Gina Carfagno ’08
Pottstown, Pa.
Psychology
“Albright definitely lived up to its motto, “A different way of thinking,” and totally prepared me for the essential skills, knowledge and dedication I would need when entering the real world,” says Gina Carfagno.
During her time at Albright, Gina was active in the Honor’s Program, Psi Chi (psychology honors program) and the Honor’s Club, and she completed three Albright Creative Research Experience (ACRE) projects.
As a research technician at Monell Chemical Senses Center, she is working to study and research food cravings, taste preferences, and aversions and responses to novel foods, among other things. She is also planning to take classes this summer to prepare her for a master’s degree in nutrition.
Gina says, “I do not feel that many other college students are given as many opportunities as Albright students for what it really takes to live in the real world. I feel ahead of the game in many respects at Monell, and do not feel at all out of place when talking with Ph.D. scientists. While Monell is giving me more experience and confidence, Albright shaped me into the person I am today. For this I am entirely grateful.”
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Erica Rubin ’08
Morrisville, N.C.
Mathematics, Secondary Education and History
“The Albright experience is one that has to be embraced holistically,” says Erica Rubin. Originally from Landsdale, Pa., Erica is spreading her wings and working as a math teacher at Broughton Magnet High School in Raleigh, N.C. She manages six classes of students for two different courses. In addition, she is helping with extracurricular activities, she supervises a senior homeroom, and she participates in planning sessions with teachers who have been in the profession for 10-30 years.
“Albright’s educational program gave [her] the opportunities and experiences that were desired by employers all over the country.” By having the opportunity to teach in both the city and the suburbs, she was able to get a grasp of the different teaching styles necessary for different environments. Though she isn’t necessarily using her history degree at this time, she says that the critical thinking and research skills she obtained in history have helped as a teacher.
In addition to being an Admission Ambassador and a Lion Diplomat, working as a Volunteer Center coordinator, taking part in the POP program, playing in Concert Band, being a resident educator and a Freshman Forum mentor, Erica participated in the ACRE and honors projects on campus, where she says she gained confidence and independence in her work.
Erica also did something that most education majors don’t do—an internship. “I went to the Career Development Center and they helped me narrow down options and fill out applications. My Albright professors gave me the tools to evaluate these internships, one in the nonprofit world and one in government, so that I could incorporate my work into my academics. Albright College gave me more than academic knowledge; it gave me the experiences and critical thinking skills to take on whatever I want!”
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Meghan Hurst ’07
English and Communications
Management Associate, Tursack Incorporated
Meghan Hurst felt that the Career Center at Albright “helped a good deal with building [her] resume and developing [her] interviewing skills. They provided resources for job searching, held job fairs and had networking events that exposed me to potential employers.”
Meghan is working as a management associate for Tursack Incorporated, a consolidated graphics company. During her time at Albright, Meghan was a member of the women’s soccer team, the ski club and SAAC. She also served as editor-in-chief of the student newspaper, The Albrightian, in her final semester. She was also part of the Public Safety Advisory Board and the Schumo Center Programming and Advisory Committee.
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Rich Hackman ’08
Communications/Digital Media
Graphic Designer/Web Designer, Shannon Associates L.L.C.
Within months of Rich Hackman’s time at Albright he found his passion. Now, not even a year after his graduation, Rich is working as a graphic designer/web designer for Shannon Associates L.L.C. in New York City. Some of his responsibilities include designing all direct mail and advertising for the company as well as for any represented artists. In addition, Rich works with the printers from pre-production through post-production for in-house and outsourced company publishing projects.
“Albright imbued a sense of entrepreneurship in [him] that continually influences [his] ambition toward [his] pursuits, as well as any success as a result of that ambition. My complete immersion into the culture of Albright challenged me to challenge myself.”
Rich is also in the process of trying to establish an entrepreneurial freelance experience/company called CREATIF. Check out some of his work at www.richhackman.com.
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Michael Goffredo ’08
Biology
Research Lab Assistant, Thomas Jefferson University
After college, Michael Goffredo knew he wanted to continue his education. He is pursuing a master’s degree at Thomas Jefferson University while working in a research lab. Without his Albright education, he may not have been prepared for the two projects his labs are working on. “Many of the skills I used in laboratory, as well as the plethora of things learned during lecture, have carried over into my job at Jefferson. ‘Cell Biology’ as well as ‘Organic Chemistry,’ for example, prepared me well for this position since I use many of those skill sets in my job now.”
One of his two projects focuses on “studying the mechanisms of anemic mice that make auto reactive antibodies toward their own red blood cells.” The other focuses on the immune responses that cause chronic hepatitis in mice.
During Michael’s undergraduate career, he was also on the men’s soccer team. Balancing academics and athletics here at Albright is something that a lot of our students do and do well. Continuing education after graduation is also something that a lot of our students do. In Michael’s situation, he’s able to work and continue his education!
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Steven Baily ’07
Business Administration
National Accounts Financial Underwriter, Aetna Insurance
Steven Baily’s Albright education allowed him to demonstrate his ability to multitask and take on multiple responsibilities. “My interviewing manager told me I was the top candidate for the job because of my demonstrated ability to handle multiple projects,” says Steven, who now works as a national accounts financial underwriter for Aetna Insurance. “All of the professors at Albright genuinely wanted me to succeed, and it showed in their willingness to answer questions at all hours via phone, fax and e-mail.”
In Steven’s current position, he is doing quite a lot of multi-tasking. From projecting renewal rates for clients, to building cliental relationships, to meeting with senior staff to work on negotiating prices, to developing databases that are user friendly—every day seems to be a whole new experience.
Steven is planning to attend the University of Hartford as an accelerated MBA student in his home state of Connecticut.
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Kelly Anne Cross ’08
Sociology/Spanish/Theatre
Teacher, Prague, Czech Republic
Even though English wasn’t one of Kelly Cross’s three majors, it’s what she’s teaching in Prague, Czech Republic, to adult students. During her time at Albright, Kelly studied abroad in Spain and the Dominican Republic and did an international internship in Guatemala. “Without these travel experiences and the support that my now alma mater has always provided for me, I would have never been as successful as I have been here in Prague.”
Kelly took advantage of all of the opportunities that Albright had to offer. She was on the women’s basketball team, she was a member of the Student Government Association and the Albright College Christian Fellowship, she started the Leaf Lifting/Snow Stopping outreach initiative, she was a Peer Orientation Person (POP) and an Admission Ambassador, she served as president of the Domino Players Theatre Company, she was elected Homecoming Queen, and she served as a “FACE” of Albright! If that isn’t enough, as mentioned above, she completed an individualized study program that enabled her to graduate with a triple major in sociology, Spanish and theatre.
Kelly is happy to report not only that her Albright experience was incredibly positive and life altering, but also that she is continuing on a daily basis to fulfill and live Albright’s motto of ‘A Different Way of Thinking’ while she is an entire ocean away.
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Sarah Skillman ’06
Accounting and Economics and Finance
During her time at Albright, Sarah was busy as a member of the Campus Life Council, Options, the varsity field hockey team, and Alpha Delta Pi sorority.
She is now living in Reading, Pa., and working as a research assistant at Weik Investment Services, Inc. Her responsibilities include helping the investment team with acquisition and distribution of research as well as assisting them with portfolio management.
“The small class sizes allowed me to develop close relationships with my professors. Dr. Martin played an integral role in helping me figure out what I wanted to do and in finding an internship. He encouraged me to apply for an internship at Weik, which led to my current position. Albright’s small size also enables you to form close relationships with other staff members on campus. The Career Development Center takes the time to get to know each student and helps see you through the entire career search process. Albright’s small size allows you to become involved in multiple campus organizations and activities. Not only did this enable me to gain leadership experience, but it also allowed me to work closely with administrators. The opportunities I had at Albright helped me to become who I am today both personally and professionally. I don’t believe I would have had the same opportunities if I had attended a larger university.”
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Megan Flannery ’06
Elementary Education and Early Childhood Education and French
While a student at Albright, Megan participated in Lion Diplomats, the Resident Student Association, Cue (yearbook), women’s lacrosse and the French honor society.
She is now living in Mechanicsburg, Pa., and working in the Cumberland Valley School District as a long-term substitute kindergarten teacher. She is responsible for developing lesson plans and managing her classroom of kindergartners.
“At Albright, I had the opportunity to be in the classroom from the very beginning of my studies. I was able to volunteer at the elementary schools in Reading and work at the Albright Learning Center, both of which helped me to gain experience as a teacher. Also, my early field experience at Albright during my sophomore year enabled me to be in the classroom for the entire Interim semester and reinforced that teaching was really what I wanted to do.”
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Jordan M. Mauger ’06
Communications and English
As an Albright student, Jordan was involved in the Student Government Association, Pi Kappa Phi fraternity, The Albrightian (the school newspaper), Peer Orientation Persons (POPs), Concert and Chamber Choirs, the Day Students Association, the Honors Program, and the English honor society.
He resides in Philadelphia, Pa., and works as a copywriter in Promotional Content at QVC. He is responsible for composing promotional material for QVC.com. Jordan writes weekly updates for the different product categories on the site, such as Electronics, Cooking and Dining, Gourmet Food, Children’s, and Home Improvement. After he creates the copy he is responsible for getting it approved by the legal department and making sure that it appears correctly on the layout before it goes up on the web site.
“Through both my communications and English coursework, I was able to develop my writing skills and become a more well-rounded writer. The different types of assignments I was given at Albright allowed me to learn a variety of writing styles, including the persuasive/promotional style I utilize daily in my position. Another valuable skill attained through both my courses and experience working on the student newspaper is an enhanced focus on detail. This attention to detail allows me to scrutinize my own writing to avoid any mistakes being placed on the web site.”
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Stacey Krout ’06
Biochemistry
While a student at Albright, Stacey stayed busy as a member of the women’s volleyball team, the American Chemical Society, the Pan-Hellenic Council, and the Alpha Delta Pi sorority.
Stacey is now living in Norristown, Pa., and working as a lab data processing specialist at Merck & Co. Her responsibilities include processing and validating lab results for clinical trials. She must ensure that all of the results are accounted for at each visit for each patient/subject of the clinical trials. Stacey must also verify that the results and information accurately match up with the samples that are drawn from each patient/subject.
“Albright provided me with a strong base of knowledge. It provided many opportunities that helped me decide what I was interested in based on my strengths and weaknesses. I learned how to set personal goals and how to achieve them step by step. The encouragement of the faculty and staff always pushed me to work hard and expect more from myself.”
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Amy Lucas ’06
English and Communications
While studying at Albright, Amy spent her free time singing in the Chamber and Concert Choirs, working on The Albrightian (the school newspaper), tutoring other students in the Writing Center, working as a mentor in the Freshman Forum program, and as a member of the English honor society.
Amy is now living in Philadelphia, Pa., and working as an associate editor for Advertising Specialty Institute (ASI). She is responsible for contributing articles for six of ASI’s magazines. Whether she is marketing to manufacturers, suppliers or end users of the promotional product industry, every project she works on and each magazine she contributes to is different. In addition to writing, she is also called upon to edit documents and look over magazines before they are sent to print.
“The classes I took at Albright helped very much to prepare me for the writing and editing that I do every day. However, I would also say that the people skills and relationships I formed were just as important, if not more so. My social connections with both peers and faculty made the difference in getting this position at ASI.”
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Jessica Bair ’06
English and Communications
As a student, Jessica kept busy as a staff writer for The Albrightian (the student newspaper), as a tutor in the Writing Center, and as a member of the English honor society.
She is now living in Etters, Pa., and working as a staff writer for the Central Penn Business Journal. As such, she is responsible for covering the news topics of retail, small business, transportation and tourism in Lebanon County, Pa. This includes networking with sources, breaking news before competitors, and accurately reporting news in the Business Journal’s daily e-newsletter, the Business Journal Daily. She writes one or two short items for the daily each day, about three short items for the weekly each week, and three full-length articles for the weekly each week.
“I interned at the Journal as part of my school work for my communications major. If it weren’t for that internship, I would have never been asked to freelance for the Journal or eventually be asked to join the staff full time. My experience at Albright with The Albrightian helped to give me confidence in my writing skills and introduced me to newspaper production. My professors definitely gave me an edge up through insight from their own experiences. They provided endless support, encouragement and excellent advice.”
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Catherine Maloney ’06
Business and Political Science
While at Albright, Catherine helped her fellow students in her role as a tutor in economics, accounting and finance.
She is now residing in Levittown, Pa., and working as a financial analyst for United Health Group, where she is part of the team that maintains accounts for Secure Horizons, a United Health Group company. She also takes part in reconciling accounts, preparing information for auditors, posting to ledger, analyzing figures, and reporting to the Center for Medicare and Medicare Services.
“Our professors taught us how to think. The liberal arts program at Albright assisted us in becoming well-rounded (and more open-minded) individuals. This taught us how to apply those ‘thinking’ skills to any situation.”
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Andrew Russell Holets ’06
Political Science and Communications
During his four years as a student, Andrew was busy as news editor for The Albrightian (the student newspaper), as a member of the Mane Men, Concert, and Chamber Choirs, as the sports director for 91.3 WXAC (Albright’s radio station), and as a member of the political science honor society, the English honor society, the Political Science Club and Pi Kappa Phi fraternity.
Andrew now resides in Pavlodar, Kazakhstan, where he is working as a Peace Corps volunteer. He focuses on education and increasing awareness of HIV/AIDS prevention among the youth and drug addicts of Pavlodar. He also teaches English language and journalism strategies to students.
“I made it a point to immerse myself in the college, both with and against its teachings, to learn as much as I could. The knowledge learned from my communications and political science courses allows me to balance various cultures and ideas of the world, while my extracurricular time with music gave me a language common to most people around the world. The extracurriculars offered at Albright afforded me a Renaissance man-type of college experience, and made it easy to make friends with various personalities—something that is valuable when living in a different culture for an extended period of time.
Writing with the newspaper and its staff gave me an inclination to observe society in all of its varying layers of reality and goodness. As for specifics to how Albright directly affected my current life, I owe a sizeable amount to advice and assistance from Dr. Christian Hamann of the science department, and nearly all the professors in the political science and communications departments, including those no longer at Albright. Their teachings helped plant the seed that has led to my work and belief that the world can be improved through an application of education and development. Thanks to the Albright professors’ unique and genuine care for their students as individuals, it was easy for me to ask for help and references when the time came.”
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Continuing Education
Sheritta Wilkerson ’08
English, Political Science, Spanish
Duquesne University, School of Law
Sheritta Wilkerson jokes that she’ll “send [us] her resume” when asked about her extracurricular activities as an undergraduate student at Albright. All of her involvement is now helping her manage her time at Duquesne University, where she is enrolled in their School of Law.
While Sheritta isn’t sure exactly what type of law she will pursue, she knows that she will “be a lawyer practicing some type of law somewhere in Pennsylvania.”
“The small, close-knit community of Albright gave me an endless list of resources and mentors that [she] still finds [herself] able to turn to whenever I need a helping hand. Furthermore, the Career Development Center (Karen Evans, specifically) set [her] on the right road when [she] was just starting out on [her] application process for law school, and made sure that [she] was still on the right road up until the day my acceptance letters began coming in.”
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Lori Gabert ’07
Pennsauken, NJ
Psychology, Criminology
Lori Gabert is enrolled in a master’s program at Chestnut Hill College, focusing on clinical-counseling in psychology with a trauma studies concentration. She feels that “Albright’s class offerings and support by professors helped me get where I am today. Their confidence in me and guidance while applying to grad programs helped ease the stress that comes along with it. They also offered classes that students interested in counseling would need to make sure they were pursuing the right career path—not many colleges offer an ‘Introduction to Counseling’ class.”
She is also a master’s level intern at a counseling center in New Jersey. “I co-facilitate—and will eventually facilitate—group therapy sessions with adults who have been diagnosed with a mental health issue and a dual diagnosis.”
Her master’s degree will be completed in July. She is hoping to be a licensed professional counselor by the end of 2011 or 2012.
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Shevon Nicholson ’08
Philadelphia, PA
Psychobiology
Shevon Nicholson is pursuing a doctorate in neuroscience at Drexel University College of Medicine. She is conducting research, working on publishing papers for scientific journals, presenting on her own research, and performing small animal surgeries. Due to Shevon’s diverse interests, she feels that the doctorate program at Drexel is great because it focuses on a broad spectrum of biomedical sciences. “I plan to complete my thesis work on the effects of methylphenidate (Ritalin) on the physiology of the brain and on performance on attention tasks.”
The Albright Creative Research Experience (ACRE) program was instrumental in giving her the independent research experience needed to succeed in her doctoral program. “Most Ph.D. programs put a premium on research experience, the ability to express your findings in writing, and your experience working directly with faculty members in collaboration. My experiences with ACRE gave me the edge I needed to make it into some very good graduate programs.”
After graduation Shevon plans to become a professor or work in the pharmaceutical industry.
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Lynn Gazzale ’06
Psychobiology
While at Albright, Lynn was a Peer Orientation Person (POPs), a member of the psychology honors society, and a member of Sigma Kappa sorority.
She is now living in South Brunswick, N.J., where she is a graduate student at Thomas Jefferson University. She is in a master’s program for occupational therapy. She is also working as a graduate assistant for Project Home, an after-school program for underprivileged children in Philadelphia. After she graduates she looks forward to working as an occupational therapist in an early intervention setting.
“Albright provided me with a great knowledge base in both psychology and biology. This strong background has helped me in the anatomy and pathology classes that I am currently enrolled in. The prerequisites for my master’s program correlated perfectly with the psychobiology classes that Albright required.”
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Samuel J. Aronson ’06
History and Holocaust Studies
During his time at Albright, Sam enjoyed being a member of the Concert Band, the yearbook, Albright College Friends of Music and the history honor society, as well as a resident educator in the Albright residence halls.
Sam is now living in Washington, D.C. He is pursuing a master’s degree in higher education administration at George Washington University, where he is also working as a financial aid counselor. In his capacity as a counselor, he assists undergraduate students in funding their education by providing loan DEFAULT-prevention counseling and federal work study and student loan accessibility information, and by processing loans as well as need-based and merit-based aid. The master’s degree that Sam is studying to obtain will prepare him to work in a variety of mid-level administration positions in institutions of higher education or business and industry related to education. When he graduates, he hopes to find a position in housing and residential life at a major college or university or an associate’s position at a national executive search firm.
“I would not be where I am today without the experience, knowledge and training I received at Albright. My time at Albright prepared me to work in a professional, collaborative atmosphere that requires independent thought, self-motivation and research and reporting. The writing, public speaking and collaboration skills I learned and honed at Albright are necessary, everyday components of my job and classes. If it wasn’t for the dedicated faculty and administrators at Albright, I would never be able to successfully navigate a full-time job and full-time graduate studies. Pursuing my graduate work at a major research institution with more than 25,000 students has made me especially appreciative of the warm and community-centered atmosphere of Albright. That is something totally irreplaceable, and it is greatly missed every day.”
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Tayon R. Swafford ’06
Religious Studies
As an Albright student, Tayon was involved in the Gospel Ensemble, the African-American Society, Albright Christian Fellowship, the religious studies honor society, and Alpha Sigma Phi fraternity.
He is now living in Nashville, Tenn., and pursuing a master’s of theological studies degree at Vanderbilt University’s School of Divinity. His courses cover topics such as biblical criticism, theology and ethics, and political thought. He is also the research assistant to Dr. Victor Anderson of the Christian Social Ethics and African-American Studies Department.
“My Albright education was absolutely amazing! All of my classes were amazing; however, the classes that I shall always remember and treasure the most, like ‘The Sociology of Religion,’ ‘Diversity Issues,’ ‘The Black Church and the Phenomenology of Religion,’ ‘What is Religion’ and ‘Aggressive Materialism,’ showed me that we all must actively work to create a society that is more embracing and empathetic. Enjoy the courses you are taking—make sure that you can easily explain one fact or theory that has shaped your understanding of yourself, the community or the greater society. Learning is an active, communal and indeterminate process—in the end, one must live to learn by praising similarities and by celebrating pluralities.
From a phenomenological (experiential) point of view, Albright helped me develop a sense of individual and global responsibility, because the Experience events allowed me to take account of my role in the preservation of traditional beliefs, norms, values, etc. My advice to any incoming student is that you attend and pay active and close attention to the Experience events. These events allow students to recognize, respond and engage with one another in unimaginable ways. Take advantage of this opportunity, because after you graduate you will be expected to become a contributing member of an interpersonal and global society.”
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