1. What college or university did you attend after SAAS (or what did you pursue instead?) What did you major in? Did you get other degrees?
I attended Flagler College in St. Augustine Florida. I knew I wanted to move someplace outside of Washington and also wanted to go someplace sunny. I had a lot of family in California and visited there often so I decided to look at schools in Florida where I had never been before. I double majored in Business Administration and Sport Management. Flagler has one of the top Sport Management programs in the country and that is what drove me to Flagler.
2. What unique experiences have you had since leaving SAAS? Trips, internships, jobs, etc.
I have had so many unique experiences it would be hard to pick just one. I will rattle of some of my favorites. I attended both recent Super Bowls with SAAS alumni (although one was a lot more fun), helped write and publish a book on Amazon for a 3-time Olympic gold medalist, provide TV and radio commentary for local high school and college basketball games and as an assistant college basketball coach I have been on the staff for 5 conference championships, 2 national tournament appearances and my teams finished ranked in the top 10 nationally two consecutive seasons. Topping things off I was also part of the Seattle Storm’s 2010 WNBA championship team as the Press Room coordinator.
3. What are your favorite memories from SAAS? What programs, teams, extracurriculars were you involved in while at SAAS? Who were your most influential teachers at SAAS?
I think my favorite memory of SAAS wasn’t a specific moment rather the growth and changes I got to experience during my tenure (1996-2003). The opening of the Vanderbilt building, the inception of the laptop program, the opening of the Art’s Center, the opening of the gym, the expansion of the trip programs etc. It felt like each school year brought on at least one major change to SAAS. It was an exciting time to be a student as the growth was occurring before our eyes. It sometimes felt like you were part of some exclusive club that kept getting new and better benefits each year.
I was always a member of the basketball team at SAAS but otherwise didn’t participate in other extracurriculars. This has always been one of my biggest regrets about my time at SAAS. I did go on the trip to Guatemala to build houses for improvised families; which was a really eye opening and life changing experience. It is hard to name just a couple of teachers but I would have to say Steve Retz, Halsey Bell, Lauri Conner, Dexter Chapin, Rob Phillips and Fred Strong. I also was heavily influenced by and still regularly interact with my basketball coaches Stuart Michie, Dan Nieder and Ryan Santo. And last but not least, although he never taught me in a classroom, Joe Pugelli was always a favorite interaction of mine.
4. Where are you now and what do you do? Where do you see yourself in 10 years? How did SAAS help prepare you for your job today?
I work in finance for a large national brokerage firm. I am working alongside my father who has been in the industry for over 30 years. I get to help people reach their goals and dreams on a daily basis and couldn’t be happier to have found my calling. In 10, 20 and 30 years from now I see myself developing lifetime relationships with my clients that span generations.
SAAS helped prepare me for this job in countless ways. My favorite anecdote on how SAAS prepared me goes back to my first week of college. I was sitting in English 101 and the professor gave us an assignment to write a 3 page paper. As the professor was teaching the concepts she wanted executed in the paper I quickly realized two things: 1. These concepts were taught to me and implemented in my writing during my Jr and Sr year English classes at SAAS and 2. A majority of my peers had never seen or used these concepts before and were all learning them for the first time. It was then I truly started buying into the slogan of ‘Preparing you for college and life.’