The occasion was an Aug. 26 dean’s reception for parents of international students from the Class of 2019. Elsewhere on campus their children were acclimating to their new school through the Global Transitions Program, an extensive orientation geared toward international students.

Donna Rapaccioli, PhD, dean of the Gabelli School of Business, and Maura Mast, PhD, dean ofFordham College at Rose Hill, joined Father Grimes to welcome the parents of the largest international class to date. Rapaccioli, a mother of three, said she was well versed in the college move-in day.

“I remember it was a was a proud moment, but one that was filled with anxiety,” she said. “But Fordham has an ecosystem that will ensure that your child has the support they need.”

For her part, Mast said she could relate to the students, as this was her first public event as the new dean at Rose Hill. She is the first woman to fill the role since the college’s inception in 1841.

“I chose to come to Fordham for many of the same reasons that your children did,” she said, adding that she appreciated Fordham’s emphasis on the undergraduate experience. “Your sons and daughters will broaden their world socially, culturally, academically, and I hope spiritually.”

The event was a new initiative for the Parents’ Leadership Council that offered moms and dads their own orientation to Fordham. Parents went on a tour of Rose Hill, attended the reception, and a later were welcomed at an elegant dinner. The following day, Isabelle Frank, dean of the School of Professional and Continuing Studies, joined Midori Yamamura, PhD, lecturer in art, to lead parents on a tour at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

“Move-in day is important because we leave our kids to the University,” said Andrea Mennillo, the international chair of the Parents’ Leadership Council. “Fordham is a great community, and families are a part of that.”

Eric and Anna Pichardo, of Tijuana, Mexico, arrived at the reception with bags from a Uniqlo, the Japanese clothing store. Earlier that day they were in Queens at Costco and Target, getting dorm room supplies for their daughter, Erica, a freshman at Fordham College at Lincoln Center.

“She was calling us all day, saying ‘I need this, I forgot this, and I need that,’” Eric said with a laugh.

He said he was calm about his daughter’s transition, being that the parents have been schooling their daughters in California since the girls were in first grade. Anna was a bit more apprehensive. She was worried that Erica might not like the food.

No such problem with incoming freshman Chenyang Fu from Shanghai, China, said her mother Amy Liu.

“She likes the city, she likes the University, and she loves the food,” she said.

Some of the international students toured the campus last winter. But many were encountering it for the first time, as was the case with freshman Jake Chen. His parents, Joanne and Peter Chen, said that he had just finished his national service in Singapore.

“We’ve raised our kids to be as international as possible,” said Peter. “Jake is very capable, so his adjusting is the least of my worries.”

With this year’s crop of new international students hailing from Saudi Arabia to Spain, from Monaco to Mexico, and from Italy to India, the parents exhibited the mix of pride and anxiety that Rapaccioli described.

But the Global Transitions program for parents, which offered them three days to get to know fellow international parents, did offer a measure of calm, said Trygve Kjolseth, who arrived with his son Thomas from Norway.

“When we walked around campus this morning I thought, ‘This is a really good group, we should get together again,’” he said. “Our families seem to have some common denominators, and that gives me a good feeling about the community for the kids.”

It’s no question that Bette-Ann’s tremendous success and passion for the game was passed down to her daughter – making it more of a family tradition. Dominique has proven herself to be one of the most prolific women’s tennis players at Fordham. She finished her senior year with a perfect 19-0 season record, an outstanding 57-4 career record, and joined her mother in winning the prestigious Hobbs Family Award given to Fordham’s Female Athlete of the Year.

Growing up with your mother as your head coach and constant support system, on and off the court, was not the simplest situation to be in for Dominique. But, as she matured as a top player throughout high school, she knew she wanted to uphold her mother’s legacy and create one of her own. “It was hard having a parent who knew the ins and outs of the sport you’re playing because it was difficult to separate her being my mom and my coach at the same time,” Dominique admitted. However, once she matured and began to understand the game better, she says it got easier once her mom gave her space to grow on her own. Once she was able to do this, Dominique began to take her mother’s advice over others because “in the end, she was the little voice in my head” at all times.

Their mother-daughter relationship expanded to an entirely new level as Dominique ended up leading her mother’s team at The Ursuline School (New Rochelle, NY) to a record-breaking 100-match winning streak. Dominique went on to follow in her mother’s footsteps and continue her tennis career as a fellow Fordham Ram. Through her innate sense of competitiveness, exceptional talent, and her mother’s support and advice constantly running through her head, Dominique has certainly created a legacy of her own at Fordham and beyond. Her and her mother’s athletic achievements at Fordham are unmatched, and they deserve an incredible amount of respects for being Fordham’s first mother-daughter, and parent-child, duo in the Athletic Hall of Fame. With hereditary athletic talent and intelligence like theirs, it will be no surprise to see future generations joining them as well.

Today, Dominique’s love for tennis remains just as prominent in her life, as she, like her mother, has made the transition from player to coach. She has said that she finds herself telling her kids the same advice that her mother had always told her, and even though sometimes she did not want it to, those words have been rooted deep into her brain. Bette-Ann’s lessons about life on and off the court are forever embedded in Dominique’s mind as she hopes she can continue to follow in her mother’s footsteps. With all of the deserved appreciation she has received after being inducted, Dominique feels, “I am lucky that my mom knew how to be a teacher after being a player all of her life, and I’m so proud this has all happened the way that it has.”

These experiences, she said, along with her Fordham education, wouldn’t have been possible without the support of the Robert E. Campbell Scholarship and the Denise Jefferson Memorial Scholarship—two of more than 600 donor-funded scholarships awarded annually to Fordham students.

The Ailey/Fordham B.F.A. in Dance program student and others had a chance to thank their donors in person on April 27 at the University’s annual Scholarship Donors and Recipients Reception, held at The University Club in Manhattan. She was among 300 students and donors who attended this festive gathering that celebrates the spirit of giving and the promise of a Fordham education.

“The financial aid I received has helped turn my dreams into opportunities,” said Ballentine. “If not for the scholarships and the generous donors who make them possible, I simply would not have had these chances to shine.”

“This is one of the most wonderful nights of the year for Fordham,” said Joseph M. McShane, SJ, president of Fordham, as he compared the celebration to a Thanksgiving holiday. “It’s the only day of the year when all the generations come together to break bread and tell the stories that unite us as families. Tonight is our Thanksgiving. This is the story of the Fordham family.”

The lively conversations between donors and students revealed stories of the rewards of hard work and the desire to give back. Students shared experiences made possible by their scholarships, and their plans for the future.

Fordham College at Lincoln Center senior Elizabeth Zanghi met James P. Flaherty, FCRH ’69, and his wife Jane, whose scholarship helped to fund Zanghi’s studies in art history, French, and Orthodox Christian studies. “It has helped so much, especially because I will be going on to graduate school,” said Zanghi, who plans to become a college professor. She is among 19 recipients of two scholarships established by the Flahertys.

Scholarship recipient Amanda Varrone, a Fordham College at Rose Hill junior, said she is thankful for the scholarship that has helped finance her studies in English and Spanish. “I hope to go on to law school,” she said. “And I look forward to continuing learning and growing, not only as a student, but as a person.”

John R. Costantino, GABELLI ’67, LAW ’70, and his wife Barbara chatted with Ferdinand Ruplin, LAW, about everything from his childhood on Long Island to their last trip to Disney World with their grandchildren. “They really are like family,” Ruplin said. The Costantinos have become close to several recipients of the scholarship they established for business students who go to Fordham Law, and in two weeks, will even attend one’s wedding.

The spirit of the evening was captured by Fordham’s Board of Trustees Chair Robert D. Daleo, GABELLI ’72, who grew up in the Bronx and followed his late brother Paul to Fordham, where he received a Uniroyal scholarship that helped fund his education.

“I thought if I ever had the opportunity, I’m going to pay this back,” he said. “I now have the capability and desire to honor my brother with a scholarship in his name and repay Fordham.”

Written by Claire Curry

But Harmer is D.C.-bound on April 22 and 23. The Fordham College at Lincoln Center senior was one of 60 students selected from 500 applicants for the Council of Undergraduate Research’s 19^th Annual Posters on the Hill.

As Fordham’s sole representative, he will present his project, “The Likelihood of Greater Economic Integration,” to some 15 members of congress, more than 50 congressional staffers, and representatives from federal funding agencies in Washington, D.C.

The symposium was developed out of an international economics class that he took last fall. Under the mentorship of Shushanik Hakobyan, PhD., assistant professor of economics, Harmer turned a course paper into a finalist project in the Posters on the Hill program.

From the start, Harmer was inspired by Hakobyan’s teaching style, which was rigorous and valuable.

The professor mixed lessons from literature “with the nitty gritty mathematics of economic policy,” Harmer said. “It’s one thing for professors to present an argument to you, but it’s another to back it up with concrete numbers.”

Harmer’s interest gravitated to free trade agreements, and Hakobyan encouraged her students to delve further into their topics.

“I tell them to start very big,” Hakobyan said, “and then identify questions that will make your topic even more specific.”

Hakobyan recommended Harmer take his paper one step further by submitting the project to the council’s program.

“Brandon was interested in free trade agreements, and I thought his topic was solid and promising,” Hakobyan said.

She provided guidance to her mentees as they moved forward in their research.

“Students find out very quickly that research is very time consuming. You need to be hardworking and persistent because there are so many details to take care of,” Hakobyan said.

Harmer’s project focuses on the probability of trading partners moving toward greater steps of economic integration.

He collated specific economic data from all the countries in the world and analyzed the relationships among certain groups.

“We looked at information such as gross domestic product, and the distance between two countries,” Harmer said.

At his professor’s suggestion, he also delved deeper into other factors, such as contiguous borders—countries that share a border—and whether or not a country was a former colony of its trading partner.

Since Harmer covered all the countries in the world, his data was both comprehensive and massive.

“I think I might have actually broken Excel,” Harmer said. “I didn’t think it possible, but there weren’t enough cells to cover the data.” He had to divide the information out over four spreadsheets.

Harmer hopes that his dataset will someday be used as a resource for other economic research.

“My project isn’t here to argue anything specifically,” Harmer said. “It is to present facts, and it’s up to the policymakers to interpret the data and decide what they want to do with it.”

Harmer has participated in campaign work in the past for several assemblymen, but this will be his first time meeting legislators in this capacity.

“I’m very excited to go,” Harmer said. “It’s a great way to cap off my final year at Fordham.”

Harmer hopes to be able to combine his two loves—international economic policy and philosophy—in law school.

—Angie Chen, FCLC ’12

“I’m homesick.”

“I just feel blue.”

More than 87 percent of Fordham students reported feeling overwhelmed by all of the demands and challenges they faced last year, according to an annual benchmarking survey conducted by Fordham’s Office of Counseling and Psychological Services (CPS). That’s why Fordham counselors work in sometimes surprising ways to help enhance the overall mental health and wellness of the University community.

“We know that mental health and wellness are foundational for learning,” says Jeffrey Ng, PsyD, director of CPS. “The college years can be challenging for many students. It’s a transitional period that can include many academic, social, developmental, and economic stressors. Additionally, certain mental illnesses are more likely to manifest in the 18-to-25 age range. All of this speaks to the importance of supporting and promoting mental health on campus.”

Efforts to promote psychological health and wellness at Fordham incorporate varied aspects of the mind, body, and spirit. At CPS, students can receive services that include one-on-one clinical counseling, group counseling, crisis intervention, and referrals to local agencies and practitioners. But there are also meditation workshops and lessons on how to manage stress and anxiety, tips on how to beat the winter blues with yoga, and one-on-one nutritional counseling in conjunction with dining services to help inspire healthy eating choices on campus.

In all, nearly 1,400 students took advantage of CPS’s services last year, says Ng, whose staff of 12 full- and part-time counselors and more than 15 doctoral-level trainees and psychiatric residents are on hand to support students’ needs.

Greg Pappas, assistant vice president for student affairs, says CPS’s work is integral to Fordham’s mission as a Jesuit university. “We care for every single individual. There is a restlessness on our part to make sure we are doing everything we can,” he says, “[to let]students know there is a holistic concern for them.”

To supplement their wide-ranging efforts, this past October, CPS received a three-year, $300,000 federal grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.

Among other initiatives, the grant has allowed the University to hire Jill Lederman, LMSW, as a full-time outreach specialist to engage and train the campus community on mental health promotion and suicide prevention.

Lederman recently began teaching a four-week Koru Mindfulness meditation workshop to students at Rose Hill. Koru is a stress-management program created specifically for college students and young adults to address the changes and stresses that they uniquely feel.

“I think it’s been really eye-opening for us all,” Lederman says. “The students really seem to enjoy it, and they are learning stress-coping and resiliency tools that they can use for a lifetime.”

Fordham faculty and staff can contribute to optimizing mental health and wellness on campus, says Ng “by keeping their eyes and ears open, so they can recognize, approach, and refer students who are struggling to appropriate campus resources, such as CPS.”

Parents, too, can play an important part in promoting health and wellness at Fordham by “de-stigmatizing and lowering the threshold for help-seeking,” Ng says. “I would encourage parents and families to frame help-seeking as a sign of strength and maturity rather than a sign of weakness.”

Another important thing parents can do is stay involved, says Pappas. “We have an open door for parents to come and talk to us about their child and to have a general dialog,” he says. “They can reach out to us at any time.”

Learn more about the Office of Counseling and Psychological Services.

—Maja Tarateta

The annual Honor Roll, which is the highest federal recognition a school can receive for its community service, salutes institutions that achieve meaningful and measureable outcomes in the communities they serve. This year marks the fourth time Fordham was named to the Honor Roll.

“Social justice is at the heart of Fordham’s [mission]and we’re excited to receive an award that reflects the work we do as a whole,” said Sandra Lobo-Jost, FCRH ’97, GSS ’04, director of the Dorothy Day Center for Service and Justice, which is the liaison organization between Fordham and its surrounding communities in the Bronx and Manhattan.

Fordham was recognized in the categories of “General Community Service” and “Education.” The general category acknowledges institutions that are committed to improving the quality of life within the community—particularly for low-income individuals—in any form of service, including education, health, economic opportunity, environmental restoration, and support for veterans and military families. The education category recognizes institutions that work to improve educational outcomes for children and youth in pre-K through undergraduate education.

Among the public service projects in which Fordham students volunteered were New York City’s HOPE Count to estimate the number of homeless New Yorkers and Urban Plunge, a program in which student volunteers work to combat hunger, promote affordable housing, educate youth, and foster community development in various communities across New York City.

The Dorothy Day Center also connected Fordham’s student groups with at-risk youth in local middle and high schools to provide mentorship, arts and academic workshops, and to offer guidance to high school student clubs.

Universities are chosen based on innovation of service projects, percentage of student participation in service activities, incentives for service, and the breadth of academic service-learning credits. This final criterion is another important component of Fordham education, which includes more than two dozen “service integrated” courses across all disciplines.

Launched in 2006, the President’s Community Service Honor Roll highlights the roles that colleges and universities play in serving local communities and in gearing students toward a life of civic engagement. It is an initiative of the Corporation for National and Community Service, the agency that oversees federal service organization such as AmeriCorps, Senior Corps, and the Social Innovation Fund.

By Joanna Mercuri

Some of the biggest names in film have come to Fordham to talk with students about their experiences—both on-set and off. Director Spike Lee visited theater classes last fall to talk about the movie industry. Academy Award-winning actor and Fordham alumnus Denzel Washington, FCLC ’77, has visited students twice in the past three years, speaking about his craft and how Fordham contributed to his success. And in September 2014, Fordham hosted actor and UNICEF Goodwill ambassador Danny Glover, who screened a film he starred in about a slave uprising in Curacao and stayed for a discussion about the lasting impact of slavery.

James Jennewein, a screenwriter and artist in residence in Fordham’s Department of Communication and Media Studies, frequently invites industry professionals to speak to his classes. He said giving students a chance to connect with leaders in their field yields benefits beyond the content of the speaker’s presentation.

“It puts students in the same room with someone who’s really successful. You see that they’re a regular person like you, and it starts to feel like your dream is a more attainable goal,” Jennewein said.

While Fordham Theatre may attract some of the University’s best-known guest speakers, Fordham students have heard from noted leaders and thinkers in many other fields as well.

Each year, popular writers speak at orientation for incoming students who have read one of their books over the summer. Recent speakers have included National Book Award Winner Alice McDermott; Colum McCann, author of Let the Great World Spin; and novelist Valerie Sayers, FCLC ’73, whose work considers the Catholic experience in America.

Students also hear regularly from well-known physicians and researchers thanks to the Fordham University Science Council. Ronald A. DePinho, M.D., FCRH ’77, president of the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center and a luminary in cancer research, presented a recent fall lecture for the council titled “Conquering Cancer.”

In the philosophy department, Associate Professor William Jaworski, Ph.D., hosts the John C. and Jeanette D. Walton Lecture in Science, Philosophy, and Religion. He said these types of intellectual events help students draw deeper meaning from what they are learning in the classroom.

“It’s hard to see the implications of what you’re learning in biology class on what you just studied in theology. These outstanding scholars who are doing work at the intersection of these topics give students a model. It draws out the implications in ways that they themselves are still learning how to do,” Jaworski said.

Upcoming lectures in the Walton series include “Are We Embodied Spirits or Spiritual Bodies?” (March 11) and “Science and the Sacred” (April 21), featuring distinguished speakers from Central European University and the University of Oxford, respectively.

On-campus lectures also provide a valuable networking resource for Fordham students after graduation. The Fordham at the Forefront series, featuring leading Fordham faculty sharing their expertise on issues of broad interest, are hosted for the alumni community and give students a chance to connect with successful graduates in any number of fields.

Upcoming events include Fordham at the Forefront of Political Behavior with Fordham Law professor Zephyr Teachout, who ran against New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, FCRH ’79, last fall in the Democratic primary, on April 23 in New York City; and Fordham at the Forefront of Positive Marketing with Professor Dawn Lerman, Ph.D., on Long Island on May 7. Students will be invited to attend both at no charge.

Jake Braithwaite, GSB ’11, assistant director for New York City programming in the Office of Alumni Relations, works on a series of lectures sponsored by the Fordham Wall Street Council to engage alumni in the business community. Events are open to current students as well.

Recent Wall Street Council events have featured Michael Steinhardt, whom Forbes called “the greatest trader in Wall Street history,” and Heidi Miller, former high-level JPMorgan executive who speaks frequently about women in the finance industry. Nemir Kirdar, GBA ’72, CEO of Investcorp, who holds an M.B.A. from Fordham, will speak on June 3.

Braithwaite said that while networking is a valuable component of these events, they also provide the Fordham community a forum to keep flexing and strengthening the intellectual muscles they built in the classroom.

“Fordham students are used to engaging in intellectually rigorous conversations on a daily basis. It’s great that we can offer these opportunities to continue these kind of broad and varied conversations,” he said.

—Jennifer Spencer

The Jesuit Career Center Consortium provides access to job postings and other resources for Fordham students interested in searching for jobs outside the metropolitan area.

This connection to the broader Jesuit community helped Chris Rittenhouse, GSB ’14, secure his job as an associate in account management at Tradition Energy in Stamford, Connecticut.

As he approached graduation, Rittenhouse decided to focus his job search in Boston or elsewhere in New England. Through the reciprocity program, Fordham’s Career Services office helped him connect with Boston College, another Jesuit institution.

Within a month, Rittenhouse secured a job in a field about which he cares deeply. The Jesuit consortium, he said, gave him an edge.

“There was the additional benefit of being a part of a recruitment pool several states away in a city I am particularly keen to live in. That kind of flexibility and, more importantly, mobility, was awesome,” he said.

Kate Dunham, a sophomore in the Gabelli School of Business, is taking advantage of the reciprocity program as she works with the career services office of Loyola University Chicago to find a summer internship in Chicago.

Dunham said she has been deeply impressed by the program and the ease with which the Loyola career services office has answered her questions. She said the experience has helped her realize the value of the broader Jesuit community.

“I think it is such a perfect example of the Jesuit way of being men and women for others. It really doesn’t matter where you are in the country, you have people to help you out,” she said.

Cassie Sklarz and the Fordham Career Services team are constantly working to increase student awareness about the reciprocity program and all of the services Fordham offers. She said she’s pleased to keep supporting students through every step of their search—no matter where it might take them.

“For students applying elsewhere, this program gives a little bit of comfort and makes them feel a little more confident navigating the waters of their job search,” she said.

Students interested in accessing the resources of another Jesuit school should send their resume to Cassie Sklarz, associate director of Fordham Career Services. All requests for reciprocity must be handled through the student’s home school so that the partner school can verify the student’s enrollment or status as a recent graduate.

For more information about the Jesuit Career Center Consortium, contact Cassie Sklarz at 718-817-4358 or [email protected].

—Jennifer Spencer

The Jesuit Career Center Consortium provides access to job postings and other resources for Fordham students interested in searching for jobs outside the metropolitan area.

This connection to the broader Jesuit community helped Chris Rittenhouse, GSB ’14, secure his job as an associate in account management at Tradition Energy in Stamford, Connecticut.

As he approached graduation, Rittenhouse decided to focus his job search in Boston or elsewhere in New England. Through the reciprocity program, Fordham’s Career Services office helped him connect with Boston College, another Jesuit institution.

Within a month, Rittenhouse secured a job in a field about which he cares deeply. The Jesuit consortium, he said, gave him an edge.

“There was the additional benefit of being a part of a recruitment pool several states away in a city I am particularly keen to live in. That kind of flexibility and, more importantly, mobility, was awesome,” he said.

Kate Dunham, a sophomore in the Gabelli School of Business, is taking advantage of the reciprocity program as she works with the career services office of Loyola University Chicago to find a summer internship in Chicago.

Dunham said she has been deeply impressed by the program and the ease with which the Loyola career services office has answered her questions. She said the experience has helped her realize the value of the broader Jesuit community.

“I think it is such a perfect example of the Jesuit way of being men and women for others. It really doesn’t matter where you are in the country, you have people to help you out,” she said.

Cassie Sklarz and the Fordham Career Services team are constantly working to increase student awareness about the reciprocity program and all of the services Fordham offers. She said she’s pleased to keep supporting students through every step of their search—no matter where it might take them.

“For students applying elsewhere, this program gives a little bit of comfort and makes them feel a little more confident navigating the waters of their job search,” she said.

Students interested in accessing the resources of another Jesuit school should send their resume to Cassie Sklarz, associate director of Fordham Career Services. All requests for reciprocity must be handled through the student’s home school so that the partner school can verify the student’s enrollment or status as a recent graduate.

For more information about the Jesuit Career Center Consortium, contact Cassie Sklarz at 718-817-4358 or [email protected].

—Jennifer Spencer

The Legacy Reception, held every year before commencement, honors members of the graduating class whose parents, siblings, or other family members are Fordham alumni.

Joseph M. McShane, S.J., president of the University, toasted the Class of 2014 and thanked the parents gathered for the example they set each day, often without words.

“You have a special place in the heart of everyone at Fordham, especially in my heart, because you represent multigenerational loyalty to and love for Fordham,” said Father McShane, whose father and brothers are Fordham alumni, and whose nephew graduated from Fordham College at Rose Hill the next day.

For the Maiers, the reception marked a moment to celebrate the fifth and youngest member of the family to graduate from Fordham.

Thomas Maier, FCRH ’78, and his wife, Joyce McGurrin, FCRH ’78, GBA ’80, met as Fordham undergraduates and were married at the University Church. Their son Reade received his degree from the Gabelli School of Business this year, joining his brothers, Andrew, GSB ’09, and Taylor, GSB ’11, as part of the Fordham alumni community.

“Though ‘commencement’ is the word of the day, this does mark the end of an era,” Thomas Maier said.

“It’s really brought great joy to my heart to see the place I went to college, met my wife, and got married do so well, and to see my boys reap the benefits.”

Though Fordham has long been part of his family, eldest son Andrew Maier said he was able to make his own way at Fordham.

“I always felt it was like it was my own experience,” he said. “I never felt like I was following in my parents’ footsteps.”

For Stephanie Pascal, FCRH ’14, and her parents, Christian, GBA ’89, and Lorraine, the reception was a night to celebrate new beginnings. Stephanie will move to Thailand in the fall to teach English to schoolchildren.

Twenty-five years ago, when Christian Pascal earned an M.B.A. at Fordham, he was unable to attend his own graduation ceremony because he was working full time. He said joining his daughter on stage as she received her diploma would be a proud moment.

For Stephanie, having her father participate in the ceremony was a wonderful way to recognize all her parents have done for her.

“I’m thankful for so much,” she said. “They’ve helped me in so many ways, and if it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be here.”

The Dahlgren family had a busy few days ahead, celebrating the graduation of siblings Caroline, GSB ’11, and Michael, FCRH ’14.

On May 17, Michael received a bachelor’s degree from Fordham College at Rose Hill, and on May 19, Caroline received an M.B.A. at the Graduate School of Business Administration (GBA) diploma ceremony.

GBA allows alumni who are siblings of graduates to co-present present diplomas at commencement, so Michael took part in a great Fordham tradition just two days after becoming an alumnus himself. He said he was proud of his big sister and grateful for her guidance.

“She helped me have a great jumping-off point [at Fordham],” he said. “I was always three steps ahead because she helped me learn the ropes.”

by Jennifer Spencer

The PLC is a network of parents who are committed to working with Fordham administrators to promote the well-being and advancement of the University. Council members attend periodic meetings and provide support in development fundraising, communications, career services, and student enrichment.

The Stones decided to join the PLC when their youngest son, Jack, a senior in the Gabelli School of Business, enrolled. They had already developed a relationship with Fordham when their older son attended and said they quickly realized it was a special place.

“It’s a very humble, friendly, welcoming environment,” Bob Stone said.

Sue Stone said that Fordham feels like an extension of her own college alumni network. Fordham adopts parents into the fold, inviting them to many of the same cultural programs and University events available to the alumni community.

She said serving on the PLC has helped her have a deeper understanding of the profound support and supportive nature of the Fordham University community.

“You can so quickly see the sense of pride that people have for Fordham. You feel that people are sincerely happy to be doing their job and to be a part of the University,” she said.

While they have worked in many ways over the last two years to contribute to the University through their work on the PLC, Bob Stone said he and Sue feel they have received far more than they have given.

“The council to us has been nothing short of spectacular,” he said. “It’s a very interesting dynamic, as you think you are doing this for your son or daughter, and you soon realize, ‘I’m getting this a lot out of this myself.’”

PLC meetings give parents an opportunity meet with members of the faculty and administration at Fordham, giving them a greater sense of the academic experience of their sons and daughters.

The Stones say it’s helped them understand the value of a Fordham education better. One of their primary goals as co-chairs was to equip parents as ambassadors to share that good news.

Spreading the word about the value of a Fordham education is particularly important outside of the New York City region.

“We want to create a good news chain,” Sue Stone said. “Parents are a link in the chain, wherever they are geographically, and can be a reference point for students and parents who are considering attending Fordham.”

The Stones plan to continue to be involved with the PLC after Jack’s graduation this spring, helping to educate other parents about the opportunity to serve on the council and ensure a smooth transition to the new chairs.

Through their own involvement, the Stones have seen just how vital and rewarding parental involvement in the Fordham experience can be.

“The council is composed of parents from very diverse backgrounds, in terms of both cultural perspectives and business perspectives. And they have the heart and soul of a parent,” she said.

“That kind of involvement makes the community more multigenerational. If you keep parents involved, they will feel that commitment well beyond the time their student is at Fordham.”