Molly Hellauer, who studied communications and political science at Fordham College at Lincoln Center, plans to be among those tuning in.

Though she graduated in 2016, Hellauer said her ongoing connection to the University has made the time fly. “Fordham still feels very close. It doesn’t feel like five years at all, but it is nice to have that community as a resource five years later—and I know it will continue to be a resource 10 years, 15 years from now.”

Staying Connected Through Service

Hellauer immersed herself in the Fordham community as a student, serving on the Campus Activities Board and volunteering as both an orientation leader and captain prior to working as an orientation coordinator for two years. Each of these activities helped her learn “a great deal about professionalism,” she said, and inspired her to keep the Fordham connection going after graduation.

She joined the Young Alumni Committee in 2016, and last year led its social justice subcommittee, which organizes service projects for recent graduates. In recent years, they have worked with the Bronx Is Blooming to plant new trees and clean up parks, and with Socks in the City—a nonprofit founded by Cat Fernando, FCLC ’20—to get socks and other supplies to New Yorkers experiencing homelessness.

Before the pandemic, that meant organizing a day for young alumni to go out in small groups and distribute supplies. “It’s also really about building connections,” Hellauer said. “So, they’re not just giving things to folks; they’re talking to them, learning about their lives, hearing their stories, and making them feel heard.”

In the past year, the subcommittee embraced remote service work, joining a Socks in the City initiative to order supplies and have them shipped to a central location for volunteers to distribute. And Hellauer helped organize a Zoom-based letter-writing campaign, during which alumni gathered virtually to write letters and holiday cards to people living in nursing homes.

“We all just figured it out and were able to keep people engaged, and that’s just a really good feeling,” she said. “Obviously, I would rather do things in person, but I’m just really impressed with everyone’s adaptability.”

Putting Her Fordham Education to Work in Politics and Public Relations

Giving back to Fordham and its local communities may keep Hellauer quite close to the University, but she has indeed spread her wings since graduating. The summer following her senior year, she was awarded a Students for a New American Politics PAC Organizing Fellowship. Run by Yale University students, the political action committee provides a stipend for fellows to work as grassroots organizers for progressive candidates running for Congress. Hellauer was sent to Rochester, New Hampshire, to work on Carol Shea-Porter’s campaign for the U.S. House of Representatives.

To Hellauer’s surprise, she was placed with another Fordham Ram working as a field organizer in the state’s 1st Congressional District. “It was a very exciting time to be working on a statewide national campaign—and it was doubly exciting because New Hampshire is a very politically active state,” she said. She was able to learn “a lot about campaigns and electoral politics, and it was just a really exciting way to spend your first summer out of college.”

Once the fellowship concluded, Hellauer went into public relations. Today, she’s the manager of communications and research for the Office of the President at Columbia University—a “really good fit” for her, she said, in part because it allows her to draw on the skills she picked up as a student leader and orientation coordinator at Fordham. 

Fordham Five (Plus One)

What are you most passionate about?
For my entire life, reading has been one of my absolute favorite things to do—definitely because it is a pleasant and relaxing activity but also because I get excited about how much there is to learn from a new book. After finishing—or often even while still reading—a great work of nonfiction, I have to immediately go down a “Wikipedia hole” to learn more about the figures or events covered in the book. But even in works of fiction that we might not consider as instructive, I learn so much about how to improve my own writing and how to be a person moving through the world.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
That you don’t have to do everything right on the first try. Personally and professionally, I always find myself fighting off embarrassment after making a mistake when doing something for the first time—even and especially when I am alone in my own kitchen screwing up a new recipe, despite there being no one around for me to be embarrassed in front of. It helps me to take a breath and ask myself: Why would I be expected to get something perfect when I’ve never done it before? It’s wonderful when you turn out to be a natural at something new, but learning where you may have veered off course and how to do something better the next time is valuable, too.

What’s your favorite place in New York City? In the world?
There are so many corners of the city that I’ve missed visiting during the pandemic. If I had to choose a favorite, I’d have to say the Metropolitan Museum of Art. I used to love visiting during their late-night hours on Saturdays. It’s a favorite because I like to pick a certain section deep in the museum and immerse myself in it. I love the feeling of being so far removed from the city outside, but it’s also an experience that is quintessentially New York.

In the world, definitely Cape Cod, Massachusetts. My family has been spending summers there for most of my life. My absolute favorite day is spent on a beach in Cape Cod in the sunshine with a book, with dips in the ocean in between chapters. As I’ve grown older, I’ve enjoyed visiting at all times of year, not just summer—it’s a very special place that has something wonderful to offer year-round.

Name a book that has had a lasting influence on you.
My favorite books as a child were in the Eloise series by Kay Thompson. I love her spirit and independence. Eloise was always able to have a good time on her own, but she was also glad to take others (humans or animals) along for the ride. And, looking back on it now, I think she may have had an influence on my desire to one day live in New York City.

Who is the Fordham grad or professor you admire most?
Most of my best friends are Fordham grads, and I admire and look up to them all for their intelligence and passion for doing good—qualities that were instilled in us all at Fordham.

The professor I admire most is Christina Greer, who I had for several courses in political science as a student (the thrill of seeing her on MSNBC has not grown old in the five years since I graduated, for me or my parents). I appreciate how she is able to communicate political concepts to students—no matter their major—and make them eager to know and do more outside the classroom. She [helps people]understand the issues and how they directly affect our lives. She cares a great deal about each and every student, and it shows.

The newly renovated 140 West 62nd Street, once home to Fordham Law School, has been transformed into a state-of-the-art facility with a three-story library, a student lounge and café, health and counseling centers, career services offices, and abundant space for classrooms and student activities.

The new space serves as the Lincoln Center home of Fordham’s Gabelli School of Business, offering students spacious lecture halls, an innovation lab, and a trading room with rows of Bloomberg financial data terminals.

Designed for energy efficiency and equipped with the latest technology, the building provides plenty of space for students to collaborate—from group study rooms in the library to large event halls and space for student clubs.

Story continues below the slideshow.

Here’s what students are saying about the new 140.

Paul Novak, Freshman, Fordham College at Lincoln Center
Justin Westbrook-Lowery, Freshman, Fordham College at Lincoln Center

“I love coming here, having tea with friends after classes, having a conversation, and getting a little snack,” said Westbrook-Lowery from his seat in the lounge, where students can refuel with a beverage and a bite to eat from Argo Tea. “And I love that we’re so close to the library. I don’t have to leave the building and go to another space.”

Westbrook-Lowery commutes from his home in the Bronx. He chose Fordham’s Lincoln Center campus because he loves being in the heart of the city. “This brings me close to all the different opportunities I’m looking for—in politics, history, everything,” he said.

Sitting with Westbrook-Lowery, Novak said he loves how communal the space is. “It’s so nice to have one space where we can all come together. I came from a small town in Massachusetts, so the change from a suburb to a city was one I really wanted to go through. When I first visited Manhattan with my family, I thought, I could never live here, ever. It’s just too busy. But the second I moved [to campus], I thought, I finally found a place where I feel happy.”

Masha Bychkova, Junior, Fordham College at Lincoln Center
Majors: Classical Languages and Classical Civilizations (Minor in Visual Arts)
Recruitment Chair and Winterfest Committee Chair, Campus Activities Board (CAB)

“CAB has its own offices here,” said Bychkova, sitting outside on the plaza as she waited for her Winterfest meeting to begin. “We have a space we can use, everything’s very organized. It’s really nice to have a distinct space for student affairs—separate from academic areas.” A member of the first class to live in McKeon Hall—the residence hall that opened atop Fordham’s new Law School building on 62nd Street in 2014, Bychkova says the renovation of 140 “completes the whole campus.”

Adiyah Baig, Senior, Fordham College at Lincoln Center
Major: Computer Science
Saad Baig, Sophomore, Fordham College at Lincoln Center
Major: Computer Science

Heading out of the library with her brother, Adiyah said she likes the big windows and the views. “When you’re studying, at one point you start to feel like you’re caged in, and you’re stuffed with all this information. You don’t want the place you’re studying in to also be stuffy. When you have a place like this, you can look outside, you can see the pretty greenery, other people walking around. You think, let me take a break and go for a walk or something. It’s nice.”

Saad appreciates having the room to spread out. “I like having my personal space,” he said. As a science major, he’s also anticipating using the new group study rooms for projects with his lab partners.

Anthony Norris, Junior, Gabelli School of Business at Lincoln Center
Major: Global Business with a concentration in Global Finance

With five out of his six classes held at 140, Norris spends a lot of his time in the new space. “This place is a second home to me. Being in such a new place makes it very easy to learn,” he said. A member of the Gabelli School’s first Lincoln Center class, Norris founded the Investment Group, a student club that’s now about 200 members strong.

“I’ve had a quite a few Investment Group meetings in here, so I get to take advantage of the conference rooms,” he said. He also looks forward to using the Bloomberg terminals, which he’s familiar with from his summer internship at Morgan Stanley. “There’s a lot of things to take advantage of here. There’s every resource available to you.”

Namrata Marjit, Senior, Fordham College at Lincoln Center
Major: Natural Sciences
Hend Saad, Senior, Fordham College at Lincoln Center
Major: Natural Sciences

“The new space is really beautiful,” says Marjit, who worked at the old Quinn Library and plans to work at the new one this year with Saad. “It allows the students to feel more welcome. It’s very homey.” She loves how spacious the lounge area is. “I can always find a seat.” And she likes the outdoor garden located just outside.

As a commuter student, Marjit appreciates having a spot where she can get her studying done. “Sometimes working at home is not possible,” she said. “You need a place with a lot of resources.”

An aspiring physician in Fordham’s Pre-Health Program, Marjit was always one to hang out in the library, and looks forward to continuing to “catch up with friends” in the new space.

Saad, who is also in the Pre-Health Program and plans to go to dental school, came to the library to scan a page from one of her textbooks. “I’m gonna be here 24-7. I study here, I’m going to work here,” she said with a laugh. “All my gaps between classes, I’ll be here.” Saad, who was born in Egypt and grew up in Queens, said the new library space has a vibrancy that she loves.

Photos by Dianna Ekins, Bud Glick, and Logan West