Mike Kaplan, 2012
Major: Biology; minor: Business Administration
Hometown: Cortland, N.Y.
Current Job: Scientific Analyst at McCann Torre Lazur, Parsippany, N.J.
 
When Mike Kaplan started his biology studies, he expected to go to medical school after graduation. His life took a turn, however, in his junior year when he decided to minor in business administration.

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BONA'S MEANS BUSINESS
Business is the perfect complement to any degree and there's no better place to study business than St. Bonaventure.

He wondered if there was a way to combine these disciplines, and was pleasantly surprised to discover pharmaceutical consulting. Now, as a scientific analyst at a pharmaceutical consulting company, Kaplan looks at competitors’ data and positioning and also how his company’s drugs work in order to communicate that to physicians and payers.

Each facet of Kaplan’s Bonaventure experience has lent him valuable skills that have helped him to excel in his professional life. His biology major furnished a solid understanding of the medicines he works with today, and his minor in business administration allows him to communicate effectively with co-workers and clients.

Even his position as class president his junior and senior years exposed him to the kinds of interactions he will encounter for the rest of his career in business.

“I got to work closely with the Board of Trustees on the academic advisory committee,”
said Kaplan. “The type of work that I do now and the type of interaction I had are
very similar, especially being a young person in business, which is sometimes an intimidating thing to come into.”

Kaplan, like many others, believes that the small-school atmosphere at St. Bonaventure is one of the main factors contributing to his success in his field.

“At Bona’s you get a lot of individual attention,” Kaplan explains, “which means that
you don’t get away with not understanding a particular topic, especially in biology.”

At SBU, that isn’t an option.

“You have labs of 16 people and small lectures, and therefore the professors are going
to know if you don’t have that information. If you are the kind of person who is willing to come here and work hard … there’s no way you will not leave here better than when you came: ready to go out and do great things,” he said.

Michael Murphy, 2013
Major: Mathematics
Hometown: Salem, N.Y.
Current Job: Financial Analyst at Royal Bank of Canada in New York City

Michael Murphy knew how to work long days long before he began work at the Royal Bank of Canada.


Thanks to his time at St. Bonaventure as a mathematics major, Division 1 athlete, and member of Students in Money Management (SIMM), efficiently managing a busy schedule is nothing new to this financial analyst.

By his senior year, Murphy was an expert at balancing his academics, his athletics, his social life, and his extracurricular activities.

“A lot of professions will look at schools and look to see who the athletes are, because they know that if they’re looking for someone who’s going to dedicate a majority of their day to becoming better at a job … athletes are the ones who can manage their time really well, and they’re used to waking up early in the morning and having no breaks,” he said.
 
Murphy does not attribute his success solely to his hardworking nature and the loaded schedule he learned to balance, however, but also to the broadness of his major.

As early as four years ago, Murphy did not know what direction he wanted to take with his future, but majoring in mathematics exposed him to a number of options and allowed him to “fall in love with finance.”

“I had so many professors who went out of their way to help me,” Murphy said. Whether he was doing classwork or applying for jobs, he recalls that he could always turn to the Bonaventure faculty. The community service Murphy did at the Warming House every Wednesday evening humbled him and gave him a strong incentive to succeed.

“Working at the soup kitchen, the Warming House, kind of puts things in perspective,” he said. He saw in a very powerful way just how fortunate he was and how much he owed those who had helped him, and he became determined not to take these privileges for granted.

Kevin Okapal, 2011
Major: Biology
Hometown: Toledo, Ohio
Currently: Third-year medical student, George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences


As an undergraduate at SBU, Kevin Okapal managed the demands of a pre-med program and the demands of being a Division 1 athlete.

“I did play soccer and I was in pre-med. One of the great things was the soccer coach: He knew what my goals were, what my aspirations were. If I was going to practices at different times or just skipping a couple scrimmages or games, he was willing to work with me,” Okapal said.

Choosing the St. Bonaventure-George Washington combined degree program was “one of the best decisions I’ve ever made,” Okapal said.

“You’re able to get a first-class education, you have teachers that know your first name, they know lots of things about you,” he said. Okapal felt that the transition from being an undergraduate in Western New York to being a medical student in the nation’s capital was a smooth one.

“I think Bonaventure laid a very good foundation, so through the first and second years we just build upon that foundation and then the third and fourth years you’re able to … apply that knowledge and apply that to patients,” he said.

Participating in Olean General Hospital’s Experience in Clinical Medicine at Bona’s gave Okapal a behind-the-scenes look at a community hospital and reinforced his career plans.

“At Olean General Hospital it was a pretty good introduction to what we’re doing now on the wards. You’re able to follow different attendings around, different specialties, maybe see what you want to do in the future and get a better sense. For me it really confirmed again that I wanted to go into this area,” he said.

The third-year student at George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences is approaching each of his rotations open-minded, considering each of the fields as a potential specialty.

“The good thing about third year is you’re going on about six different rotations: You get to see what your life would be if you chose that specialty,” he said.

Regardless of the medical specialty he chooses, Okapal knows what kind of doctor he wants to be.

“I just hope to be a doctor that patients can appreciate,” he said. “I feel that everything about the field of medicine — from how complex some problems are to how much you can help a patient the next day in a quick turnaround — is very satisfying.”

Priya Singhal, 2011
Major: Biology; minor: Business Administration
Hometown: Williamsville, N.Y.
Currently: Third-year medical student, George Washington School of Medicine and Health Sciences

Priya Singhal hasn’t decided which field of medicine to pursue once she completes her M.D. at George Washington School of Medicine and Health Sciences. For now, the third year medical student is soaking up the experiences of clinical rotations from OB/GYN to pediatrics and psychiatry in the nation’s capital.
“I’m not quite sure what I want to go into as of this point, but so far what I’ve seen I’ve loved. At this point it’s gathering all the experiences that you can, getting your feet wet in all aspects of medicine, and kind of figuring out where you see yourself in the future,” she said.

Singhal felt that she was well prepared for the rigors of medical school. “In terms of academia, Bonaventure really provided a solid foundation for coming into medical school, especially during the first year, which was so important because medical school builds on itself, so having that solid foundation to begin with was just wonderful,” she said.

As an undergrad, she participated in the clinical experience at Olean General Hospital.

“The Olean General Hospital program was good because it gave you … a glance into what it’s like to be in the hospitals, to follow with round attendings, to interact with different patients. When you get to medical school it’s kind of that times a thousand, but it’s definitely a good glimpse into what it’s like later on,” said Singhal.

St. Bonaventure’s pre-med program didn’t deter her from “doing anything else I wanted to do” as a college student. “Even being a science major I was able to pick up a minor and travel abroad and do a lot of extracurricular activities.”

Michelle Spears, 2009
Major: Biology
Hometown: Allegany, N.Y.
Currently: Fourth-year medical student, George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences

As a fourth-year medical student at the George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, Michelle Spears is preparing for her next big step.
“I’ve decided that I want to pursue anesthesiology after medical school, so right now I’ve made all my applications to residency programs and I’m scheduling interviews for residency programs all throughout the country and now I’m just waiting,” she said.

With her medical board exams under her belt, Spears is looking forward to completing her final year of medical school.

“I’m excited to take what I have learned in medical school and undergrad and now apply it in the real world and have the real responsibility to take care of patients and help them,” she said.

For her, St. Bonaventure’s combined degree program was a great opportunity to fully enjoy college while also being prepared for GW. Having a guaranteed spot at medical school allowed her, as an undergraduate, to “enjoy the college experience and do a lot of extracurricular activities.”

“You stay with the same group of people throughout. You’re not competing with each other; you’re helping each other out, giving each other study tips and guides and it allows you to kind of be relaxed more … because you’re not worried about applying to medical school and taking the MCAT and competing with other students,” explained Spears.

The added bonus was entering George Washington with her SBU classmates.

“My transition from undergrad to medical school was quite easy because there were eight of us coming in together as part of the program, so we were familiar with each other and we were able to rely on each other, so that made the transition very smooth.”

Ian Rogers, 2013
Major: Modern Languages
Hometown: Buffalo, N.Y.
Current Job: Gilman Fellow at The Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md.


The hard work of applying to a graduate program has paid off for Ian Rogers, who is reveling in the opportunity to deepen his study of Spanish language and literature as a Gilman Fellow at the Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Md.

“What really excites me,” said Rogers, “is the opportunity to work with scholars here and scholars in other universities and really share in the discovery, research and the learning.”

As a Gilman Fellow in the Spanish section of the Department of German and Romance Languages and Literatures, Rogers has five years to work on his doctoral thesis while teaching Spanish grammar at Hopkins and working with faculty on research and seminars for his dissertation.

“My ultimate goal after graduation from Hopkins would be to find a professorship teaching Spanish literature at a university,” Rogers said.

Rogers’ passion for research was inspired in large part by his work as an undergraduate at St. Bonaventure.

His relationships with his professors and the classes he was able to take not only prepared him for the work he would take on as a graduate student, but also helped him to discover his unique niche in the wide world of Spanish language and literature.

A class with Dr. Leigh Simone, la Generación del ’98, and one taught by Dr. Dan Tate on the philosophy of Nietzsche combined to influence him on the focus of his future studies.

“What really drives me in my research here at Hopkins is the opportunity to discover new things and to add new things to my field,” explained Rogers, whose typical day includes both teaching and going to seminars.

“There’s a unique role that grad students play here at Hopkins. We’re not quite faculty and we’re not quite students — we play a little bit of both. We’re teaching the undergraduates and we’re taking seminars with professors,so we really do get the best of both worlds."

Shawn Sood, 2009
Major: Biology (BS) and MBA
Hometown: Tulsa, Okla.
Currently: Fourth-year medical student at George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences

As an undergraduate, Shawn Sood would often finish up a three- or four-hour lab then head over to the Reilly Center to stand in line to ensure a front row seat at a basketball game. He loved being courtside to feel the energy of the players — and the rabid fans.

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TOP FACULTY AND PROGRAMS
The science department is excellent. I was as prepared, or more so, than my medical school peers from other institutions.

Today he has a courtside seat to some of the best medical care in the country as part of his clinical rotation at Inova Fairfax Hospital, which serves the Washington, D.C., metro area.

Sood was among the first students admitted to St. Bonaventure’s highly competitive combined-degree program with George Washington University School of Medicine. At first he thought it was going to be daunting going from classes at tiny St. Bonaventure to medical school in the nation’s capital.

"But as soon as I started, from the very onset I felt well prepared. In fact, compared to some of my colleagues, I felt better prepared. Bonaventure classes really set me up well to transition into med school,” he said.

At St. Bonaventure, Sood was embraced by the camaraderie of fellow pre-med students. As a non-Catholic, he felt welcomed by the university’s Catholic-Franciscan presence.

“I participated in a lot of Mountain (Irenaeus) activities … and knew a lot of the Franciscan fathers and brothers there on a personal basis,” said Sood.

That caring and benevolence transcends the campus, carrying forth with students into their future endeavors. For Sood, that element will make him a better doctor.

“The Franciscan tradition calls us to be brothers and sisters and we all look out for each other,” said Sood.

“So here (at the hospital) when we see patients, I’m talking to the patient but I’m also looking at their families, too, and understanding the patient’s story, how they are feeling. I’m not just looking at the diagnosis and how to treat it, but also to make sure they’re doing okay, too, personally, and how they’re handling concepts like maybe death and transitioning to a palliative care center or hospice setting,” he said.

Santiago Castaneda, 2011, 2012
Major: Finance, MBA
Hometown: Atlanta, Ga.
Current Job: Financial Analyst at Royal Bank of Canada in New York City

You could say that Santiago Castaneda gets a report card every day evaluating his success as a financial analyst for Royal Bank of Canada.

“It’s like you’re taking a test every day because the market will open at a certain level and the market will close at a certain level, and, depending on how your investments did on that particular day, you’re going to know where you lost or made money,” he said. Castaneda is in his second year at RBC, a global enterprise that’s the 11th largest bank in the world and has 80,000 employees.

“Being a financial analyst I specifically look at high yield bonds, which is essentially high-risk companies. And my job is to analyze their financials and decide whether or not they’re a good investment opportunity for my group,” he said.

Castaneda’s road to New York City and RBC started between his junior and senior year, when he emailed more than 100 business and finance alumni inquiring about internships. He later connected with an alumnus working in Wealth Management for the Royal Bank of Canada who helped him to get an interview and an internship that, ultimately, led to the position he has today.

It is these St. Bonaventure relationships and experiences that serve as a reminder to remain grounded. Castaneda’s access to his professors helped him get the most out of his degrees. His weekly service at The Warming House with the swim team taught him to be humble.

“A lot of times we think that we achieve everything that we have because (of) ourselves… and sometimes we tend to forget those that helped along the way,” he said. Castaneda’s extracurricular commitments, namely the swim team and Students in Money Management (SIMM), served him just as well as his classes did.

“I always like to speak about SIMM as kind of the gateway between the academics and the actual practice of what I’m doing today,” Castaneda said. “It really ties it all together.
(In class) you learn about stocks: you learn about evaluating stocks, what’s a good stock, what’s a bad stock. You do that in SIMM, too, but you’re doing it with real money, and that’s essentially what I do now. I concentrate specifically on bonds, but it’s the same concept.”

As a Division 1 athlete, Castaneda gained the kind of discipline that would help him to use his knowledge efficiently. “(Athletics) absolutely teaches you time management, understanding your priorities, finding a good balance in life with everything — family, work, free time, time with your friends, traveling. It teaches you to work hard; it teaches you to be part of a team and it teaches you how to lead others as well.”

Patricia Nessle, 2010, 2011
Major: Marketing, MBA
Hometown: Corning, N.Y.
Current Job: Account Executive in Porter Novelli’s Washington, D.C., office

Patty Nessle used her marketing degree to market herself and landed her first job at a Baltimore public relations firm right on the heels of graduation.

“I was able to start right off the bat with great working habits,” said Nessle. So when she decided she wanted to seek career opportunities beyond Baltimore, “I already had experience knowing what I needed to do next and where to look and find jobs.”

She set her sights on the nation’s capital and reached out to St. Bonaventure alumni in the D.C. network.

Today Nessle helps with media planning and buying in the Consumer Marketing Department at public relations firm Porter Novelli’s Washington, D.C., office — one of the firm’s 90 offices in 60 countries.

Connecting with St. Bonaventure alumni began long before Nessle graduated.

“Networking was part of my student experience at SBU,” she explained. For instance, when she was working on her MBA, the School of Business welcomed alumna Mari Snyder, vice president of Social Responsibility and Community Engagement at Marriott International, Inc., as a guest speaker.

“Ever since she came into class I stayed in touch with her through email, updating her with my professional status, and also asking her for advice and tips (about) moving
forward with my career,” Nessle said.

While at SBU, Nessle was a member of Students in Free Enterprise (SIFE) and embraced the organization’s social entrepreneurship mission. In one of SIFE’s signature programs, she joined fellow students and faculty from a cross-section of disciplines on
the annual Bahamas service trip.

“I taught in the schools, helped with building projects and even participated in hurricane relief,” Nessle said.

When she was interviewing for jobs, she found out that employers were very interested in these types of experiences.

“I think this is something that distinguished me from other candidates who were applying for the same jobs,” she said.

Marc Sorrentino, 2012, 2013
Major: Accounting, MBA
Hometown: Eden, N.Y.
Current Job: Operations Analyst at Bank of America, Charlotte, N.C.

When Marc Sorrentino was job hunting, one of his appointments was with a recruiter at Mindseeker, a staffing and consulting services firm in Charlotte.

Not knowing the company’s Bona connections before he arrived, he thought someone was playing a joke on him when he walked into the office and saw Bonaventure materials all over the waiting area. He soon learned that seven SBU alumni work at the firm and the value of the Bonaventure connection.

The recruiter helped Sorrentino with contacts at a number of area companies, leading him to land a job in the Accounting Department at Bank of America in uptown Charlotte.

“Being at a small school you meet a lot of people and … you establish new connections, not only in the Western New York area. I’m down here in Charlotte. I grew up in Buffalo and came down for a month and I work for probably one of the biggest companies down here,” he said.

Reflecting on the preparation for his professional path, Sorrentino appreciates the classroom settings that offer students easy access to their instructors and a well-rounded education.  

“So many classes — accounting classes, finance classes, marketing management — gave you a broad range of experiences. I majored in accounting and had just as many finance classes,” he said.

In addition to a bachelor’s degree in accounting, Sorrentino went on to earn an MBA at St. Bonaventure.

“I feel that with a general MBA from SBU you can go wherever you want in the business world,” he said.

He is also grateful for a scholarship that enabled him to start on his pathway to success.

“The scholarship that I received was a big factor on my decision to attend SBU,” he said.

Dan Bratys, 2006
Major: Business Management
Hometown: Willoughby, Ohio
Current Job: Senior Recruiting Consultant for Mindseeker in Charlotte, N.C.


Even though he lives in Charlotte, N.C., Dan Bratys is still deeply connected with the St. Bonaventure community. Through the program Bonaventure Gives Back, alumni like Bratys participate in community service endeavors in association with the university.

“We like to do as much as possible here in the community with the St. Bonaventure name behind us. We’ve picked up parks, we’ve done different types of landscaping, we’ve painted ... We’ve done a lot of different things to give back to the community of Charlotte,” he said.

The Bonaventure community that Bratys strengthens in Charlotte through his service is what helped him gain employment there in the first place. After receiving his business management degree in 2006, Bratys moved to Las Vegas, where a fellow alumnus helped him secure a position at AIG, a multinational insurance corporation.

“An alumnus who graduated a year before me from the management program was working for AIG, and he kind of recruited me to come out there as well. We lived together in college and he got me an interview with the company. I flew out there over a break and got the position and ended up moving there after college,” he said.

A few years later, Bratys moved to Charlotte to join several other Bona grads at the professional services company Mindseeker. As a senior recruiting consultant for Mindseeker, Bratys screens resumes and helps match candidates with jobs in the financial and software industries.

Small class sizes, proximity to home, athletic and academic scholarships, as well as the opportunity to play on the baseball team made St. Bonaventure a perfect fit for Bratys.

“Looking back,” he said, “I wouldn’t change anything. I’m very happy I went there and that I chose management. I really think that my education has helped me get this far in my career.”

Sean Rickard, 2006
Major: Accounting; minor in Finance
Hometown: Rochester, N.Y.
Current Job: Business Analyst for Mindseeker, Charlotte, N.C.

Through St. Bonaventure's Career and Professional Readiness Center, Sean Rickard was put in touch with alumni in a host of different cities. It was the enthusiastic, tight-knit Chalotte, N.C., alumni that ultimately won him over.

With only the encouragement of the Charlotte alumni base and no guarantee of a position, Rickard decided to take a chance on the southern city. Within a week of his moving to the city he was interviewing at Wells Fargo and, before he knew it, he was hired as a business analyst for the company.

“It’s still a running joke with my parents,” he said. “My mother told me I would be back in three or four months. I made a trip down in my dad’s old car with three or four pairs of pants ... and the next thing I knew I was here full time, signing a lease. It’s been eight years now. I love the city and I love what the alumni here have done for me.”

Rickard now works for Mindseeker, a Charlotte recruiting firm, with the very alumni who convinced him to move to Charlotte.

“I work with a lot of Bonaventure alums who helped me get a job down here… I had to jump at the opportunity, and I haven’t looked back since,” he said.

St. Bonaventure provided Rickard with more than just a helpful alumni base. His business degree has gone a long way toward Rickard’s success in the professional sphere.

“My degree in business helps me every day in my job,” he said. “Between the core curriculum and my business major, I was exposed to accounting, finance, management and marketing. I deal with all of those four areas of expertise on a daily basis with all the jobs that I recruit for. It allows me to define the right role for each of my candidates.”

The understandable result of all of this is that Rickard, who is president of SBU’s alumni chapter in Charlotte, is bursting with Bonaventure pride: “That degree, it’s something that I’m proud of every day. I have my diploma still hanging up on the wall of my bedroom, and it’s something that I can look at every day with pride. I am very excited to be a Bonnie.”

Keishia Blake, 2008, 2009
Major: Education (BA); Differentiated Instruction (MA)
Hometown: Jamestown, N.Y.
Current Job: Fourth-grade math and science teacher, Harlem, N.Y.

Keisha Blake was a small-town girl before St. Bonaventure job fairs and the help of alumni in the Big Apple led her to a position in District 75 of the New York City Department of Education.

Just two months after graduation in 2009 she was starting her very first job in New York City, where her Bona Bubble background helps to keep her grounded rather than hinder her success.

A fourth-grade math and science teacher and lead math teacher at Harlem Children’s Zone, she continues to balance her bustling city life with the quietude of her Bonaventure roots. She supervises the math and science education of children in grades 3 through 5 with the patience instilled in her by Bonaventure’s Franciscan tradition.

Blake views her Bonaventure experience as invaluable in pursuing her passion for inspiring a younger generation, and is especially pleased with her decision to stay the extra year to acquire her master’s degree in differentiated instruction.

“I’m able to instruct all students,” Blake says of the degree’s merits. “Whether [a student] is gifted or has a reading or a math deficiency, I’m able to provide lessons. I can have a class of 25 and all of the students are learning.”

Her field block experiences and her interactions with faculty were also, Blake believes, contributing factors to her current success as an educator. Through Bonaventure she experienced classrooms from “kindergarten all the way through eighth grade,” leaving her more than prepared for the positions she would secure in the city; a preparation which did not go unnoticed.

“My principal has been very impressed with the work that I have done in my job, through the work that I’m doing with my students and the curriculum as well as through my e-folio.”

Blake does often miss the small, tight-knit community of St. Bonaventure and the comfort that came with “knowing everybody” around her.

“I definitely think that the Franciscan values have added value to my life. The humbleness of the friars I saw on campus, the joy, the smiles on their faces … and the calmness. Working in New York City, you can get caught up in the fast-paced life, and I try to definitely always stay very spiritual and bring humbleness to my job and to know that I’m giving a service to somebody else,” she said.

Claire (Collins) Dunham, 2007, 2009
Major: Elementary Education/Special Education (BA), Childhood Literacy (MSE)
Hometown: Corning, N.Y.
Current Job: Second-grade teacher, South Shore Elementary School, Crownsville, Md.


Claire (Collins) Dunham has wanted to be a teacher since her first day of preschool.

She’s now in her sixth year of teaching at South Shore Elementary School in Crownsville, Md., and loves the clean slate of each new school day.

“Every day is different. If yesterday was a little more of a rough day, today is a completely new day. The kids are always happy and excited to see you, they’re always excited to learn, and being around kids really puts a smile on my face,” said
Dunham.

Dunham has worked at the elementary school — part of Anne Arundel County Public School System — since graduation. Initially hired as a special education teacher, Dunham has taught second grade the past two years.

“You have students with special needs in your classroom no matter what you teach, so having that second certification, I feel, really helps me meet the needs of all the students in my class,” said Dunham.

A small SBU pennant is proudly at home in Dunham’s classroom, taking up residence on one wall amid alphabet letters and classroom reminders. Not that Dunham needs a daily reminder about her alma mater. She feels a St. Bonaventure presence every day as she draws on her preparation by the School of Education, particularly because
of the classroom experience.

“I had two different student teaching placements, one in a primary grade and one in an intermediate grade. And then we also had Field Block, where I had two additional placements, plus all the hours of tutoring and observation that we did,” said Dunham.

“Your first year of teaching is unlike any other year, and it’s definitely hard, but I think having the various experiences with so many different mentor teachers in so many different grades really gave me a big umbrella of tools to use once I had my own classroom.”

Kate Glennon, 2012
Major: Journalism/Mass Communication
Hometown: Leesburg, Va.
Current Job: Panel Manager for Residential Evaluation Services at Wells Fargo in Charlotte, N.C.


Knowing the right people really did help Kate Glennon land her first job. After moving to Charlotte, N.C., a friend put her in contact with fellow St. Bonaventure University alumni. She was quickly recruited for a position at Wells Fargo.

“This job actually had two Bonaventure alumni working there,” she says, “and they told the manager that they had to hire me, and I got the job without an interview.”

As a Panel Manager for Residential Services at Wells Fargo, Glennon assists in finding qualified appraisers to value properties that are in foreclosure. On a daily basis she interacts with appraisers, a task her journalism/mass communication degree has assisted her with greatly.

“As journalism/mass communication major, I learned how to communicate effectively. You would be surprised in business how many people can’t do that. Even if it’s just formulating an email, speaking to the appraisers by reaching out and trying to give them a clear message, it’s definitely really helped me.”

When she remembers her experiences at St. Bonaventure, Glennon fondly recalls the teachers and the community. The balance between academia and socialization is one of the things that she misses most about her time on campus.

“It’s such a great environment to learn and to have fun in. I love everything about Bonaventure and I would do it all over again.”

Maria Hayes, 2012
Major: Journalism/Mass Communication
Hometown: Akron, N.Y.
Current Job: Communications Coordinator for the Franciscan friars of Holy Name Province in New York City


As graduation day slips further away in her rearview mirror, Maria Hayes’ affection for what her alma mater meant to her only intensifies.
“The longer that I’ve been out of St. Bonaventure, the more grateful I am that I chose to go there,” said Hayes, the communications coordinator for the Franciscan friars of Holy Name Province.

“Looking back, I’ve realized how many opportunities I’ve received because of its close network, because of the way the faculty and staff treat its students and the relationship that the two have with each other.”

Hayes landed her first job — as a reporter at the Warsaw (N.Y.) Country Courier — months before graduation. It didn’t hurt that the editor was a former colleague at The Bona Venture student newspaper who recognized the quality of Hayes’ work.

“Everything from the small class sizes to the opportunities you have to get involved with extracurricular activities — like the newspaper immediately your freshman year — those are all things that helped me get to where I am today and I don’t think that if I went to a larger school I would have had the same opportunities,” Hayes said.

“I think I would have been swallowed up in some large mass of students. At Bonaventure, I was a face, I was a person, and that helped.”

A small-town girl from the rural Erie County town of Akron, Hayes admits she was skittish about moving to New York City when she accepted the job at the Province.

“The transition to the city was difficult, but it would have been even more agonizing if I didn’t have the Bonaventure community here to welcome me,” Hayes said.

“I was given the names of several people to reach out to when I first got here, and they were very, very willing … to show me the ropes and that made a huge difference.”

But her conviction and passion about working for the friars, whose commitment to making the world a better place impressed her while at Bonaventure, trumped her trepidation.

“I saw their work at St. Bonaventure … and they were doing something that I believed in. I really respect the work that they do,” she said. “What I learned at Bonaventure is that it’s very important not to be passive in approaching the problems that our society is facing. It’s very important to take an active role in changing the world.”

Daniel McCarthy, 2010, 2012
Major: Journalism/Mass Communication (BA), Integrated Marketing Communications (MA)
Hometown: Buffalo, N.Y.
Current Job: Community Relations, Buffalo Bills

“Getting hired by the Bills was an unbelievable feeling,” said Daniel McCarthy, who managed to grab an opening in Community Relations for the Buffalo Bills before he had even finished his master’s degree. “I consider myself extremely lucky. You hear from people every day that everybody wants to work in pro sports, and to get a chance to do that and live your dream — it’s a great feeling.”

In his department, which deals with fitness, health and safety, and military education, McCarthy revels in the opportunity to work in a position where compassion is just as important as St. Francis believed it was.

“Pretty much everything we do out in the community is with the specific intention of helping people, which is something Franciscans do every single day… especially with the holidays coming up, we do a lot of holiday outreach. It’s great to have an opportunity to help people in that way.”

Academically, he could not have asked for better preparation for his current position.

"A key aspect of my job is the ability to communicate,” he said. “I acquired that coming out of the J/MC school. What we did in the IMC program was take that and apply it to a professional setting. We treated the classroom like a business environment. By the time I came out of school I couldn’t wait to jump in and start applying all of this knowledge.”

McCarthy was skeptical at first about attending the same college his parents (Bob, ’76; Ann, ’74) graduated from.

“I felt that since both my parents attended (St. Bonaventure) it would be a lot of pressure to live up to,” said McCarthy. “My dad is the one that actually said, ‘If you’re to be going into a career of communications, you have to apply. It’s an outstanding journalism and mass communication school. You owe it to yourself to apply.’”

It is a decision he would not come to regret. “I had an unbelievable experience at St. Bonaventure and it’s really the reason I chose to stick around for two more years to
complete my master’s. I made the best friends that I will ever make and it’s a great place to grow as a person and as a professional,” he said.

Emily Sorokes, 2013
Major: Journalism/Mass Communication (BA); Integrated Marketing Communications (MA)
Hometown: Olean, N.Y.
Current Job: Account manager for Total Beauty Media, New York City

Emily Sorokes has the wealth of networking resources in St. Bonaventure’s journalism office to thank for her position as an account manager at Total Beauty Media. By connecting with numerous alumni in New York City she was able to land an interview for a job she would start a mere month later.

Total Beauty Media is a website that uses the reviews of site users to provide people with information on various beauty products. Sorokes manages advertisement for the site, which entails media planning, time management, and both digital and face-to-face interaction.

Having grown up minutes from the school, Sorokes was skeptical about attending St. Bonaventure at first. She thought that, in order to spread her wings and have a true college experience, she would need to leave her hometown far behind.

“I did the campus visit senior year and realized that I actually didn’t know much about the campus at all,” she said. “At the tour I realized that this is a great school; it has a great journalism program and other programs.”

Her classes and extracurricular activities combined to give Sorokes an enviable foundation with which to enter the workforce. Her classes allowed her to become “familiar with what an account planner does, what a media person does; that was honestly real-world experience.”

In the IMC graduate program Sorokes was constantly being exposed to new technology while working on her presentation skills.

An internship in the Event Management Office taught her how to confidently navigate an office setting while volunteer work with BonaResponds instilled in her a kindness and compassion that truly stands out in the hectic world of New York City business.

“I think the two main differences I see in myself as a Bonaventure graduate (compared with others in my field)” are that I think I’m more motivated and I think I have a kinder spirit,” she said. “I think the motivation comes from the fact that Bonaventure is a small school, so you have to work a little harder to get to the big city ... As for the warm spirit, in the middle of Manhattan, not a lot of people are friendly all the time or always kind, but I still try to smile, say ‘Hi,’ say ‘Have a good day.’”

Michelle McKernan, 2012
Major: Journalism/Mass Communication (BA), Integrated Marketing Communications (MA)
Hometown: Olcott, N.Y.
Current Job: Assistant Marketing Manager at Godiva Chocolatier, New York City

A die-hard Yankees fan, Michelle McKernan felt like she’d won the World Series when she secured a public relations internship at YES Network, the regional channel that broadcasts New York Yankees games.

“That summer I was able to work on everything New York Yankees-related. It was amazing. That’s when I knew I wanted to move to New York City and work in marketing or some kind of media. My internship definitely helped me get the job I have today,” she said.

So for three months after graduation, McKernan diligently worked at securing interviews and sending follow-up emails and thank-you cards, buoyed by the support of faculty on campus and alumni in Manhattan.

“I started interviewing right away, right when I got down to the city. It was a lot of effort and that’s something that no one can prepare you for. It took me about three months to get to Godiva. I’m so happy I was able to push through the three months and really get the job I wanted instead of taking a job that might not have brought as many opportunities,” she said.

McKernan loves “every second” of her job as assistant marketing manager at Godiva Chocolatier, where managing social media is a large part of her workday. Pursuing her master’s degree in Integrated Marketing Communications ignited her interest in social media as brand marketing.

“At Godiva I was given the opportunity to run, develop and execute content for their social media platforms,” she said.

That’s a lot of responsibility on the shoulders of a 23-year-old, and McKernan thanks St. Bonaventure for helping her meet that challenge.

As a member of the Student Government Association and active in service organizations such as BonaResponds, McKernan polished her leadership skills.

Bona’s emphasis on service in the Catholic-Franciscan tradition continues to play a role in McKernan’s life.

Through the university’s Mychal Judge Center, McKernan traveled to Ireland and Northern Ireland, learning firsthand how the Irish people overcame decades of violent conflict to live in peace.

“The background of the whole mission of showing forgiveness and trying to move past (conflict) and work with others is something that I’ve since strived for every day,” she said.

Through work, McKernan is an active member of GODIVA Gives, the company’s philanthropic program, and she also participates in a weekly sport league that benefits numerous charity programs.