And my placement, or my job, the volunteer job was working at a residential youth shelter for physically and sexually abused kids. And I was doing that for a year. And so my job was to take to care of them, drive them to school, make them dinner, take them on field trips, and then talk to them. And then, learning what it meant to be a social worker and would write about my day and my interactions to help the therapists and the psychologists who are helping them connect the dots about what issues they were facing. They were typically there for a couple of weeks. It was transitional short term, before they might have been between foster placements or they might have been just removed from the home. And the state was trying to figure out what to do with them. So it was a very eye-opening experience, making $20 a week living in a community in the Jesuit Volunteer Corps. But that moment I was actually really interested in understanding how nonprofits were financed. I was like, all right, so how did they actually get the money to do the work? How does it actually work? So I was able to understand a little bit about the particular organization I was volunteering at. It was called Auburn Youth Resources. And they would receive a lot of money from the King County, which is the local county outside of Seattle. But the philanthropy piece, that people would give them money was relatively small. And anyways, it was, it's an opportunity for me to think about that. I wanted to do good but also do well. And I think a lot of this has to do with Holy Cross, but also that my parents or both teachers. My brother's a teacher, my sister's a teacher, my other sister who went to Holy Cross works in nonprofits as well, she was class of '95. So I think that, my family upbringing and combined with Holy Cross in terms of its ethos of men and women for others, I think really kind of pushed me into this career, which wasn't really a career back then. I don't know if you want me to keep going, but when I got back from the year of volunteer work and I came back to the East Coast, I didn't know what I wanted to do. I lived in Worcester, outside of Worcester. I thought I wanted to move to Boston where, because I was nearby that was a big city, or move to Washington DC where a lot of my roommates were and friends. But John Winter in the Career Center said, did you ever think about development? And I said, what's development? And we talked more about it, what that actually meant. And he connected me with a guy named Pat Cunningham, who I think is class of '85. And Pat Cunningham worked in New York City, and at the time he worked for the Archdiocese of New York. And the program there was that they were trying to help small Catholic parochial schools become sustainable. So small Catholic schools in New York City were always a big deal for helping teach kids and families who didn't have a lot of money, but get a good education. The outcomes were terrific. Typically, a lot of the kids went on to college. But the financial model was becoming challenging, because the religious communities who would tend to teach at those schools was diminishing. So they would have to hire lay teachers, you don't have to pay a Sister as much as you have to pay a layperson. So I think that caused like, oh my goodness, tuition is not covering the cost. And so they were trying to figure out a way could they raise money? Like private high schools, like St. John's in Shrewsbury or St. John's in Danvers, as BC High or Notre Dame Academy, they tend to raise money from their alums or parents. Pat Cunningham's job was to figure that out with some parochial schools in New York. There was a philanthropist who just passed away a couple of years ago, a guy named Richard Gilder, who was a Jewish, who founded a company Gilder, Gagnon, & Howe. Anyways, he believed in Catholic education and funded a lot of these schools. He believed in the outcomes and giving back in the community. And so he was essentially underwriting director and development positions. So the salary that a director of development would require. So there was an opportunity for me to work at a school called St. Columba Elementary School, which is on 25th between eighth and ninth without any experience at 23 years old. Siobhan: Is it still there? Sean: It is still there. But unfortunately, the school is closed and is now probably a private or a charter school. It Is the school... Had a couple famous alums, Whoopi Goldberg, graduated from... it's the school Whoopi Goldberg graduated from St. Columba, and as well as a singer from the sixties and seventies, Tony Orlando went to St. Colo. He's a guy who sang Tie A Yellow Ribbon and Knock Three Times. You ever hear those songs? No. Knock three times on the ceiling. Siobhan: Maybe. Sean: Yeah. I don't want to sing it. So what I had to do is work with the sisters and figure out a way to help raise money. And I learned a ton. It was fun. I started talking to some of the colleagues who were doing the similar work in the city, and we created a consortium of colleagues, I think we called it ourselves development, gosh, I forgot what we called it. Ourselves like Development Resources, Development Resource Group, I think DRG maybe. In any case, we would meet and just try to do some brainstorming and figure out how to solve problems. And we actually got some funding to actually help our little mini consortium. And I was there for about a year. It was fun. Siobhan: And then I know that you also did some foundation work, correct? Sean: Yeah. So after what? So I was doing that for a year, and then I had heard about this big company called CCS Fundraising and it's called... At the time it was called Community Counseling Service. And it's still around. It's a big, big fundraising company. And at the time, back when I was there, it's probably quadrupled since I was working there. Any case, we didn't have any money at St. Columba for professional development. So there was this big conference in New York called Fundraising Day in New York. And it is held every, it's the third Friday of June every year. So it's like a one day, it's one of the biggest fundraising conferences in New York. But to go to it, you know, it's like $600 or something like that. And we didn't have any money at St. Columba to do that. And so there was a scholarship opportunity. So if I wrote an essay to the committee that they would send scholarships out. So I wrote an essay to the committee and they underwrote my admission. So I was able to go to the event. And at the event I ran into an executive at CCS Fundraising and talked to him. He encouraged me to apply to CCS, which I did. And then I got a job with CCS Fundraising, which really did change my career for the good. And they sent me all around the world and helped train me in fundraising. And it was great. I was there for a long, long time. And that's where I did do some foundation work. So to continue on that, so when I got to CCS, I went to Yorkshire, England to do some work for the Diocese of Leeds and raise money there. So essentially CCS as a company that would get hired by nonprofits to actually help them raise money. Siobhan: Like a consultant. Sean: A hundred percent like a consultant. And it's weird because you'd be 24 years old or 25 years old and you're a consultant. And I remember a lot of my family friends is like, what do you know? You're just a kid. And there was a lot of truth in that, because I didn't know what I was doing. But the way the model worked at CCS was that they would train you, and there was actually different levels of consulting. And actually modern consulting firms like McKinsey have a similar model where you have the partners who are the thought leaders, and the business development people who actually find the clients. And they just need people to do the work. And those are the directors, the associate directors who essentially just took direction from the leadership. And in the case of going to the Diocese of Leeds, my charge was to work with parishes and coordinate, manage, design and execute what I would call mini-campaigns for each of those parishes. So I would go to the priest, I would orient the priest on the plan, we'd recruit a leadership team and go out and raise money. It was a very, very difficult assignment, but I learned a lot about resilience and persuasion and problem-solving and persistence and all that stuff, because it was a very intense five or six months. But it was fun. Get to live in Yorkshire in the middle of the winter when you're 24, 25 years old. That was great. Siobhan: I was going to say, that also just sounds really cool because you kind of get to dabble in so many different types of advancement. I know in development, I remember when I first learned about it, I was like, oh, that's like for schools. And I'm like, wait, no. There's fundraising for hospitals and political campaigns and nature organizations, which I want to get to... /episode/index/show/hcalumni/id/27074283

James Scott '95 05/04/2023

James Scott '95 In this episode, Colman Benson from the class of 2024 speaks with James Scott from the class of 1995. They connected back in the fall of 2022 to speak about James' path from Ohio to Holy Cross to the Marine Corps, culminating in his current career in banking. They speak about how a clever marketing commercial changed the course of James's career path and how you're never too old to reinvent yourself. What's even better, the friends you make on the Hill and the Holy Cross Alumni Network will always be there to support you on your journey. Interview originally recorded in December 2022. --- James: Two skill sets there will never be a shortage of, at least not in our country, and that's storytelling and problem solving. Those are the two skill sets that you'll never have a shortage of in terms of the workforce. You can do those two things, you can do them well. You can do just about anything you want in the industry that you want. And sky's the limit. Maura: Welcome to Mission Driven, where we speak with alumni who are leveraging their Holy Cross education to make a meaningful difference in the world around them. I'm your host, Maura Sweeney, from the class of 2007, Director of Alumni Career Development at Holy Cross. I'm delighted to welcome you to today's show. In this episode, Colman Benson from the class of 2024 speaks with James Scott from the class of 1995. They connected back in the fall of 2022 to speak about James' path from Ohio to Holy Cross to the Marine Corps, culminating in his current career in banking. They speak about how a clever marketing commercial changed the course of James's career path and how you're never too old to reinvent yourself. After 20 years of service in the Marine Corps, James chose to try something new and tackle a different challenge in his career. He landed in banking, first with Santander Bank and now as Vice President, Business Relationship Manager at Bank of America. The good news is that no matter what you choose to do, the core skills you learn at Holy Cross remain relevant. What's even better, the friends you make on the Hill and the Holy Cross Alumni Network will always be there to support you on your journey. Colman: Thank you for joining us. James: Yeah, absolutely. Thanks for having me, Colman. So once you reached out to me, it was one of those callings where I felt like, hey, any conversation helps anybody, my words, my journey, give somebody some type of inspiration, I'm all for it, right? So anyway to give back to the Hill, I do what I can, whether it's small or medium or as big as it can be. Colman: Very excited to be interviewing today. Just a little bit about your Holy Cross experience. I know that you were part of the football and the track team, and I think that was the last undefeated football team until this year, the team of 1991. So can you just describe your time as a student on the Hill and what you enjoyed in some of your extracurricular activities? James: I'm a graduate of 1995 Holy Cross, not Catholic, not from New England, certainly not from Massachusetts. So my journey began out in the Midwest in Ohio, and then my connection quickly with Holy Cross became through a coach who was recruiting out in Ohio, recruiting football players. And I happened to be on the radar and took a flight out to Boston. Now, this is where it gets kind of a little interesting because I actually thought Holy Cross was in Boston the way they gave me the tour, kind of showed me along the Charles River and all through downtown. So I got super excited and then I guess I got distracted. I fell asleep on the ride from Boston to Worcester. Next thing you know, I'm on this beautiful campus. So right away, I just had a connection with players at that time. Met a couple of professors. Very good friend of mine at the time was Margaret Freije. And so that was almost instantaneous connection. I flew back home, excited to tell my dad that I think I found the college of choice, leaving Ohio, wanted to end up in Massachusetts and then ended up showing up on campus. And then we'll talk a little bit more about that initial experience once I got on campus as an official student at the school. But again, that journey was something totally unexpected, totally culture shock to me, especially back in the nineties. So it just took a little bit of time for me to acclimate and get adjusted to a new environment, a new situation. But having sports was again one of those avenues, those channels that kind of gave me an out to express myself and get away and get away from the differences and cultures that I had with the majority of the student population, but allowed me to focus on something with other people who had similar interests to me, which is sports, competition and winning. So kind of a little bit of background about my journey on how I ended up at Holy Cross. Colman: Awesome, thank you very much. Funny, funny tricks they'll do for recruiting, but I just had a question. I know you were a math major. Was there any reason you decided to pick math? Did you think about maybe a future career in mathematics or a future career in business? As I know a lot of Holy Cross grads will choose econ or math and eventually end up in business. James: Fair question, but neither of those answers are anywhere close. There's no method to the math. I had a love affair with mathematics in high school. It was something I was really good at. Logic just seems to fit with me. So coming into college, again, the first college graduate in my family, so I had no real focus on in terms of, hey, what do you want to be after college life? So just a quick transition into the mathematics world, quickly realized that it's a lot more complex than it was in high school, but I was just one that kind of enjoyed the challenge, enjoyed the reasoning behind it, enjoyed the logic there, the thought processes, and next thing you know, you're a sophomore going like, okay, do I switch majors or not? And wasn't an option for me at the time. So I would say I was probably around that average to below average mathematics major, but I was kind of locked in at that point, so I was definitely going to gut it out. Colman: Well, so I guess moving on, after you graduated from Holy Cross, you decided to join the Marine Corps. What led you to this decision? Was there anything specific? Have you just always wanted to join the Marines or serve? James: So like you, you're the Army ROTC, right? So I'm going to see if I can draw a little bit of similarity here. So you're getting a taste of military life as you're going through school. So it's embedded in your daily routines, so you're getting fully immersed into what it will be like on the other side. For me, my journey was a little different. I went home between my freshman and sophomore year, and that was the year I got bored quickly, right? Football, school, a lot coming at me a hundred miles an hour. I get home, life falls to almost an idle throttle. So it was definitely something I didn't want to have happen at least every summer. So I like to tell people that slaying the dragon commercial for the Marine Corps came on at the right time of my life. Bored sitting at home, commercial comes on and marketing geniuses as they were, I wanted to sign up and slay a dragon. So I called the phone number at the bottom of the TV and recruiters being as good as they are, the moment I called, he said, I got a guy, I want you to meet the guy. I'll have a captain over at your house tomorrow morning. That captain showed up in his blue Deltas that next morning, gave me the pitch, took me out to Ken, Ohio with the school there, gave me a little heavy dose of you name it, pushups, pull ups, three mile run, all of this stuff. And I just wanted a little bit more. I had to have a little bit more what he was giving. Recruiters being as good as they are, they only give you a little taste and they kind of tell you, you can't do it. Don't tell me I can't do something because then I become one of those, I'll prove it to you, I'll show you. So he wanted to meet my father, came by the house later that week. My dad didn't think this was going to happen. He's like, yeah, you're not joining the Marine Corps. So this guy shows up in his blue Deltas and my dad's like, oh my gosh, you really are joining the Marine Corps. So that summer I take off to Quantico for six weeks, your Army ROTC, what we call it, the two meters class. So you had an opportunity to get two heavy doses in the summertime, six weeks apiece, full immersion in the military lifestyle bootcamp. And that first six weeks I was hooked. The adrenaline rush, the competition, the camaraderie, the esprit de corps, just people who believed in a common goal and focus, all wanting to do the same thing. I was hooked. I was hooked. And then that second summer I did the same thing. I already kind of knew what my career path was as a junior going into college. I knew it was a Marine Corps. And so graduation day, I had my dress blues on underneath my cap and gown and went across the stage, got my diploma. Unlike you, I still had the option to say no up until I got to the stairway and I did a swearing in. But I took that robe off, got on the steps, got my silk, my gold lieutenant bars, and I was gone. And the rest is, as they say, it was history. And 20 years later, and I'm retiring as a Marine Corps officer. So that was a great decision on my part, but I was locked in focus in terms of, again, that the core principles of what the Marine Corps offered, I was hooked. Colman: That's definitely a lot to relate to there for myself. As you talked about, kind of having that never quit attitude, never taking no for an answer, saying you can't do it. That's something that's really stuck with me. And then I also know I have a couple buddies that are in the Marine program here, and they do the same thing. Six weeks before their junior year and six weeks before their senior year, before they end up commissioning after. So a lot of similarities there, which is really cool to see. Some things never really do change. Transitioning, I know you spent 20 years in the Marines, so thank you for your service for that. Once you decided to get out, what do you think was the biggest adjustment transferring from a military career to a career in business? James: As I look back and reflect, you kind of have people who tell you, there's one train of thought that says military folks have a difficult time adjusting because they're used to discipline and structure and routine and everything's a procedure and a process. And I think I like to try to demystify that for a lot of people. I don't necessarily subscribe to that. I don't think it's true. I think military lifestyle is different, yes, but we're still people, so we're still able to adapt and adjust. But I think for me, one of the biggest things was accepting the fact that it was over as a career choice and I should be okay with not wanting to fall into something similar. So a lot of people kind of take the skillsets that they've honed in over a career in the military and they kind of just parlay it on to defense contracting or something of that nature. And I wanted to be comfortable with my decision and say, don't just follow a normal path if that's not what you want. And I certainly didn't want that. I didn't want defense contracting. I didn't want anything to kind of do with the military lifestyle anymore. Just kind of put it away, enjoyed it. I really had a great time, but I wanted a different challenge. And so for me it was just accepting the fact that it looked different, doing something that was completely away from the norm and being comfortable with that decision. For me, that was the toughest call to make and being okay with that. Not just saying, hey, I'm just going to pick up where I left off, but being okay with starting from zero and then building up a second career that I felt like I would enjoy a lot more as well. Colman: Definitely starting a new career and shift can have its own challenges, but it's very good that you decided to take almost a path less traveled. And I know you went from originally at Santander Bank and now to the Vice President of Business Banking Relationships, relationship manager at Bank of America. So if you could just tell me a little bit about your current role here and maybe what your day-to-day life looks like and some of the tasks and skills you have? James: Yeah, so banking for me is, that's the new space we're talking about. So I've been in banking now for five and a half years and I'm still learning. I feel like a brand new lieutenant again in the Marine Corps. So you sit back and you absorb and you interact with your bosses and your peers try to absorb as much as you can. But my current role as the relationship manager is exactly as it sounds, right? So I work with privately held companies within Connecticut and Western Massachusetts, and there's a certain target threshold for revenues that we work with. So we have small business and median businesses in the corporations that we work with. My job is basically sales, getting out there and trying to connect with those companies and kind of deliver values and solutions to those companies like every other bank out there. I knock on the door and try to peddle wares and say, hey, I have a solution for you and I've got a way to help your business grow. And so some of that is being able to connect with people. And some of that is, for me, I look at it as problem solving. So if you were to think about, maybe this is before your time, before mine as well, there used to be people who sold vacuum cleaners door to door. And back in that time intel was if you even knew somebody who had carpet. Knock on random doors and you didn't even know if someone had carpet. And so some of that is even true today, but I love problem solving, right? That's my shtick, if you will. And so part of this crafting of the puzzle is let's just find out who has a need, what's the demand before I go knocking on doors. So that research and trying to help people identify problems, that's my skillset, that's my strength. And then being able to take what I do as at my everyday activities, which is researching, trying to find out what industries have what particular problems, and then helping solve those problems, and then learning in the bank because we've got hundreds of solutions that we can offer, but I'm not going to throw that as an individual. My job is to kind of customize and say, here's two that I think will solve your problems. So just drawing it out and listening is probably the biggest skillset set that you can bring to relationship managers. Just listening, helping identify problems before you start rattling off solutions. And just being able to sit back and be comfortable in silence as people talk and you're listening, you're looking for problems and then you're helping them solve. So it's not a one size fits all, but it's working together to make sure you deliver the best solution, Colman: Definitely. Intelligence shapes the mission. So it's funny how you see them in your research now and how you can use that for your problem solving both in your past career and now in your present career at Bank of America. What advice would you give a Holy Cross student to leverage their liberal arts education to start their career in business? A lot of students coming out of Holy Cross are competing with kids coming from traditional business schools or getting a traditional business or finance major. How can a Holy Cross student use their liberal arts degree to their advantage? James: Yeah, that's a tricky one. And I remember in the mid-nineties where liberal arts education was the thing. It was the creme de la creme and you kind of went away from specific majors, so you wouldn't dare be a finance major. That's just suicide. And so there's a pendulum sway, and now you do have liberal arts which kind of took a hit in terms of industries looking for a particular talent and skill sets. And so now the challenge is being able to re-craft the story. That would be my suggestion. So as you look and you say, well, what value does a liberal arts education offer? Well, as you all kind of write your own story, I would say start with answering that question first, which is like well, you tell the story of what you think liberal arts education does for you. I tell my son, who's 7, of course, 7-year-olds olds don't listen to anything you say, but at least I start the message by saying two skillsets there will never be a shortage of in this, at least not in our country, and that's storytelling and problem solving. Those are the two skillsets that you'll never have a shortage of in terms of the workforce. You can do those two things. You can do them well. You can do just about anything you want in the industry that you want. And sky's the limit. So if you could figure out a way to convince, again, older folks that are sitting in the position of hiring people, that you have those skillsets, and liberal arts has kind of helped you shape those, you're not just singularly focused on a problem, but you kind of see the problem as an ecosystem. So you solve one thing, maybe you create another problem, you solve that problem. So if you can start to craft a story that tells people what the liberal arts education, what value it brings to a company or an industry, I think that's the keystone that gets you into any industry or any line of business that you want to get into. Colman: And I know that the alumni network from Holy Cross is very strong, just like me being able to reach out to you to do this podcast. Is there anything you can speak on about using the alumni network to your advantage and to help support you? James: Yes. I would say my first advice is don't follow my example. So in terms of networking, I probably would be the worst example. After I graduated, I lost connectivity with a lot of people who were close, dear friends while I was in school and didn't kind of build and continue those relationships while I went through the military, unless you were in the military. So if I ran across a Holy Cross alum, I would definitely connect. But one of the things that I did do successfully was I stayed connected to Holy Cross writ large, the campus, the alumni giving. So that thing I kind of held dear to, but in terms of the thing that actually made the school special, the people, I kind of lost focus of that for a huge chunk of time. Now you say, God bless LinkedIn, God bless social media. That allows me the opportunity to kind of right my wrongs. So I again capitalized those platforms and reached out to a lot of Holy Cross network. And the funny thing is, you're all accepting. So it's one of those deals where you kind of shoot yourself in the foot and say, why didn't I do this 15, 20 years ago? Why didn't I stay connected? But I guess that's the beauty in this thing, which is staying connected doesn't mean every day. Staying connected doesn't mean once a quarter. There's no time limit. It's just even if it's a casual hello, how are things going? Or hey, can you really sit down with me and kind of talk to me and help mentor me through a career? I personally have found, I would never say 100%, 99.9% of anybody that has the Holy Cross logo attached to their LinkedIn profile are willing to help you out in any way that they can. That's my personal experience. That's what I tout and that's kind of what I sell people on in terms of what Holy Cross alumni means, what that network means. And I have a wife who's very jealous of it because she went to American University and there's absolutely no connection there. Colman: Big rivals too. Big rivals. That's awesome that you always know that Holy Cross alumni and fellow classmates will always be there to help support you. So pivoting from... /episode/index/show/hcalumni/id/26744484

Joe Dulac '90 & Ely Bueno '98 04/10/2023

Thomas Cotter '17 & Brendan Quinn '06 05/18/2022

Thomas Cotter '17 & Brendan Quinn '06 In this episode, Conor Joslin '23 interviews Thomas Cotter '17 and Brendan Quinn '06. Thomas and Brendan met while Thomas was a student at Holy Cross. Their professional journeys converge thanks to the app INDX, a startup co-founded by Thomas and funded by Brendan. Through INDX, they hope to channel their energy and create a product that fosters learning, discovery and growth for all. True entrepreneurs at heart, they show us what's possible when you take a problem and focus your efforts on finding a solution. Interview originally recorded in March 2022. --- Thomas: You can't just build something because you care about it, right? At the end of the day, there has to be a problem and you have to be able to solve that problem for people. And so I think you get lucky when you find a problem that you experience personally, that you also care a lot about in trying to solve it. Maura: Welcome to Mission-Driven, where we speak with alumni who are leveraging their Holy Cross education to make a meaningful difference in the world around them. I'm your host, Maura Sweeney from the class of 2007, director of Alumni Career Development at Holy Cross. I'm delighted to welcome you to today's show. Maura: In this episode, we hear from two alumni, Thomas Cotter from the class of 2017 and Brendan Quinn from the class of 2006. Thomas and Brendan met while Thomas was a student at Holy Cross and their relationship has grown from there. Mentor, fellow Crusader, friend and business partner are all titles that can be used to describe their relationship with one another. Their professional journeys converge thanks to the app INDX, a startup co-founded by Thomas and funded by Brendan. Conor Jocelyn from the class of 2023 joins Thomas and Brendan to learn about their journeys through Holy Cross and the circumstances that led them to collaborate on this startup. Champions of a Holy Cross education, Thomas and Brendan are passionate about promoting lifelong learning. Through INDX, they hope to channel their energy and create a product that fosters learning, discovery and growth for all. True entrepreneurs at heart, they show us what's possible when you take a problem and focus your efforts on finding a solution. Conor: So hey Thomas, hey Brendan, how are you guys doing today? Brendan: Hey, Conor. Good to be with you. Thomas: Doing well. Thanks for doing this, Conor. Conor: Yeah, thank you for joining us. So Brendan, how about we start off with you? So could you please tell me a little bit about your background, maybe where you are from, your family life, and then also maybe tell us about when you were searching for schools, what convinced you to choose Holy Cross? Brendan: Yeah. So I am class of 2006, to date myself just right off the bat. Was born in the Bay Area. My folks were in the service, both in the Navy. So I lived in California until I was about four, moved to New England, Southeastern Connecticut more specifically, and grew up there predominantly. Started Holy Cross in 2002. And then after Holy Cross, went on to spend 15 years in financial services at one organization called Silicon Valley Bank. And we'll get into kind of what I'm up to now later on, I'm sure. In terms of what attracted me to Holy Cross, I really think it was like there was an intimacy about it. When I came to visit, I was definitely looking at a number of schools in varying shapes and sizes. And I just had that there was like a intangible feeling about Holy Cross and the community that it embodied that was just very attractive to me. Brendan: And so it was a pretty easy decision. I actually did early decision, was able to convince some people that I might be a good fit. So it worked out and then it's been, I would put it in the top five most important decisions in my life in terms of where I am today. So there's not a day that goes by that I'm not grateful for Holy Cross and my time there and all the relationship that have extended from that one of which being Thomas. Conor: Yeah. I had a very similar experience going to Holy Cross. I applied ED as well, and I was very attracted just to all aspects of it. I mean, it's a great place. Now Thomas, could you also share a little bit about your background, where you're from and then why you decided to attend Holy Cross? Thomas: Yeah, absolutely. Thanks. Conor and Brendan, and I know each other pretty well at this point and I didn't know you were from the Bay Area, Brendan. So I just learned something right there. So that's awesome. I'm from Acton, Massachusetts. So not too far away from Holy Cross, about a 45 minute drive. A little different experience in terms of how I ended up there though. I originally went to Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota, where I played football, got some concussions and knew I might want to transfer. And I only looked at a few schools after my freshman or kind of in mid flight of my freshman year to look at transferring. And ironically with Holy Cross, was the first school I ever toured. My mom dragged me, I think as a sophomore or a junior to just go see what a college campus looked like. Thomas: And I always liked it, but when I was originally looking at a school I was out of high school, I just knew I wasn't going to be playing on any of Holy Cross's sports teams. So kind of brought it out of my mind, but I did an interview and looked at the campus and at that point had been in college for a little while. So I feel like I was able to make a pretty informed decision. And the liberal arts education, I was really interested in Spanish and economics and Holy Cross had great programs. And then the smaller school community and liberal arts education really attracted me, which is what brought me there. Thomas: And I'm super appreciative because transferring can be a bit of a challenge to overcome, because you're coming in fresh. A lot of people have their friends and everyone about Holy Cross was super useful and I'll throw a little jab because my grandfather went to BC, but BC actually let me in for transferring, but wasn't going to offer housing. So I'm always even extra appreciative of Holy Cross for their kindness to transfer students. Conor: Oh, awesome. Happy to hear that. So Thomas, I guess we'll ask you this question. During your time on the hill, what were some of the offices, clubs or extracurricular activities that you were involved in and were there any specific experience, classes or professors at Holy Cross that really set you up for success in the professional world? Thomas: Absolutely. No, it's a really good question. As far as extracurriculars, I experimented with a lot of things. I was the co-chair of the Sales Club. I was in the Finance Club, which is actually how Brendan and I ended up meeting, which is a funny story that we can probably pop into with one of those awkward networking calls that everyone tells you to do that thankfully has turned into a friendship, I guess almost lifelong friendship at this point, which is a funny story that I guess those calls actually work, which is nice to see. Thomas: I think one professor that stands out for me is a professor in the economics department, Professor Boyle. I had her for three or four economics classes and she was very rigorous, but she did a really good job of I think leaning on both the quantitative and qualitative aspects of economics, which is what I really liked about it. I also had a lot of really good professors in the Spanish department through that lens. But to your last question on I think how it set up for professional success, my worldview right now retrospectively is that the faster you can learn something new and apply it, the better off you're going to be. In our world things change so quickly that nothing is very static and it's very much a cliche with liberal arts education that you're learning how to learn, but I think there's a lot of truth and foundation to it. Thomas: And so I think my overall experience kind of being able to take in a lot of information, practice thinking for yourself and then applying it, has been the most impactful thing early on in my career because going back, I'm a 2017 grad. The world has changed a lot since then. If I were to be just looking at very specific skills, I think they would've already evolved. Like some of the software skills that I learned at Holy Cross I don't use anymore. Because even though softwares can be out of date, not just one small example. And I think that Holy Cross provided that foundation to continue to learn and adapt, which is really important. Conor: Awesome. Thank you very much. Brendan, I'm assuming you guys probably have pretty similar experiences at Holy Cross with all the different classes and professors, but anything different that stands out to you as something that really impacted your success in the professional world? Brendan: Yeah, I would definitely echo a lot of what Thomas just said there, particularly around the, just like the foundation that a liberal arts education affords. I was also an economics major. I mean, there are so many professors that influenced me, motivated me, touched me in different ways. But the one that actually stands, there's two, one is Professor Mosher who at the time was an adjunct professor and he was my indoctrination into economics at all. I was a pre-med biology major coming into Holy Cross, having grown up in a family, a medical family. And after my freshman year, I was starting to realize that that was not the path that I was going on. And so I was in a lot of ways back to square one in terms of my major and direction I wanted to take. Brendan: My forthcoming professional career and Professor Mosher was, he just had a very lightness about him. He was very, he was a great teacher, a great instructor, very great relationship builder. And so like that, and then kind of marrying that with just my, I have a very macro way that I think and operate, which aligned very nicely with the macroeconomics curriculum that I was being exposed to at that time. And so it just, things clicked. And then further on down the road, Professor Rask was one, took multiple classes with her. I just remember her being again, another just incredible teacher, very careful about the way that she did not try in one size fits all curriculum. She was very customized in her way that she was able to explain different concepts to different people that are coming from things from a different point of view. Brendan: So tying it back to the liberal arts, which I do think is above any specific vertical of subject matter that you're studying, knowing how to think, learning how to make better decisions with better information while also acknowledging for a lot of reasons that Thomas outlined that you're never going to have perfect information continues to serve me every day. And so also like Thomas, I would say that there's very few things in my, like the actual tactical part of my study at Holy Cross that I feel like I'm drawing upon every day. But the foundation of the liberal arts education in like helping you learn how to think and make better decisions, that's going to be a lifetime of value for me personally. So for that I'm grateful. Conor: Yeah. I think that's the beauty of the liberal arts and going to a school like Holy Cross. A few weeks back, I was talking to an alumni and he said something that really stood out to me. He said that like the difference between a Holy Cross student and students that go to large, massive school undergrad business programs, we are completely separated from them because we learn so many different skills. We learn how to problem solve. We learn how to analyze. We learn how to critically analyze. We learn how to read, write. We learn how to present in front of a big crowd. Now that just separates us from so many different students when applying for jobs and internships in the business world. Conor: And I think that's something that really stood out to me as something very impactful for people's careers as a Holy Cross student. So that leads me to my next question. Brandon, our motto at the Ciocca Business Center is major in anything and succeed in business. So can you speak a little bit about, well, I guess both of you, can you guys both speak a little bit about your economics and your accounting majors and the impact that it has had on your professional career? So Brandon, we can start with you and then we'll head over to Thomas. Brendan: Yeah, I would say in terms of my economics understanding in the context of my career, I think what it did was in a little bit more of a specialized way still gave me this foundational understanding of how to think, how to analyze, how to communicate, how to make decisions with imperfect information. Economics is like there's an academic side to economics, but there's also just a practical side of it as well. And so you can't model everything. And so yes, models can help you create a map of reality or the world, but it's not the territory, right? It's a model and it's a framework and it's one that can be utilized to give you kind of broad strokes, directional understanding of things. But specific to the taking that into the real world, you also have to acknowledge that every model is broken, to the upside, to the downside. It's a guide. It's not the answer. Brendan: And so I feel like that with the backdrop of liberal arts education, like I walked out of Holy Cross into my job in financial services at Silicon Valley Bank with that appreciation, probably more so than a lot of my peers that came from more focus financial undergraduate degrees. And in the short term, I definitely had a feeling of, it's not like imposter syndrome, but I felt like I was playing catch up on some of the more technical aspects of my job, but that goes away. Right? Every job, you're going to get technically trained up based on the particular roles and responsibilities of that. And then ultimately where the competition happens, if you will, is at the more foundational levels of how do you think, how do you communicate? How you read, write, make decisions, that's the stuff where liberal arts education and more specifically Holy Cross's version of that, I think sets new graduates up for longer term success relative to their peers. Conor: Yeah. I absolutely agree. That's great points. Thank you. Yeah. Thomas, can you talk about your economics major and the impact it had on your career? Thomas: Yeah. I think I'll just build on what Brendan said or even what... It's funny, you said in chatting with that alum, Conor, a leg up to maybe more traditional skills, but I think Brendan added a nuance to it that's really important, that tying back to the first thing that I said in terms of optimizing for the rate of learning, like how quickly you can apply something, knowing that the benefits aren't going to be linear. So you're not going to take one step and get one step of benefit. It can be sometimes take one step, get four steps of benefit. That sometimes you actually do feel in starting your career that you're behind on some tactical technical skill sets, right? Putting for Brandon's case like a discounted cash flow together. For me, understanding like I don't know, gross margins. I didn't directly learn that in any of my coursework, but you can fill up on a lot of that technical and tactical skills and then start to apply it with systems thinking, communication, leadership skills that I think allow people to benefit. Thomas: And if you think about your college education as a lifelong investment, or hopefully jump starting a lifelong full of learning new things, right? The more important thing to learn is how to learn than the concrete sand you filled in a box in a temporary place in time when you were in school. And so as I think about the economics major, like I said, I spent a lot of time in the Spanish department. For example, I studied abroad and Buenos Aires. A lot of those experiences, I think set up to echo what Brendan was saying, the ability to learn new things with like a very common set of skills that can allow you to be successful in different environments. Thomas: And I think that that would be something I'd pass on to all Holy Cross students that even that first job out of school should be viewed through the lens of just the first step. Right. And even if there is a bit of a learning curve on understanding something super specific to whatever industry or function that you're in, that leaning into those other skills that are lifelong can kind of help you make that something that's more exponential. Conor: Yeah. Thank you. I absolutely agree. Obviously, all of these skills that we learn from the liberal arts education helps to succeed in the business world. But personally, I also think that a big part of it is also the Holy Cross alumni network and everything that they do for us. So how has the Holy Cross alumni network supported you, Brendan? Brendan: Oh, man. I don't even know where to begin because there are so many examples of it. Look, when I was coming out of school, I was doing a lot of meetings. I was doing a lot of coffees and phone calls and whatnot with quite literally just like cold inbound alums and crusaders want to help crusaders. Right? So it's like there's an element of just being part of this community. And if you're an alum, you remember those people that helped you. And so it's almost like a pay it back, pay it forward kind of thing. Another one I'll just say, and I'm not going to, I don't want to flatter Thomas too much, but I will say the alumni network establishing the relationship that we have now and that one being a lifelong friendship first and foremost, and also is flourishing into a number of other dynamics to our relationship that spanned the personal professional continuum. Brendan: And so, I mean, it is the alumni network in a lot of ways that brought us together. And I would say, yeah, Thomas is going to shake his head at me. But I actually look up to Thomas in so many ways in his entrepreneurial spirit, his courage, his commitment, his ability to go from the macro to the micro. And so this, the Holy Cross alumni network, you are engaging with it right now, like the potential and the vibrancy of it. And the encouragement I would give as Thomas was alluding to it before is like you miss 100% of the shots you don't take. So leverage it, take advantage of it. Brendan: As alum, we want to help. And so don't be afraid to reach out, but it is on the individual student to take that first step be proactive, because there's a lot of Holy Cross grads every year. We don't know who needs what and what, where, so it's like people need to come and like have an ask or have a, they want to have a conversation or whatever it is, but just demystifying the fear of taking that first step. Because it's pretty good once you... The water's pretty warm in the alumni network. Conor: Absolutely. I think every person I've talked to in the networking field has been amazing, an amazing experience, and they're so willing to help, which is awesome. Thomas, do you have similar experiences with the Holy Cross alumni network? How have they impacted your- Thomas: Yeah. Well, I mean, first off, thanks Brendan for the overly flattering words. But I mean, I think I can probably answer it just through a story. Right. And it kind ties into how Brendan and I even know each other. But I was terrified my senior year of not having a good job. So I was economics major thinking about finance. I think a lot of Holy Cross students think about that path because it's something their friends are looking at. There's a lot of really good relationships there. And I had no idea what else was out there in the world. And so I had lots and lots and lots and lots of networking calls, reaching out to people, asking about it, those kind of things and a lot of people were super helpful. And a lot of times I didn't help... /episode/index/show/hcalumni/id/23156096

Chris Mann '00 05/04/2022

Chris Mann '00 Welcome to Season 3! New episodes will be released througout the spring and summer of 2022. The first episode of season 3 features a conversation with Chris Mann '00. Chris has built his career around making a difference in the lives of others. He's joined in conversation with JP Cunningham '23. They discuss Chris' time at Holy Cross and how he has carried the HC mission to serve others throughout his life and career. Interview originally recorded in November 2021. -- Chris: And so, I think you're seeing companies really say, "This is about our values and being clear on what our values are." Because our most important stakeholders, our people are saying that that's what matters to them and that's what they care about. And so, I think we just think about business differently. Maura: Welcome to Mission-Driven, where we speak with alumni who are leveraging their Holy Cross education to make a meaningful difference in the world around them. I'm your host Maura Sweeney from the class of 2007, Director of Alumni Career Development at Holy Cross. I'm delighted to welcome you to today's show. This episode features Chris Mann from the class of 2000. Maura: Chris's career has spanned roles that have one thing in common, making a positive impact on people and communities. He graduated from Holy Cross with a psychology major and art history minor. With this foundation, he joined the Dana-Farber and Jimmy Fund team, and his career flourished. Skilled at fundraising, event planning, marketing, and communications, Chris flexed his talents and roles at New Balance, Cone Communications, Reebok, and City Year. Maura: At the time this podcast was recorded, Chris worked as the Senior Vice President of Development for City Year. At the time this podcast is aired, Chris will have assumed a new role at Bain Capital as the first Vice President of Community Affairs, leading their philanthropy, employee volunteerism, events, and sponsorship. Chris is joined in conversation by JP Cunningham from the class of 2023. Maura: Their conversation is far-reaching but starts with the transformative years that Chris spent at Holy Cross, his time on the track and field team, and serving as senior class president, as well as his experiences during immersion programs and running summer orientation helped shape who he is today. Better yet, he can count the ways that the Holy Cross Alumni Network has supported him through each step in his career. A proud alumnus, Chris exemplifies the impact that one person can make by committing their talents to mission-driven work. JP: Hello, everyone. Thank you all for listening. I'm JP Cunningham. I'm a junior here at Holy Cross. And I'm joined by Chris Mann. Chris, how are you doing today? Chris: Hey, JP. I'm good. Good to be here with you today. JP: Thank you. So, yeah, I guess with that, we'll get right into it. I wanted to start with a little bit before your time at Holy Cross. So, my first question is, during your college search, what were some of the factors that drew you to the college? And was it your top choice? Yeah, if you can touch on that. Chris: Yeah, absolutely. So, like most high school students, I was looking at a lot of different schools. I didn't quite know what I wanted. I was the first and oldest child in my family, so I hadn't any brothers or sisters go through the college application process before. And at the time, this was in the mid-'90s, there wasn't as much information. It was kind of the glossy books you got in the mail and things like that, and word of mouth. But I knew a couple of things. Chris: I knew living in Andover, Massachusetts and growing up there, I wanted to be close enough to home that I could get back and forth. So, that kind of kept me looking at New England colleges for the most part. And as I started exploring, I knew about Holy Cross's reputation from an academic standpoint, but also had a couple of people at my high school, Andover High School, that I remember really respecting and looking up to in some ways that had gone to Holy Cross a couple of years before me. Chris: So, Chris Sintros, who was a class of '98, and Christine Anderson, class of '99. And I think it just piqued my interest to say, "Hey, those are people that I think I want to be like, and they chose this school." I actually got really fortunate to end up at Holy Cross. It was one of, I think, five schools I applied to, and I was waitlisted. So, I actually didn't know that I was going to get in until right to the end, and was really relieved and excited when I got in off the waitlist. Chris: And it ended up being a great scenario because I came on campus as the only person from my high school going to Holy Cross in that class. And I was matched up with three roommates in a quad in my freshman year. And it really helped me build some relationships and a network right away in a new place, new environment. JP: Awesome. That's really cool. Yeah, I can kind of relate to that, too, because both my dad and my sister went here, and then a lot of just friends and older classmates at my high school went to Holy Cross. And they're all just role models. And I felt the same way like, wow, this seems like a good place to be and that's what drew me there, too. So, it's great. Chris: Yeah. And I would say too, in visiting the school and seeing it, I mean, I certainly fell in love with the classic New England brick college, IV and setting, and it's a beautiful campus, as you know. And so, that, I was really excited about. And I started to get more and more of a field just as I came to visit a couple of different times. Chris: And as you started to read in and hear about the college's mission, and talking about being men and women for and with others, that all started to really resonate for me and felt a little different compared to some of the other schools that I had been visiting, and I loved that. I also really thought that the size was right for me. I was somewhat of a shy kid. I think I was trying to figure out where my place was. Chris: And I liked the idea of being in a school that felt a little smaller and where I wasn't going to get lost in the shuffle. And I think that ended up being a really big thing for me over the course of the four years, too. JP: Yeah, I couldn't agree more. I feel like people might say it's cliche, but I feel like at Holy Cross, the sense of community, just being on campus that first time, at least for me too, visiting that first time, there's something about it that really draws you and makes you feel like, "Hey, this is the place for me." Yes. I guess moving into the next question, after you became a student here, what were some of the things you were involved in during your time on the Hill? And was there one that you were most passionate about? Chris: I got to do a lot of different things, which was to our earlier point, the benefit of going to a smaller school with a lot of opportunities. Off the bat, athletics ended up being a big thing for me, which wasn't something I had planned. I had done sports in high school all three seasons. Really, I was passionate about basketball and track and field, but hadn't expected to be able to do that in college. Chris: And I showed up on campus and I remember, I think it was probably the first week of school, I got a phone call from Larry Napolitano who was the captain of the track team just saying, "Hey, we saw you did track and field in high school. Would you be interested in coming out and joining the team?" And I said, "Yes", and it was one of the great experiences of my time on the Hill being able to be part of that team. Chris: I certainly wasn't a phenomenal athlete or setting any records, but being part of that team environment, getting a chance to get into the daily routine that athletes do I think really benefited me. The structure was really helpful. I think it prepared me for life after college and having a busy schedule of going from weightlifting, to workouts, to classes, to other things. Chris: And just the relationships you build with teammates and coaches and the life lessons of athletics were really valuable and it helps cement a lifelong practice of fitness and health that exists to this day. So, that was foundational. That was a big one. And then, later in my time at Holy Cross, my senior year, I ended up getting encouraged to run for student government. And I ended up being elected president of the senior class of 2000. Chris: And that was a really powerful experience for me, too, so having a broader role in leading fellow students and thinking about our voice on campus. And to be honest, putting myself out there more publicly to run and be elected was not something I was very comfortable with or used to. So, building up that courage and having people believe in me to do that was also really important. And I think it started to show me that maybe I could do some things that I hadn't previously been confident enough to do or thought I could do. Chris: So, that was another big experience. And same thing, balancing those commitments with academics, with athletics really prepared me for life after college and the working world. JP: That's great. Yeah. I feel like balancing all those activities, being a full-time student athlete while being the president of your class can only help you in the long run and having that structure to your schedule and balancing different activities. Because I don't play any sports, but just balancing activities week by week with the schoolwork and all that, it definitely... I feel like it can only help you for after you graduate. JP: So, yeah, going off that, I guess a little more shifting towards the academics. One of the great things about Holy Cross in liberal arts education in general is that you really have the opportunity to major in anything that piques your interest, and then go out and succeed in business or whatever field you choose. So, I know you're a psychology and art history major. Were there any specific skills that you developed from your course of study that have helped you in your professional career? Chris: Yeah, it's interesting. It was another case of I didn't know what I wanted to study. When I came to Holy Cross, I started taking a few different classes in different areas to try and understand what resonated with me and that was what attracted... the liberal arts education attracted me to Holy Cross as well because I didn't know what I wanted to do. Chris: And I found myself really intrigued in the early psychology classes that I took, whether it was Intro to Psychology, or we had some ones later, behavioral psychology and other things, that just fascinated me between the... both the science and the depth of that field, but then also the ways in which humans interact and the way in which our environment influences us just fascinated me. And I really found myself loving that. Chris: And then, on the flip side, I ended up getting a minor in art history, similarly, because I just found myself interested and passionate in the subject matter and human experience behind that. I wouldn't have thought at the time that either of those would translate into a career path or job. I wasn't going to be a psychologist. I certainly wasn't an artist, but I have found over time that I think there are some lessons in the specifics of that. Chris: And in my current job in previous iterations where I'm a fundraiser, and in essence, I sell people on City Year's mission and investing in City Year's mission, some of the experiences and the lessons from psychology come out there, and understanding how you engage and connect with and influence people. So, that is certainly there. Chris: But more broadly, I just think the liberal arts' approach and specifically Holy Cross and the rigor of the academics forced me to really get tight and concise with my thinking, with how to make an argument, with how to take in information, synthesize that and consolidate it and communicate in a really effective, clear way, both verbally, written, visually, et cetera. Those are things I lean on on a daily basis. And I don't think I appreciated it at the time. Chris: But in talking with friends and colleagues and others whose college experiences were very different, either giant lecture halls or other things, the time, the attention, the rigor of the academics was really valuable. And I don't think I realized it until much later. JP: Yeah, I agree. I feel like everyone... and that's also one of the things that drew me to the liberal arts education is the fact that people say, obviously, you study what's interesting to you, but then being able to develop those skills like critical thinking, communication, and just being able to use those skills effectively go a long way in the professional world. So, you touched on some of the activities you were involved in when you are here at Holy Cross. JP: And since you graduated, there have been a number of new programs, activities. For example, the Ciocca Center for Business, Ethics, and Society was established in 2006. Are there any programs or activities happening now that you've become aware of at Holy Cross that stand out to you or you wish were around when you were a student? Chris: I think the Ciocca Center would have been something I would have really enjoyed getting a chance to participate in. I think this idea of business and ethics and where those intersect, and how companies can have an impact on society has been the centerpiece of my career and the different jobs that I've had. So, I think I would have really enjoyed going deeper there in a more formal way, for sure. Chris: I also really appreciate what the college has done in the last few years as we think about diversity at Holy Cross and how is the Holy Cross experience accessible to all. That is, I think, one takeaway from my time. Certainly, we had some level of diversity when I was at Holy Cross, but it was not nearly what it needs to be and what it should be going forward. And I think particularly for fellow classmates that were of color or came from different backgrounds and the majority of students, I think it was a really challenging thing for them and continues to be. Chris: And so, I think the idea of having a college community that does have more representation, does have more diversity across all levels and spectrums of how diversity shows up is valuable because I think, to be honest, it creates a better learning environment, it creates better dialogue, it creates better understanding. And I think that was a challenge, to be honest, during my time at Holy Cross. Many of the students were just like me coming from the same families, communities, et cetera. Chris: And so, that's something that I've been very encouraged to see over the last few years. JP: Yeah, absolutely. I feel like as a student for me and talking to alumni like yourself and just other people I've spoken to, people just say it's awesome to see the way the college is changing for the better, both academically and socially, like you just touched on. Moving a little away from strictly Holy Cross, can you maybe run through your career or professional path starting after you graduated from the college? Chris: Yeah. So, I was really lucky, and this is an area where I talk to current students or students that are considering Holy Cross, and the network of alumni really stepped up and helped me start my career and pursue the opportunities I've had. And I've been really fortunate to come across Holy Cross graduates at every role, every organization that I've been in, which speaks to the power of even the network of a small school overall. Chris: So, I was trying to decide what I wanted to do after graduation. As we mentioned, I had done activities in track and field. I was big into sports, so I was thinking sports marketing and those areas. I also got a chance, while I was on campus, to do a couple of spring break trips via Habitat for Humanity and build some houses down in Tallahassee, Florida for two spring breaks in a row. Chris: That and an internship at the Special Olympics while I was a student started to spark my interest in having a job where I can actually give back and support causes I cared about, and earn beyond a paycheck feel like I was having an impact on a daily basis in my work. So, that was interesting to me. And we had also run and started summer orientations program, the Gateway Summer Orientation Program. Chris: I was fortunate to be part of that first summer orientation program as a leader and then later, one of the co-leads of it. And I found myself really liking and being attracted by events and the planning that would go into preparing for an orientation program or some other event, and then seeing that come together and seeing people have a great time interacting and being part of that event. So, I was looking at sports marketing. I was looking at event management. I was thinking about nonprofits and exploring different things. Chris: And I was talking with John Hayes, who's class of '91. And he was the director of Holy Cross Fund at the time. He was our advisor for our Senior Class Gift. And John said, "Hey, you should really go talk to my friend Cynthia Carton O'Brien now, a class of '93, who was working at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund." And so, he connected me to Cindy via informational interview. I went and learn more about Dana-Farber and the Jimmy Fund, and just loved the idea of it. Chris: It was a cancer hospital, obviously in Boston, doing amazing work for patients and their families, but also had this deep connection in history to the Red Sox. So, as a sports fan, I was excited about that. And I ended up applying for a couple of different jobs there coming out of school. And on the fundraising side, one was potentially to work in plan giving, so helping people think about their giving benefiting those beyond their lifetimes and resourcing the organization for the future. Chris: And then, the other one was going to be a rotational role, which was going to work on different areas of fundraising, the Boston Marathon Jimmy Fund Walk, donor advance and stewardship events, and then also cause marketing, which at the time was a fairly new thing that companies were starting to do. And so, I ended up getting that second job on the rotation. And it was just a phenomenal opportunity experience to get to learn different parts of fundraising and to work with some really, really great team. Chris: So, when I think about advice for people coming out of school and what to think about, I think finding a job where you can learn as much as possible and get exposed to as many different things as you can certainly really worked out for me. And it gave me a chance to understand what parts of fundraising and events that I really liked and what worked well for me. And I was also really lucky to work with just some amazing people. Chris: In particular, my first boss and my first teams on the Jimmy Fund Walk, which later included a couple of Holy Cross grads in the years after me that we hired as well, was just a perfect first start into the working world, for sure. JP: Definitely. So, you may have just answered this next question, but I'll still pose it to you. I know you talked about your experience with the Gateway's orientation. So, would you say that was something that from your time at Holy Cross that greatly influenced your post-grad experience and career? Or were there few other things? Chris: Gateways did influence me mostly in that I realized that I really enjoyed working in a team environment and it was with a lot of students from across different grades that I hadn't met or didn't know before. And I think that idea of working in a team that had some diversity in their experiences, et cetera, is definitely something that's resonated longer term and I've realized leads to a great work... /episode/index/show/hcalumni/id/23006474