“It’ll be the first time that my husband and I are bringing our daughter to the Fordham campus,” she said of Jubilee Weekend, to be held May 31 to June 2. The couple were married in the University Church in 2015 and welcomed a baby girl this spring. They’re among hundreds of alumni planning to return to campus for the festivities.

“I’m really looking forward to meeting up with some friends who also have kids—who will be bringing them to Fordham for the first time—because it’s just such a special place for us and we’re really looking forward to introducing them to it,” said Schwall-Pecci, a 2009 Fordham College at Rose Hill graduate.

Building a Skillset

Meeting her husband, Robert Pecci, GABELLI ’08, on campus isn’t the only reason Fordham holds a special place in the Long Island native’s heart. Rose Hill is also where she found faculty mentors. She majored in biology and minored in chemistry and sociology, which helped her build both the hard and soft skills needed to launch a successful career in health care communications, she said.

Working closely with professor Ipsita Banerjee, Ph.D., during her sophomore year, Schwall-Pecci researched nanotubes and protein hormones with the potential to advance drug delivery and the treatment of diabetes. She later earned a Clare Boothe Luce fellowship, which enabled her to conduct research in Germany the summer before her senior year. And after graduating from Fordham, she earned a Ph.D. in biochemistry.

A Sense of Belonging

She also found that Fordham’s Jesuit identity instilled in her—and other students—“a sense of belonging and wanting to give back, and feeling like you’re a part of a community that is responsible for helping better the world around you.”

That commitment to giving back is why she’s chosen a career path that enables her to promote better public health. As a senior vice president at BGB Group, she works to make complex scientific concepts and information accessible for patients. She’s also a longstanding volunteer with the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. She first began volunteering with the organization after her father died from cancer when she was a student at Fordham.

When her father was diagnosed, she “was overwhelmed and naive to the fact that anything bad could actually happen to him,” she recently wrote for BGB Group. Her mother felt “numb, in denial, confused, frustrated, overwhelmed, helpless, and hopeless,” Schwall-Pecci shared. It’s an experience that fuels her commitment to helping patients and their families process their diagnoses, ask the right questions, and make informed decisions about their health care.

Staying Connected with Her Fellow Rams

Following graduation, Schwall-Pecci was a member of the Young Alumni Committee, an advisory and programming board for graduates of the past 10 years. She’s past that 10-year cap now, but she’s stayed connected to Fordham however she can—participating in panels, mentoring students, and speaking at events. And her first impression of the Rose Hill campus still rings true.

“I just felt like the people who were going there, who had chosen to go to Fordham, had a similar kind of mindset and values as I had and were the kind of people that I wanted to surround myself with,” she said.

Fordham Five

What are you most passionate about?
Health education and access to quality medical care and information. Medicine is inherently defined by specialized language that may not be the easiest to digest, especially when you are newly diagnosed. I want everyone to feel empowered to make decisions with their care providers and ask informed questions.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
Take what you do seriously, but don’t take yourself too seriously! It’s all about enjoying the journey—be committed to what you are passionate about, but don’t worry about making mistakes or changing your mind along the way.

What’s your favorite place in New York City? In the world?
This is so hard—how do I choose? In NYC, it is honestly probably the Fordham campus in the Bronx, as cheesy as that sounds. That is where I met my husband and we got married, so it will always be one of my happy places. And in the world, it is likely Abisko, in the very north of Sweden, where I saw the northern lights!

Name a book that has had a lasting influence on you.
Probably The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of Cancer by Siddhartha Mukherjee. It is a fascinating look at the evolution of our approach to understanding and treating cancer. It appeals to me both professionally and also personally, as I lost my dad to leukemia when I was a student at Fordham.

Who is the Fordham grad or professor you admire most?
There are too many to name, but Ipsita Banerjee, Ph.D., in the chemistry department was my research mentor while at Fordham. She is so passionate about the research she conducts and the students she mentors, which inspired me to commit myself to my own work and always put forward 110% in my studies.

Interested in hearing more of Schwall-Pecci’s story? Listen to her episode of the Fordham Footsteps podcast.

Terry Begley, GABELLI ’86, the CEO of corporate banking at PNC Financial Services Group, kicked off the evening. He shared that as the new chair of the council, he’s excited to harness its passion for the University to help Fordham’s new president, Tania Tetlow, with “what she’s trying to accomplish.”

Fordham’s ‘Knights of the Round Table’

The reception served as the first official opportunity for Tetlow to meet the council, a group of successful professionals and philanthropists committed to mentoring Fordham’s future leaders, funding key initiatives, and raising the University’s profile.

“I am so excited to have my own council!” she told them at a reception prior to the mentoring event, which was held in the Lowenstein Center’s 12th-Floor Lounge. “I’ll think of you as Fordham’s Knights of the Round Table: You bring your wisdom, your contribution, your expertise—so much—to Fordham and our students.”

Tetlow said she loves hearing about the ways council members not only “help with the kind of donations that pay forward opportunity” but also engage with “our students quite directly—mentoring them, giving speeches, doing so much for the school.” She added that she’s “eager” to take in their advice and work with them to continue to enhance the Fordham experience for students.

Forge New Connections

Margot Reid, GABELLI ’21, special events and professional development chair of Fordham’s Young Alumni Committee, opened the roundtable discussion portion of the evening by welcoming alumni and parents “back here, back home, to Fordham.” She encouraged the students and recent graduates to really “make the most of this unique opportunity to connect with … the Fordham family” in the room, a group that included graduates from class years spanning five decades.

At 10 tables, each one featuring at least two mentors, attendees shared their stories—from what brought them to Fordham and who in the Fordham community has had the biggest impact on them to how to navigate the workforce while staying true to their values along the way. Guided by discussion prompts, they also delved into how Fordham’s global network of more than 200,000 alumni can help.

Garismar Ramirez, a Fordham College at Rose Hill senior studying neuroscience, asked the mentors at her table how they transitioned to the workforce after college, noting that she feels it would be a big jump to go from worrying about GPA and test scores to performing well every day on the job.

Thomas E. Kelly III, PAR ’11, ’13, said that he did it by learning to be comfortable with ambiguity and trusting in his ability to do a “good job.”

“Don’t be afraid. Don’t be anxious,” he said, adding they should aim to perform with as much excellence as they can.

Kelly, a member of the President’s Council, also encouraged students and recent graduates to use the resources Fordham offers, through the alumni relations office, the Career Center, and the Office of Counseling and Psychological Services, to help overcome any nervousness or anxiety they might have about interviewing and networking.

Trust the Process

Guthrie Garvin, FCRH ’99, a managing director at the real estate and investment firm JLL and member of the President’s Council, said that it’s important not to put too much pressure on yourself to find “the job” you’ll have for the rest of your life.

“I’ve been doing the same thing for 18 years, but it was a pretty circuitous path before that,” said Guthrie, who spent some time in education and sales before turning to real estate. “Find what you think you’re passionate about and jump in, but don’t be afraid to pivot if it turns out that there’s another path that seems more exciting. It’s part of the process.”

Speaking of process, Errol Pierre, GABELLI ’05, senior vice president of state programs at Healthfirst and member of the President’s Council, told the students that internships could help them determine what they’re most passionate about. Thanks to a series of three internships he completed as an undergraduate, he learned what he didn’t like. And “if you can align passion and profession, the sky’s the limit,” he said.

Remember You Belong

Halley Rodriguez, a Fordham College at Lincoln Center senior and a member of Fordham’s Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program (CSTEP), said she was curious about how to combat imposter syndrome.

In response, Garvin encouraged each of the students at the table to “be confident in yourself and where you should be,” to resist the temptation to “run from what’s a little uncomfortable,” and to remember always that they will bring value to the organization that hires them.

“Constantly tell yourself, ‘I’m supposed to be here,’” Pierre said. “The time it takes to be in your head [worrying]takes you away from performing.”

After graduating from Fordham College at Lincoln Center in 2016 and launching a career in public relations and event management, Zuckerman got involved with Fordham’s Young Alumni Committee—a group of alumni who coordinate social events, educational programs, and opportunities for professional development and community engagement for recent Fordham graduates.

Now, having just finished her second term as the committee’s communications chair— a position that gave her an opportunity to stay engaged with what’s happening on campus, reach current students, and meet more alumni—she fully appreciates the power of the Fordham alumni network.

Making the Most of the City

After spending her first year of college as an economics major in Canton, New York, Zuckerman realized she wanted a change: She wanted to study communications at “a larger school with more opportunities” and “be in a city rather than” the small village she had originally chosen. Though she grew up at the Jersey Shore, Zuckerman has always been familiar with the Lincoln Center area—her aunt and uncle lived just a block away from Fordham’s Manhattan campus.

Excited to be able to “actually study what I wanted to study” in an environment that was both familiar and full of opportunity, Zuckerman transferred to Fordham the fall of her sophomore year and majored in communications and media studies. Almost immediately, thanks to an art history class she took as part of the undergraduate core curriculum, she realized just how much she’d be able to take advantage of all that New York has to offer.

“For one of our first assignments, we were instructed to go to a museum in a city,” she said. “I went to the Metropolitan Museum with a few other classmates … and I remember just being really excited. … I realized that I was going to be able to do that a lot more by going to school in New York.”

New York’s status as a communications hub made it possible for Zuckerman to complete internships at various organizations—from Good Housekeeping and Town & Country magazines to Bloomingdales and Time Inc. But between commuting and serving those internships, she said she had little time to get involved with clubs and other activities on campus—that’s something she’s been trying to rectify in recent years, through her involvement with the Young Alumni Committee. And she’s grateful for the opportunities she had to complement her coursework with work experience as an undergraduate.

“It was important to be able to have all those internships,” she said. “I definitely look back on [them]as being really helpful and helping me narrow down what I wanted to do with my career.”

Keeping Young Alumni Engaged

Zuckerman learned about the Young Alumni Committee in 2018 when she attended an event sponsored by the Fordham University Alumni Association. Matt Burns, the alumni relations office’s director for reunion programs and affinity groups, introduced her to some members of the committee.

A few weeks later, Zuckerman attended one of their meetings and eventually got more involved. She recently finished her second term as the committee’s communications chair, engaging with alumni and getting the word out.

This past year, that included reaching out to the editors at Fordham’s student-run news outlets, including The Fordham Ram and The Observer, to gauge their interest in writing “articles about the committee so that way the current students and recent graduates could learn about it and potentially join,” she said.

Zuckerman told The Observer that, thanks to the Young Alumni Committee, she’s been able to connect with a wide range of Fordham graduates, including alumni of other degree programs, schools and colleges, and class years. She said she hopes the committee will see the payoff of those articles as “even more members come to our meetings and events this year.”

Maintaining a Commitment to Service

Thinking about the lasting effects of her Fordham education, Zuckerman points to her ongoing commitment to service. In addition to her work with the alumni committee, she volunteers with the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the New York Junior League (NYJL).

“Since I am very involved with volunteering and different nonprofits, that’s something that I really appreciated about the University and, looking back, definitely just appreciate even more now that I’m a graduate,” she said.

She joined the NYJL as a sophomore at Fordham to get involved with a philanthropic organization in the city and meet people outside of the University community. Today, she serves as the training council head, overseeing three committees responsible for conducting “ongoing training for everybody to be able to be the most effective volunteers” possible.

Though it’s her first time serving in “such a big role,” she’s taking a bit of the advice she hopes current Fordham students will follow: “Always try something new if it’s offered to you—because you never know if you’re going to really like something or not.”

Fordham Five (Plus One)

What are you most passionate about?
Definitely volunteering and philanthropy! I joined the New York Junior League, a women’s nonprofit organization, while a sophomore at Fordham in order to be connected with the wider NYC community beyond school and to have a long-term volunteer opportunity after graduation. Beyond the NYJL, I volunteer [with]the Billion Oyster Project and School Year Abroad.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
Never be afraid to try something new! One of my favorite things about Fordham was the ability to hold so many internships during the school year, in addition to the summer. I tried so many different types of internships, which really helped me narrow down what I wanted to do after graduating.

What’s your favorite place in New York City? In the world?
My favorite place in New York City is Union Square. I lived nearby in Flatiron for a few years and loved how centrally located it was and how many great restaurants were nearby. Most of all, I loved stopping by the Greenmarket on my way to the subway before work or for a leisurely stroll on the weekends. Not to mention how festive it is at Christmastime!

My favorite place in the world is the Jersey Shore, where I’m from. It’s of course at its best during the summer, but it’s so special year-round. I love the natural beauty, rich traditions, local businesses, and close-knit community.

Name a book that has had a lasting influence on you.
I love books set in New York City, so would have to say either The Age of Innocence or The Bonfire of the Vanities.

Who is the Fordham grad or professor you admire most?
Kathleen Adams, FCRH ’10, GSAS ’12: We didn’t overlap while at Fordham, but we volunteer together at the New York Junior League. I was so excited to learn that she is also a Fordham alumna, but not surprised, as she embodies the University’s mission so well! I am so impressed by all that she does in her professional and volunteer life.

What are you optimistic about?
I work on the marketing team for an educational consultancy and am impressed by current high school students and optimistic about the impact that they will have on the world as they continue to pursue their passions.

As first pitch approached, fans settled into the centerfield sections next to the iconic home-run apple, many wearing Fordham caps and more than a few wearing Fordham sweatshirts to stay warm on a breezy Queens night. More than 100 people joined the Fordham contingent, using up every ticket allotted to the group.

“Citi Field’s probably the best place to see a baseball game in the country, as far as I’m concerned,” said John Sebesta, FCRH ’90, who was attending the game with a group that included his son, Aidan Sebesta, FCRH ’21, GSAS ’22. “It’s a very nice stadium and a very cozy place to see a baseball game. And it’s the Mets.” (Though as Aidan added, despite the team’s hot start, “You gotta be careful with the Mets. You can’t get too excited.”)

Sophia Zehler, FCRH ’21, a Mets fan living in Philadelphia while pursuing a master’s degree at the University of Pennsylvania, jumped at the chance to see her favorite team in her hometown. She attended the game with Jasmine Ali, FCRH ’20, her junior-year roommate.

“I’ve been a Mets fan since I was a child, and I wanted to come with my best Fordham friends, and they all like the Yankees,” Zehler said. “But she was the good sport that was willing to come.”

Added Ali, who wore the black David Wright jersey distributed to everyone in the Fordham group: “I’m a Yankees fan, but I can be a New York fan for tonight.”

Those who attended the April 30 game were treated to a pitcher’s duel early, with the Mets clinging to a 1-0 lead through six innings. But in the seventh, the Phillies jumped ahead on a Kyle Schwarber home run that landed right in Section 140, where many alumni in the Fordham group were sitting. The Phillies would go on to win 4-1, and on a night when the Mets mustered just four hits, the home fans didn’t have a lot to cheer, other than perhaps the wave that started in Section 142, another with members of the Fordham group.

But on this night, the game’s result was secondary to reconnecting with former classmates.

“I think people love baseball, and people like to really gather in large groups, and they really haven’t had the chance to do that with the pandemic,” said Michael Bennis, GABELLI ’17, ’18, the special events chair of the Young Alumni Committee who helped plan the event. “This is a great way for alumni to bring a bunch of friends, see a good game, and pretty much do the thing we weren’t able to do for like two years.”

—Joe DeLessio, FCLC ’06

This summer, Fordham alumni will have two more opportunities to take in a New York City sporting event together.

On Saturday afternoon, July 9, Fordham grads will head to Yankee Stadium to see the New York City Football Club in action against the New England Revolution. Learn more and register.

And on September 8, the Fordham University Alumni Association is hosting its 4th Annual Fordham Night at Yankee Stadium, when the Bronx Bombers will take on the Minnesota Twins. The first 1,000 fans who purchase tickets through this offer will receive an exclusive New York Yankees jersey co-branded with the Fordham logo. Learn more and register.

Nearly 1,000 Fordham alumni took part in the annual Young Alumni Yacht Cruise, a Homecoming weekend tradition that was canceled last year due to the coronavirus pandemic. Members of the classes of 2020 and 2021—who abruptly shifted to remote learning in their last semester at Fordham and who weathered a year and a half’s worth of virtual and in-person college, respectively—made up most of the crowd at the sold-out event. As undergrads, they had to forgo the usual Senior Week programming, which typically includes a boat cruise for Lincoln Center-based seniors, so many of them were elated to be on board. They felt the alumni event made up for a tradition they missed before graduating.

“I don’t think any of us have been in that kind of crazy-busy celebratory environment since before 2020,” Finley Peay, FCLC ’20, said after the event.

Peay spent the night hopping about the boat’s four decks introducing alumni, taking pictures and videos to share on the alumni Instagram account, and, of course, celebrating with friends along the way: “I actually loved being able to run around and run into friends I hadn’t seen since some of my Rose Hill classes, as well as good friends like old roommates and folks I studied abroad with” in London, Peay said.

As a member of the Young Alumni Committee—the group that helps keep Fordham grads of the past 10 years connected to their alma mater through the cruise and other events and activities throughout the year—Peay was busier than most that night. But she was but one person in a crowd in constant motion, sparking mini reunions at every turn. (Delphine Mason, GABELLI ’20, quipped that the boat setting let her “run around and not worry about losing anyone.”)

Many reunions were brief—glimpses of old acquaintances and one-time classmates led to quick catch-ups on the way to the bathroom, buffet, or bar before each person rejoined the friend group they came with. Some fortunate friends had last seen each other the previous week; others had gone a year or even two since connecting in person. “It’s been forever!” was a common refrain heard in the crowd—as were shouts of glee as old friends recognized each other—amid chatter about Fordham memories and what everyone’s been up to since graduation. Work, grad school, and more have scattered the alumni far and wide, but many returned to New York just to attend the event.

“It was nice to be with the Fordham community since moving to Texas after graduation,” said Michael Finnan, GABELLI ’21, who moved to Dallas to work in finance in September.

A look at the crowd revealed a sea of suits and cocktail dresses in nearly every color—including a healthy amount of Fordham maroon. For some, that was an intentional choice: “What better place to wear maroon?” said Alexa Speciale, FCLC ’20, who had her nails painted to match her jumpsuit.

With a bustling, dressed-up crowd and pop music blaring, the cruise ultimately felt like a deluxe version of the President’s Ball, the annual dance for current undergraduates held that very night under the Homecoming tent on the Rose Hill campus. Instead of appetizers, the attendees enjoyed a full buffet dinner of Caesar salad, chicken francese, salmon, beef, yellow rice, and vegetables, plus an open bar. And instead of the familiar environment of Rose Hill, alumni enjoyed splendid views of the Manhattan and New Jersey skylines. Peay, Finnan, and their friends settled onto the roof just in time to see the Statue of Liberty go by.

Though a DJ played music during the entire cruise, it was halfway through the three-hour event when the dance floor on the lowest deck began to fill. It wasn’t long before it was packed. Disparate clusters of friends came together as one large group, one united Fordham family, pulsing to the music together.

One of the final songs played was “Mamma Mia.” Intentional or not, the lyrics couldn’t have been more fitting for the event: “Here I go again … does it show again … just how much I’ve missed ya?”

—Gillian Russo, FCLC ’21, is an assistant editor at TodayTix Group.

Related Story: “Homecoming Weekend Draws Alumni, Families, and Friends Back to Campus”

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.

Each alumnus will be honored during the annual Fordham University Alumni Association Recognition (FUAA) Reception, to be held virtually on Thursday, January 21. The two award winners were nominated by their peers and selected by FUAA Advisory Board members.

Di Giorgio, so surprised he would be receiving the Ram of the Year Award—given to a graduate who has enhanced the reputation of the University through their professional achievements, personal accomplishments, and loyal service to Fordham—was convinced he’d been notified accidentally. He said he read the email three times, initially assuming he was cc’d as an alumni chapter leader and that another Mark was the winner. It wasn’t until he checked the list of email recipients that it started to sink in.

“I don’t know if I’ve been in the running before or been considered. So, it was a complete shock,” he said. Di Giorgio added that for him it was one of few “shining stars of 2020.”

Sarwar said he felt that same shock and was “extremely humbled” when he learned he’d won the Trailblazer Award, which is presented to a graduate from the past 10 years who has demonstrated outstanding dedication to Fordham and whose leadership has inspired fellow alumni.

“There are a lot of young alumni who are doing a lot of great stuff, so I definitely feel very thankful to the University for this recognition,” he said.

Building New Ties, Finding Camaraderie

Di Giorgio and Sarwar both have years of supporting Fordham under their belts, albeit in different ways.

Now a financial analyst at Bank of America, Di Giorgio initially found it hard to maintain a connection to the Fordham community after he moved from New Jersey to California in 1996, a professional move he thought would be relatively short-term—and then he found the Alumni Chapter of Northern California.

He joined the chapter’s leadership board and in just a year was nominated to serve as president, a role he’s held for almost 15 years. During that time, he has helped revamp events to engage a wider group of people, especially younger alumni. In the spirit of engaging alumni who are physically distant from Fordham but still identify as New Yorkers, he’s even created a bocce team, the Bronx Ballers, that competes in San Francisco’s Ferry Bocce league. “It turns out we get enough people to participate in the league three times a year. … People ask, ‘Are we playing again? Are we doing this again?’”

“A lot of people, they don’t get back to New York, and this was one way that they still connect with Fordham,” he said. “So, it’s the satisfaction of the alumni engaging, not necessarily [with]Fordham but [with each other]for the camaraderie.”

In a normal year, the chapter would hold a number of in-person events, from an end-of-the-year Christmas dinner to attending sports games and more. But “COVID-19 has thrown a wrench into everything,” Di Giorgio said.

“I’m optimistic that one day soon—within three months, six months—that I’ll be able to shake the hands, hug the people that I haven’t been able to in a year,” he said.

Education as ‘Silver Bullet’ for Socioeconomic Mobility

Sarwar, whose family immigrated to the U.S. from Pakistan when he was in eighth grade, believes in the power of education and the opportunities it affords people. He attended Fordham thanks to the Thomas G. Labrecque Smart Start Program, which included a full four-year scholarship to the University and an internship with JPMorgan Chase while he was a student.

“My father spent most of his adult life getting the rest of his family to this country because he believed in the educational opportunities that America had to offer,” Sarwar said, adding that his own goal is to try to help provide educational opportunities to others. He sees higher education as “the silver bullet to help people transcend socioeconomic backgrounds and ensure mobility in our very fast-changing world.”

Now six years into his tenure at JPMorgan Chase as a risk associate in asset management, Sarwar is passionate about paying it forward. He’s been a member of Fordham’s Young Alumni Committee since graduating, and he’s also chaired its philanthropy subcommittee twice. He said the committee is a great way to stay in touch with recent alumni and identify ways they can give back to Fordham.

“Their time, their thoughts, their ideas, their feedback to the University [are]extremely critical, especially because it’s the most fresh batch of feedback we can get,” he said. “Relaying [that feedback]to the appropriate administrators and making sure that it’s part of what the Fordham administration considers to make changes has been very rewarding.”

Through Fordham’s Social Innovation Collaboratory, Sarwar uses his specific career experience as a risk associate to mentor current Fordham students interested in entrepreneurship. “Trying to implement that kind of thinking to entrepreneurship, I feel, is a good way I can give back.”

Mission-Motivated

Fordham’s spirit, values, and mission sit at the center of both Di Giorgio’s and Sarwar’s efforts. “Being a mission-oriented university, I think, really helps us continue to make those bonds stronger,” Sarwar said. “I got to go to the University with a scholarship. I got to meet some of the best people ever, and if I can help other people do that, that’s what [I’m] inclined to do.”

For Di Giorgio, who lives across the country from many of his family and friends, maintaining a sense of connection to his alma mater and the “Go Rams” Fordham spirit is crucial.

“What I can think of and touch and feel, it’s the friendships I have,” Di Giorgio said. “They’re lifelong friendships, and I think it’s because Fordham draws the same types of person at its core. So I’ve had friends for 50 years, but the ones I call and stay in touch with—send Christmas cards to—are my Fordham roommates.”

Typically held in person, this year’s FUAA Recognition Reception will be held virtually due to COVID-19. Sarwar and Di Giorgio will receive engraved awards ahead of the virtual reception, which will also feature a sweepstakes open to all attendees.

Visit Forever Fordham to learn more and register to attend the January 21 event.

“When you are a factor in providing someone with safe and affordable housing, you’re not just giving them that,” she says. “You are giving them access to a career, to a stable schooling system for their children—it trickles out, and I think that’s an extraordinarily important thing, a human right.”

Reynolds joined New York City’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development as its new executive director of housing opportunity in February. She leads a team that evaluates and implements affordable housing practices, ensuring that the city is providing affordable housing in a fair, open, and transparent way.

It’s the kind of big-picture, policymaking job that is especially critical during the coronavirus crisis, she says. “Sharing rooms is not exactly an ideal situation for a pandemic, so we have been working in overdrive to try to link people currently residing in shelter to housing opportunities.”

The silver lining, she says, is that the current crisis has sped up the usual process. “It’s a service we do in a regular environment, but now we have extra staff from other areas of the agency. And getting people this stability has a ripple effect in the rest of their life.”

Reynolds says her time at Fordham helped her find a place she could pursue her passions professionally.

“It was refreshing to be in an environment where everyone is encouraged to pursue a little bit of everything so they can be the best person they can be,” she says, “for themselves and for the world.”

When she graduated with a double major in general science and sociology, she knew she wanted to serve the Bronx community she had grown to know and love. Her first position at Fordham Bedford Housing Corporation introduced her to the idea of preserving and expanding safe, affordable housing, and that experience has continued to play a large part in the rest of her career, including in her current position. “When I’m thinking about what policies are best to make affordable housing as successful as possible, I have real on-the-ground experience, real names, real faces that I can think about.”

When she talks about her career path with current Fordham students, Reynolds says, “I like to tell them that I never would have guessed, when I was in undergrad, that I would be where I am now, in this specific role, because it just wasn’t on my radar at the time. But my work definitely lines up with the mindset I have always had, to help vulnerable populations; none of that has changed. It’s just the specifics of how it worked out.”

She has also helped mentor students through a 2016 Global Outreach project in Nicaragua, and she’s been on the Young Alumni Committee since she graduated, most of that time spent on either the philanthropy or the social justice subcommittee.

She says her continued involvement with the University has been especially rewarding because, aside from her career, the friends she made at Fordham have had the most significant impact on her life.

“Fordham attracts a special type of person, which is why those relationships have been so valuable,” Reynolds says. “Any way I can maintain that community and give back or encourage continued improvement at Fordham is important to me.”

Fordham Five

What are you most passionate about?
I am most passionate about bringing about greater equity in New York City. New York is an amazing city, with a plethora of resources. Yet we have income inequality and wealth disparity that defines us just as much as being “the city that never sleeps.” I was exposed to this firsthand at Fordham. This passion has informed a lot of my decisions in life, including my career. I am also on the board of the Bronx is Blooming, a nonprofit that promotes environmental justice by giving Bronx youth the tools they need to be leaders in their own communities. It’s an organization I was introduced to as a student; I worked there for two summers when it was fairly new, and it really made me feel part of the Bronx community. I’ve stayed involved ever since, and it’s been amazing to see it grow. Serving on their board now helps me maintain my connection to the Bronx, which is still very important to me. I hope to one day live in a city where no one has to worry about the security of their housing, health, or food; I think we have the ability to get there, and I hope to be part of that solution.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
I think the advice to “take a lap”—most commonly used when someone does something dumb or silly and you have to take a lap to walk off the embarrassment—is both funny and earnestly helpful. I’m not sure who first gave me this advice, but whenever I am feeling overwhelmed or anxious about something, whether it’s in my professional life or my personal life, I find taking a lap (or a walk, or a breath) is always worthwhile time spent to collect my thoughts and re-center myself.

What’s your favorite place in New York City? In the world?
New York City is my favorite place in the world! I have so many favorite places in New York, and they each stir a different memory or feeling for me: the Little Red Lighthouse under the George Washington Bridge, Belvedere Castle in Central Park, and the market on Arthur Avenue are just a few. One of my favorite places in the city is the hidden gem that is Fort Tilden. Fort Tilden is part of the National Parks Service and is located just east of Rockaway. I love this spot because it provides a beach oasis where I can see piping plovers nesting in the dunes and go for a swim in the Atlantic, and then take a 45-minute ferry ride at the end of the day back home to Manhattan.

Name a book that has had a lasting influence on you.
I had heard Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City referenced often, especially among my colleagues in the housing industry. I knew it was critically acclaimed, and did not doubt its significance; however, I had quickly filed it away in my mind as a good book for laypeople to read, a book for those who didn’t already know about the struggles of low-income renters. What I did not expect was how intimately Matthew Desmond tells the stories of victims of eviction and their landlords, and how that intimacy lends to a uniquely compelling book about the rental market’s role in institutional poverty. I highly recommend that any social justice-minded folks who are interested in the nexus between having a home and breaking the cycle of poverty pick up this book!

Who is the Fordham grad or professor you admire most?
I am proud to say I have a long list of graduates and professors who I admire from my time at Fordham, many of whom are my personal friends. But the Fordham grad I admire the absolute most is my dad, Patrick Reynolds. My dad graduated from Fordham College at Lincoln Center in 1981 after working his way through school to be the first one in his family to get a college degree. He went on to join the New York City Fire Department—another thing I admire about him—and he always fostered an environment of learning and curiosity in our home growing up, which I am grateful for. Thanks to my dad, I valued eloquentia perfecta before I even set foot on Fordham’s campus.

They were married in 2007. Though they never overlapped at Fordham—Trevor graduated in 1999 and Antoinette in 2003—they agree that there was a comfort in being with someone who “shared the same passion and pride for the place we attended college.” In fact, for their second date they chose to see Man on Fire. “The reason,” says Trevor, “is because Denzel Washington [the film’s star]went to Fordham!”

“Trevor was the first person I met who understood the importance of my staying connected to Fordham and my high school volunteer work,” Antoinette says. “People wearing ‘F’ hats and shirts are popular in our lives.”

Fordham Beginnings

The couple first came to Fordham from opposite coasts. An Astoria native, Antoinette says the University has always been a presence in her life. She grew up knowing family members, neighbors, and teachers who are Fordham alumni. But it wasn’t until she toured the Rose Hill campus during her senior year of high school that “I knew I’d found my home,” she says.

“At Fordham, I was not just a number but an actual person,” says Antoinette, who commuted to campus. When her parents would pick her up at the Bathgate Avenue entrance, Joseph A. O’Hare, S.J., then president of Fordham, “would come over to say hello and have a conversation,” she recalls. “I don’t think presidents at other schools do that.”

Growing up in Novato, California, Trevor didn’t know much about Fordham until he was recruited for the water polo team. Now a managing director at Signature Bank, he says that Fordham “turned out to be a tremendous call” in terms of his experience as a student-athlete, financial aid support, and an education that “set me up for success in the world of finance.”

Giving Back

Together and individually, Antoinette and Trevor have spent a lot of time supporting Fordham causes. They were both longtime active members of the Young Alumni Committee—an advisory and programming board for graduates of the past 10 years—and advised students through the Fordham Mentoring Program. Trevor still supports the water polo team. And together they’ve supported HEOP, the Ailey/Fordham BFA in Dance program, and Founder’s scholarship students; participated on Jubilee reunion class committees; and supported several athletics programs.

A newer family tradition is attending Fordham games on campus as well as regional alumni chapter events around California, on Long Island, and in Westchester with their daughter, 3-year-old Aria. Antoinette is a self-employed accountant who works from home to be with her.

“I know how important it is to help our future leaders of tomorrow, and I love volunteering with people and collaborating to improve,” Antoinette says. 

Shared Roots

Besides being passionate about similar causes, the couple shares a certain Fordham mentality that they say brings strength to their marriage.

“A Jesuit education and the Fordham experience definitely provides us with a core of our relationship. We choose to live and lead by example,” Antoinette says. “Marriage is a mix of individual and teamwork. That’s why I say you should find ‘the partner,’ because ‘the one’ is not realistic. Find someone who supports you, helps you be happy, and is open to you and the inevitable change that happens.”

Trevor agrees. “I think one of our strengths is that we both realize when something is important to the other person, and we support that,” he says.

“Plus, we are both big Star Wars and Marvel fans.” 

Fordham Five

What are you most passionate about?

Antoinette: I love being a mom to a toddler. I recognize that I’m her role model, even her caped crusader—sometimes I wear a cape! I set an example for her in the only way I was taught—through volunteerism and advocacy work on social justice projects. It’s the change for the greater good. Yes, I’m also an accountant. But I say I do accounting for fun and my real job is volunteering. I like knowing that Aria can look back and see results of what I did to make the world better for her generation.

Trevor: I’m most passionate about my daughter, Aria. The best part of my week is watching her progress in swimming, and now mixed martial arts. She is only 3 and has been promoted into a swim class with 5-year-olds! She has zero fear of the water and can already swim about five yards by herself if I let her go. If I tie a noodle around her, she can swim an entire length in a 25-yard pool.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
Antoinette: Jeff Gray, my former work-study boss at Fordham [who is now senior vice president for student affairs], once told me that sometimes when you become overwhelmed by everything happening, you focus on one thing and forget to see how things work and affect each other—the big and little pieces. You need to learn to step back and then look in at the big picture, he said. Only then can you fully see what you are missing.

Trevor: My junior year of high school, my water polo coach told me that a big shot is just a little shot who kept shooting. I know it is a famous quote [by writer Christopher Morley], but that was the first time I had ever heard it. Playing sports teaches you a lot of things, but for me the most important is to never be scared to shoot your shot.

What’s your favorite place in New York City? In the world?
Antoinette: In New York, it’s Rockefeller Center and the tree. I’m probably biased since it’s where my first full-time role was after graduating from Fordham. It’s also where my husband picked me up for our first lunch date. It’s a place that everyone in the world is drawn to visit. Now we take our daughter to visit the tree annually. It’s a nod to how places that are so chaotic or crowded can still be symbols of faith in the holidays, togetherness, and our own true wish that something better will come in the next year.

My favorite spot in the world is walking the beach and watching the sunset in Waikiki. They have fireworks on Friday nights at the Hilton Hawaiian, and I think it’s gorgeous to sit in the sand and watch the waves hitting the beach while the cool air gently blows. Trevor’s grandparents lived there for more than 30 years, and we would go every summer when we first got married. Hopefully we’ll return this fall for the Fordham football game.

Trevor: My favorite places in New York are Astoria and Fordham. Both places just kill it from a restaurant standpoint. I would say that Bahari Estiatorio in Astoria is hands down the best Greek restaurant on the planet, and Omonia is the best bakery in New York City; its baklava cheesecake is ridiculous. Fordham obviously always means a lot to me. I love the campus; it just always seems warm and inviting. Being a water polo player, the uniqueness of having a 38-meter pool is now something I smile about as well. Most pools are either 25-yard short-courses or 50-meter long-courses. NCAA Division I and international water polo are played at 30 meters, so Fordham’s unique pool still works.

Like Antoinette, my favorite spot outside of New York is Hawaii, specifically Waikiki. My Oma and Opa lived there for basically my entire childhood and through my early adult years. Perfection is sitting with a Mai Tai in the beautiful Hawaiian sun!

Name a book that has had a lasting influence on you.
Antoinette: Gone with the Wind shows how you can go from rich to poor, poor to rich, but still have faith and a fire within to excel. Life is full of trials and tribulations. It’s not life if you can’t take the ups and downs. It takes perseverance to stay focused and overcome in order to build or rebuild. You always need to be able to self-reflect and be grateful for who and what you have in your life. Sadly, Scarlett was not able to find balance between work and life. She was always focused on someone else, but he was not worth all of the effort she spent trying to win his love. Scarlett had everything and lost the one who loved her the most. But with conviction, she concludes that she will get him back.

Trevor: I read a lot of books, but this is a tough question. It’s not my favorite, but the book I read as a kid and read again recently that probably stuck with me the most is Great Expectations by Charles Dickens. I think as you rise up the ladder, it’s important to keep the lessons that Dickens tried to impart in the back of your head.

Who is the Fordham grad or professor you admire most?
Antoinette: Joseph Cammarosano, longtime professor of economics. He taught us that “it’s not about making a living, but making a life worth living.” He helped New York state create the Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP) for academically and economically disadvantaged students, an invaluable program to those who qualify. I credit much of my passion for volunteerism, philanthropic efforts, and even political focus, especially in education, to Dr. C’s teaching. I don’t think you can get more Jesuit than him inspiring others to follow the core principle of men and women for and with others. I also love and admire Donna Rapaccioli [now dean of the Gabelli School], not just as my former accounting professor but for the exemplary woman she is ethically and for all of the amazing relationships and advancements she has created and continues to grow (work in progress). I hope to see more women in business, especially finance!

Trevor: Another tough question. My favorite professor at Fordham was a history professor named Robert Jones. While my concentration was finance, I have always loved history. I think I took all of my electives in classes that he taught.

“I knew I wanted to be in the city,” says the New Jersey native. “I grew up Baptist, so the whole Jesuit thing was new to me. But I always felt I should be a man ‘for and with others,’” he says, citing one of the central tenets of Jesuit education. “That helped me connect to it and opened my mind. Now I can view issues from a variety of perspectives.”

Glenn, who majored in communications with a concentration in film, is now using that skill in his role as a business development coordinator at a New York City law firm.

As a member of the Young Alumni Committee, he’s also helping people who graduated in the past 10 years stay connected to the University. “I’m passionate about keeping our young alumni base strong so that, when we get to Golden Ram status, we can look back on this journey and see that Fordham has remained in our lives,” he says. In his role on the group’s philanthropy subcommittee, he focuses on encouraging his fellow graduates to help the next generation of Rams by supporting scholarships and financial aid.

“Had it not been for the 9/11 Scholarship, I would not have received a Fordham education,” says Glenn, whose father, Harry, an assistant vice president at Marsh & McLennan, was killed in the September 11 attack on the World Trade Center. “So I know the importance of scholarship—whatever it looks like, in any shape or form,” he told Fordham News in 2016. “That’s why giving back is such a big thing.”

Glenn also represents his fellow recent grads as the youngest member of the Fordham University Alumni Association Advisory Board, where he volunteers with the lifelong learning task force. “Fordham alumni are always trying to learn and enrich their minds,” Glenn says, “so we want to find better ways to engage them as they do that.”

“I think it’s incumbent upon me to give back in any way I can, whether it be time, resources, or enhancing the Fordham experience in some other way,” he says.

Which is why Glenn also joined Fordham’s new multicultural alumni affinity chapter, MOSAIC. “We want to be a resource for alumni and students in any way we can,” Glenn says of the budding group. “We want to build that community.”

On June 7, Glenn attended the Block Party at Lincoln Center, which this year featured a celebration of the first 50 years of Fordham College at Lincoln Center. Glenn particularly enjoys seeing people across generations and classes at the annual event. “Of course I love my class,” he says, “but it it’s always great seeing people who were seniors when I was a freshman, to catch up with lots of people and hear about what has changed.”

Fordham Five

What are you most passionate about?
Continuing to learn, helping others learn and enhance themselves, striving for more, and never really settling—it’s that Fordham value of magis.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
That’s a tricky one. But I think it’s what Father McShane said in his speech at our graduation. He broke it down into three parts. Never forget where you came from; love them and thank them for supporting you. Never forget where you went to school; never forget the relationships you developed and all you learned. And matter; be somebody in the world who makes a difference and an impact. I’ve especially taken that last one to heart. I think that’s one of the reasons I stay connected to Fordham, because I want to matter to Fordham. I want to make an impact there and hopefully in the greater global community.

What’s your favorite place in New York City? In the world?
In the city it has to be the Central Park Reservoir. At the end of every semester at Fordham, I would take a walk to the reservoir and use it as an opportunity to reflect on the semester and all my accomplishments, and also to think about what I could improve on. It’s such an interesting place because of the contrast. It’s so quiet in the middle of Manhattan. I find that fascinating and quite calming also.

In the world, this is a little cheesy, but it would have to be Walt Disney World. My bucket list is to visit every Disney park in the world. Some of my favorite memories with my father were going to Disney World, and the last vacation we had was there. That’s also part of the reason I wanted to come to school in the city. He was from New York and obviously worked here, so that was a deeper connection to him.

Name a book that has had a lasting influence on you.
I have two. The first is a nonfiction book called Racecraft, which is by sisters Barbara and Karen Fields. It’s about racism in America, but the way they talk about it is so fascinating, and I had never really thought about it that way. Their main thesis is that most people believe that race comes first and racism follows, but they invert that and say that racism is an action that produces race. It’s a small change but it has tremendous repercussions. I share the book with anybody who will listen to me talk about it.

The second is The Jesuit Guide to (Almost) Everything by Father James Martin. The way he takes Jesuit values and puts them in real-life situations … he has the answers. It really is the guide to almost everything. I still use a lot of the methods in the book in my day-to-day life, like decision-making, finding out what you’re passionate about.

Who is the Fordham grad or professor you admire most?
I have two again. The first is Professor Jennifer Clark, who was my adviser and teaches film. She taught the theoretical underpinnings of film in a way that was easy to understand, and she’s brilliant.

The second is Professor Tom McCourt, another communications professor. His Popular Music as Communication course opened my mind to looking at music in a scholarly way. I can’t even look at music the same way because of that class. He also advised me on a summer research project I received a grant for which compares gangster films from the 1930s to gangster rap from the 1980s. He always asked me to think a little bit harder and deeper about certain issues. And his closing lectures for his courses are so well done. If I could go to a closing lecture for any of his classes every semester, I would.

Sarwar, who was born in Pakistan, came to Astoria with his family when he was in eighth grade. By the time he finished high school, he had earned a JPMorgan Chase SmartStart Scholarship, which covers four years of college tuition and provides recipients with a paid four-year rotational internship at the company.

“My personal passion is education,” says Sarwar, who earned a B.S. in finance from Fordham’s Gabelli School of Business in 2014. “It’s a guiding force for me. That’s the reason why my father and my family made a lot of sacrifices, so my siblings and I could come here to get an education that would help us and help other people.”

He says the internship combined with his Gabelli education prepared him for a successful career that gives him the capacity to support the people and causes he cares about. He’s now an associate on the investment risk team at JPMorgan Chase.

Sarwar hopes to spread his dedication to education in his role as a board member of Fordham’s Young Alumni Committee and chair of the Philanthropy Subcommittee.

“I want to help expand access to Fordham,” he says, “because I believe in a Fordham education. I believe in its ability to transform lives because I experienced that.”

Sarwar is particularly excited for this year’s Fordham Giving Day, a 24-hour push of support for the University from noon on March 6 to noon on March 7. “It’s a united platform for everybody to cheer and come together, and it helps people remember their Fordham experience and expand that experience to others,” he says. “I encourage young alumni to give whatever they can, to remember their ties to Fordham and the value of their own education.”

Besides his work on Young Alumni Committee, Sarwar also informally advises Fordham’s Model U.N. Club as well as the Muslim Student Association, a club he helped reinvigorate when he served as president in his first two years at Fordham. “I also still read The Ram almost every week,” Sarwar says.

Sarwar plans to continue his involvement with Fordham and is looking forward to seeing it “continue to grow in the next decades as a source of not only academic and professional leadership but moral leadership,” he says.

“I think our world needs people who are smart, but we also need people who can act and think morally. And that is at the core of Fordham as a University.” 

Fordham Five

What are you most passionate about?
I am passionate about helping spread access to education. I believe it’s the key to a happy, prosperous, and welcoming society. My family and I have been blessed with the opportunity to climb the socioeconomic ladder due to the high quality education we have been lucky to receive, and I dream of a world where that opportunity is available to all.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? 
Just before I left, one of my teachers in Pakistan asked me to always remember who I am and where I come from. Immigrants everywhere become de-facto ambassadors of their heritage, and he said to be mindful of that. His advice has helped me be a contributing member of the New York City community while retaining my identity.

What’s your favorite place in New York City? In the world?
Despite being a New Yorker for half my life, I am still exploring this ever-changing city. So far, my favorite places have been the lakes and secluded wooded areas in Central Park which give the illusion of being far from the hustle and bustle of the city. In the world, my favorite place is the home I grew up in in Pakistan because of all the memories there that I continue to carry in my heart.

Name a book that has had a lasting influence on you.
I received The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho as a high school graduation gift from Maurya Couvares, one of my mentors; it’s been a source of inspiration since then. The quest to find one’s true self is daunting, but Coelho’s allegorical tale serves as a constant reminder to keep pursuing it. The book was the perfect prelude to a Fordham education, as the tenets we were taught complemented Coelho’s message.

Who is the Fordham grad or professor you admire most?
I was fortunate to meet Father Patrick Ryan during my first month at Fordham when I was hanging signs around Eddies for a Muslim Students Association event. He became an instant mentor to me and also advised the growing club. His guidance was instrumental in helping MSA go from an almost defunct club to being awarded Club of the Year. I have been in awe of his vast knowledge and understanding of Islam. His biannual McGinley Chair Lectures bring together viewpoints from the three monotheistic religions and are the perfect embodiment of Jesuit values.