DREW - The Gateway Messenger for Wednesday, 25 June 2014
Class of 2014 Heads to Harvard, Wall Street and Beyond
Careers, academia, beckon new grads
From the hallowed halls of the Ivies to the financial district of New York City, the members of Drew’s Class of 2014 are heading far and wide to follow their dreams.
For some that means pursuing a graduate degree in molecular biology at Princeton or psychology at NYU. For others, it’s joining the Teach for America corps or interning at local museums. Still others are diving right into jobs at Lincoln Center, Aon Hewitt, Disney and others. Here is a snapshot of four of our pride-worthy 2014 grads:
Megan Modic
Analyst, New York Life
All Megan Modic needs now is an apartment in New York so she can be close to her new job with New York Life Investment Management, a branch of the New York Life Insurance Company.Modic said it was two experiences at Drew—the Wall Street Semester and being part of The Fund, a student-led investment club—that helped land her the job. Visiting investment banks, boutique firms and trading floors during her Wall Street semester introduced her to Drew alumni and others who work in finance. “It’s a great entrance, there’s a lot of networking,” says Modic, an economics major and Baldwin Scholar while at Drew. “Everyone’s career path is very different. Drew has a lot of options for you.”
The Cape Cod native also completed two internships, one with Morgan Stanley Wealth Management and one with the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia. Modic said she’s not sure what the long-term future will bring but is looking forward to spending the next decade working in finance. “I really don’t think I’m going to get sick of living in New York City for a while,” she says, laughing.
Tim Andres
Computer Science Academy Resident, Google
Tim Andres is heading to Mountain View, Calif., in September, where he will work full time at Google’s computer science academy, which trains fledgling software engineers to work at Google.Andres, who majored in computer science, said working on a research project for three years at Drew with former Professor Shannon Bradshaw gave him the edge in getting the position there. His work with Bradshaw involved a software project allowing scholars to take images of manuscripts, and crowd source annotations, creating new knowledge.
Andres also fielded requests and doled out money for campus clubs as a student government officer. “It was a fantastic experience,” he says. “It’s one thing to read in a textbook, but it’s another thing to have to work with people and resolve conflicts.”
Mariel Hooper
Graduate Study, Harvard Law
Mariel Hooper, who majored in English and political science, says an internship working for a congressman inspired her to become a lawyer working for social change. “I met people who needed legal services, and they couldn’t afford it,” she recalls.That’s why Hooper is headed this August to Harvard Law School, one of several law schools that accepted her. “Harvard has a curriculum I’m really excited about,” she says, citing the school’s Law and Social Change program of study. “I want to make meaningful change in the court system.”
Hooper, who grew up in South Jersey, also spent a summer as an intern for the city of Philadelphia’s legal department, which further solidified her interest in nonprofit and public interest law.
R.J. Voorman
Financial Analyst, Merrill Lynch
R.J. Voorman said he’ll never forget the support and mentorship he got from Drew alumni when he was trying to choose between two entry-level job opportunities. “They dropped everything and got on a call with me,” says the new financial analyst, who is already at work with the private banking and investment group at Merrill Lynch.Voorman, an economics major, credited his numerous internships with guiding him to his new career. “The internships were invaluable,” he says. Voorman got a chance to intern at Bank of America, the Bank of New York Mellon and Merrill Lynch, his new employer.
The Wyckoff, N.J., native said he would encourage students to take part in clubs and student activities and take advantage of the mentoring offered by professors and alumni. “Drew gives you the opportunity to put yourself in a position to find out who you really are,” he says. “The fact that it’s a small school means you have a little bit more opportunity to take leadership roles.”—Elizabeth Moore
A Fond Farewell to a Beloved President
Years ago, when then–Associate Dean Vivian A. Bull was heading out for a summer archaeological dig, she asked Professor Jim O’Kane to take over running Drew’s summer school program. He says he remembers worrying about whether he could get all of the administrative tasks done once she left.
O’Kane, now retired, says he worried for nothing.
“She had done so much preparation and planning, I had very little to do,” he said. “It ran rather smoothly.”
It’s that ability to lead, organize and pay attention to detail that Drew President Bull has shown in her two-year term, friends and colleagues say. When Drew needed someone in 2012 to put its fiscal house in order before seeking a full-term president, it turned to Bull, who had spent 32 years at the university as an economics professor and dean and another 13 years as president at Linfield College in Oregon.
“She came back and put all her energy into it with her usual calm and level head,” said O’Kane, who has known Bull for more than 30 years. “The Drew we have now is a credit to her. She put her intellect to it and kept Drew afloat.”
Bull is set to retire in July. Her successor, MaryAnn Baenninger, president of Saint Benedict’s College in Minnesota, will begin at Drew July 21.
Under Bull’s watch, a new governance model was put in place for Drew’s endowment and renovations began on the Hall of Sciences. She stood strong when both the dean of the college and Theo School, as well as the provost of the university, resigned, followed by the unexpected death of the interim dean of the college.
More recently, she assisted in the search for a new president and dean of the Theo School, signed an agreement with an outside partner to expand Drew’s global learning environment and oversaw a sweeping review of the university’s programs and administrative functions.
Given her limitless energy, it’s hard to believe she is 79 years old. CLA Dean Chris Taylor points to Bull’s trademark sneakers, which she wears when she has to cross campus quickly to get to a meeting. “She almost always beats me,” he says.
“The board of trustees and the entire campus community has benefitted from Vivian’s hard work, business acumen and tireless commitment to Drew,” says Chair Dean T. Criares ’85. “She has steered us through some rough times and strengthened our foundation so we can move forward into a future filled with possibility.”
A former student of Bull’s, Criares added it had been “an honor” to work with her. “I will miss her both personally and professionally,” he says.
In the last year, Bull weathered the death of her beloved husband, Robert J. Bull, Drew professor of church history and archaeology emeritus. Bull endowed a prize at Drew and donated his personal teaching collection to the Theological School. She said she plans to continue her work with the Global Education Fund of the United Methodist Church. Just one day after commencement, she traveled to Japan to speak on behalf of the fund about social responsibility and business ethics.
Though Bull has turned down two offers to lead other colleges, her son Carlson has his own ideas: “I would be very surprised [if] she wouldn’t find another institution to whip into shape.”—Elizabeth Moore
About Vivian
Bull grew up in a large family in northern Michigan where she learned how to ski and shoot a rifle. She still shovels her own snow, to the admonishment of her neighbors.
Not one to undertake any assignment lightly, Bull practiced throwing strikes against a barn door before nailing the first ceremonial pitch during a Drew baseball playoff game, according to Methodist Librarian Chris Anderson G’04,’06, P’15.
Bull was the only female student studying economics at Albion College and the first there to win a Fulbright, which took her to the London School of Economics.
A recognized authority on the Middle East, Bull took part in over 21 archaeological expeditions with her husband, primarily to Caesarea Maritima, Israel.
Bull is still active in her local Methodist congregation and her pastor was an invited guest at her retirement dinner. Bull admitted she considered going into the ministry when she was young—but it was before the Methodists were ordaining women.
Drew has been a big part of the Bull family’s life. The Bulls lived in faculty housing for a time and Vivian recalled toting Carlson, her younger son, in a baby carrier while studying in the faculty library. Carlson said he thought the campus was part of “a big backyard” when he was growing up.
Her older son, Camper Bull, graduated from Drew in 1991 and served as president of the College Alumni Association.
Caspersen Dean Robert Ready, recalled these words of advice Bull gave him, “One time of late, when I as dean was of a troubled mind, Vivian listened to my trouble and at the end of the conversation said simply, wisely, truly, ‘Persist.’
Drew Launches One And All Campaign
Major fundraising effort will boost scholarships, programs and buildings.
When Jennifer Velez was a freshman at Drew, she recalled leaving her trailer park home in Moonachie, N.J., for Drew’s elegant campus, an experience she called, “transformational.”
Velez, now the state commissioner for the New Jersey Department of Human Services, said her years at Drew sparked her interest in government, instilled in her a love of travel and taught her the values of networking. “This beautiful university in the forest, to me, was simply spectacular,” she said.
Pianist Brianna Donofrio ’17 plays for the hundreds of people who attended the campaign dinner.
Velez ’87, spoke at the kick-off of Drew’s One And All campaign during Alumni Reunion weekend held May 30-31. She was one of several speakers to talk about what Drew means to them and how important it is to invest in the university to ensure its future success.
Drew’s campaign is the first major fundraising effort in more than a decade, with a goal of raising $80 million to maintain its status as a cutting-edge university.
Funds raised will be used in a variety of areas—for additional student scholarships and internships, new academic programs and initiatives, and to upgrade and renovate campus buildings. Money raised will also support faculty and the annual fund.
Trustee Bill Freeman ’74, campaign chair, told alumni he wants to see Drew go from being a “hidden gem” to the Hope Diamond of higher education.
Some of the projects highlighted included launching additional New York City semester programs, supporting the Master of Arts in Teaching program, completing a renovation of the Hall of Sciences and upgrading athletics facilities.
“A top priority of One And All is the creation of new scholarships,” said Vivian A. Bull, Drew’s outgoing president. “The average Drew student graduates with less debt than students at schools such as Rutgers and The College of New Jersey, and this campaign will help Drew maintain and deepen its competitive edge.”
Khemani Gibson ’14 said he was grateful for the financial aid that enabled him to attend Drew. He became co-chair of the Pan-African student organization, studied Spanish in the Dominican Republic, spent three weeks in South Africa with Drew faculty and brought his experience as a community organizer to his hometown of Orange, N.J.
“Drew has prepared me to take on the world and the issues I want to resolve,” he told alumni. Gibson is heading to New York University in the fall to enroll in a PhD program in history.
Incoming Drew President MaryAnn Baenninger reminded those gathered that it will take many people to make this effort successful. She compared it to musicians coming together to perform a symphony. “Performing a symphony requires that all of us—alumni, faculty, students, staff, donors and friends —come together as one,” she said.—Elizabeth Moore
In the Spotlight
From Drew to NYC to Russia with Love
Alumna Sarah Calderone to study migrants with prestigious Fulbright grant.
While in Vladimir, Russia on a language program, the summer after her junior year, Sarah Calderone ’13 noticed a group a migrants from Central Asia while riding a local trolley to class.
Her curiosity about them and how they were adjusting to their new lives led her to apply for a research grant to further study issues facing migrants in Russia.
This April she found out she’d been awarded a prestigious Fulbright student research grant to spend nine months in Ekaterinburg, Russia, researching these issues and working with organizations that assist migrants.
“I was shocked and honored when I received the email,” she said of the grant award. The Fulbright program is highly competitive and awards are based on a number of factors, including an applicant’s project proposal and language ability.
The fact that Calderone is Drew’s latest Fulbright scholar is something that did not surprise her former Russian language professor Carol Ueland, “She’s a fabulous student, a great language learner, who combined her interests in international relations and human rights with advanced language proficiency,” says Ueland.
Calderone said when she leaves this summer, she will be studying integration efforts for migrant populations from Central Asian republics to see how Russia integrates them into society and whether those measures are effective.
While at Drew, Calderone was president of the Russian Club and took part in the UN Semester, during which she interned with Human Rights Watch. A double major in political science and Russian studies, she wrote her honors thesis on Russian foreign policy, for which she reached out to staff at the Institute of Modern Russia in New York City. That led to a post-graduate internship and full-time job.
The Sparta, N.J., native said she hopes the grant will help move her toward her future career goal. “I would like to research these and other regional issues for a non-governmental organization,” says Calderone, 23. She said her experiences at Drew were key in leading her to where she is today, “It’s been a great trajectory.”—Elizabeth Moore
Almost There!
With 5 days until June 30, we're at 22% participation. We need 564 alums (that’s only eight per class!) to meet the 27% goal, and trigger an additional windfall of $99,000 for Drew.
All it takes is ONE AND ALL.
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Raymond Saá Stein
Vote for Stein in the CODA Awards Top 100 People's Choice competition. Find his design under the “Hospitality” category: the Westin Peachtree Plaza. Voting ends June 30.
À propos
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The 2014 market season runs on Thursdays from 1 to 6 p.m. through October 16 at Green Village Road. Jersey Fresh produce, flowers and more! View the Flickr gallery, and learn more about sustainability at Drew.
Upcoming Events | View Full Events Calendar
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Inside the Gate
begins 6/30 Drew SummerTerm
7/24-7/25 Theological School Summer Music Institute: Rhythms of Worship and Song
8/4-8/8 Sentences 6: A Conference on Writing Prose
Outside the Gate
7/14 Blue & Green Golf Outing
7/26 An Evening with Drew at the Hangar Theatre in Ithaca, NY
9/8 Save the date: Drew Club of Philadelphia annual Phillies baseball game
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Alumni House
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alumni@drew.edu
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