Syracuse gave me the initial building blocks, and with hard work and determination I built on those blocks, and as opportunities opened up for me, I was able to take the challenge and deliver.

Accounting

My whole career revolved around business, even though I didn’t actually go to the business school. But, I still participated in some of the competitions and especially loved Whitman’s entrepreneurial spirit.

Donor

With any achievement comes a set of challenges, and most people talk about how somebody was there along the way to help...to be a part of providing that help is very rewarding for us.

Accounting

It’s important to me to pay it forward to a school and a program that has been so important to my life and three generations of my family,...I had such a rich experience, and it gives me a lot of joy to stay connected and help students who are now in the program feel that same connection, too.

Accounting

I’m an entrepreneur, and I’m marketing myself as a brand... I appreciate that my Whitman professors always took me seriously and never wrote me off as just a girl who liked wearing pretty clothes. I’ve applied so much of what I learned at Whitman, like the benefits of forming an LLC, how to read marketing studies on consumer behavior and using analytics, to benefit my brand. All in all, I learned how to make a living doing what I love, and so much of that came from Whitman.

Marketing, Entrepreneurship and Emerging Enterprises

I’ve benefitted greatly from my role models, so if someone is sincere in seeking out my experience or advice, I will absolutely give them my time. Hopefully, that person will pay it forward, and we’ll continue to create a pattern and legacy that will impact the world.

Finance

My hope is that my pledge to the Whitman School will help other students have the ability to accomplish similar dreams, too.

Accounting and Finance

Focusing my education around NEFCO’s industry gave me the chance to decide if joining the family business was the right thing for me. And then it just made all the sense in the world. —Matthew Gelles

Entrepreneurship and Emerging Enterprises, Supply Chain Management

In every chapter of my life, whether it was Syracuse, business school, the organization or soccer team, it’s always been about the people and relationships and being able to align on that common goal.

Marketing

I always put myself in rooms that I probably didn’t belong in, meaning I would ask the VPs or directors or SVPs if I could sit in one of their strategy sessions or if I could present.

Retail Management