Anne Shaknis, FCRH '05, GSAS '08, and Griffin Quirk, FCRH '05, met during their freshman year at Fordham. And during their five-year Jubilee reunion in June 2010, Quirk surprised her with a marriage proposal. She said yes, and the date is set for fall of 2011. Read more of their proposal story here.

A New Jersey native, Anne Shaknis enrolled in Fordham College at Rose Hill to get a Jesuit education, while also to enjoy New York City life. At Rose Hill, she majored in communication and media studies; and minored in business administration. After graduating in 2005, she lived in Australia for six months then returned to Fordham to earn her M.A. in public communications in 2008. And this fall, Shaknis began studies at Hunter College, in the master's in speech-language pathology program.

Griffin Quirk, who is from Connecticut, majored in history and minored in psychology at Fordham, and graduated in 2005. Quirk was already very familiar with the University before ever enrolling. His brother Ryan Quirk graduated in 2002 from Fordham College at Rose Hill and enjoyed his college experience—an experience both brothers now share.

Anne Shaknis

Why did you choose to attend Fordham for your B.A.? And then for your M.A.?
Anne said she was fascinated with Fordham's communication program, and the University's radio station, WFUV. "Also having lived in the suburbs my entire life, I wanted a more diverse, city-like environment. But at the same time, I wanted to dorm on a nice campus, with a close knit, community feel." As for her master's degree, Ann said Fordham allowed her to take graduate courses during her senior year, which were then credited toward an M.A. This allowed her to complete the M.A. program in a shorter time.

What was the Fordham experience like for you?
Anne recalls a great experience, especially meeting her future fiancé during her second week of freshman year. She worked at WFUV in the newsroom, where she wrote stories, appeared on air a few times and produced several features. One of her features, Greetings from Camp, earned Ann the Gracie Award for Outstanding Student Documentary, Radio (Short-Length) from the American Women in Radio and Television organization.

Which Fordham professors had the greatest impact on you?
"Most notably, Professor Donna McKenzie. She was one of my first teachers. She taught my Introduction to Theology during my freshman year. She was also one of my last professors during my final, senior semester, when she taught Marriage in the 21st Century."

How did you get started in your career?
"While interning at New Line Cinema, I really thought I was dead set on going into media business. But once I went to Belize, on a GO! trip, my junior year, and then later to Guyana, my senior year, my mind was completely opened to wanting to do public interest work. That is what led me to go work for the Fresh Air Fund, a nonprofit organization that sends lower income children to camps that focus on encouraging and helping inner-city kids to go to college."

How has Fordham helped you get to where you are today?
"Fordham definitely gave me a focus by allowing me to combine my degrees, and knowledge acquired therein, with work in the nonprofit public sector. For instance, Fordham armed me with the tools and skills necessary to succeed in my current role as project manager in the communication and marketing department, at the American Cancer Society."

Griffin Quirk

Why did you choose to attend Fordham for your B.A.?
According to Griffin, he was already familiar with Fordham because his older brother attended the school around the same time he was looking into colleges to attend. Though he was impressed with his brother's positive accounts of the institution, Griffin was most attracted to Fordham's Jesuit principles and the school's commitment to higher education.

What was the Fordham experience like for you?
"It was great! Being that my brother also attended Fordham, I knew what to expect. Most memorable, however, was getting to meet and know Anne, my fiancée. I also really enjoyed the nearby food and restaurants throughout the Little Italy section of the Bronx."

Which Fordham professors had the greatest impact on you?
"There was no one professor. It was just the overall experience of taking different courses, with professors who cared, and challenged us intellectually. My professors engaged the entire class; they interacted with students, and they made themselves readily available to us if we had any questions or concerns."

How did you get started in your career?
Griffin is a high school history teacher in Queens, New York. "But without Fordham I would not have learned the fundamentals necessary to understand the importance of academics. Nor would I have been able to attend and successfully complete a challenging masters program, in education at NYU."

How has Fordham helped you get to where you are today?
"The Fordham GO! program encouraged me to become ever-so active and committed to giving, and to helping restore our communities. The Fordham alumni relations [office] also me helped me! They assisted me in setting up my proposal to Ann. During our 2010 Jubilee the office made sure I had access to Anne's old freshmen door room. Sodexho even provided us with complementary flowers and chocolate covered strawberries. It all went better than planned. And I thank Fordham for making that possible."

—Interviewed by JM Mariotti, Esq., FCRH 2004

Melanie Rossacci, who earned her M.S.W. with a specialization in social work and law from Fordham's Graduate School of Social Service in 2009, was recently selected for the Annie E. Casey Foundation's Elm City Fellowship for Children and Families. As a fellow in this nine-month executive training program, she strives to foster diverse leadership in nonprofit and public-sector initiatives that benefit the children and families of New Haven, Conn. A court planner for the State of Connecticut Judicial Branch Court Support Services Division, Melanie works in the administrative services grants and contracts unit overseeing several judicial branch contracts, including adult female residential and transitional housing services, and juvenile and youth in-home psychiatric services. She is a native of Wallingford, Conn., where she lives with her husband and three children.

Why did you choose to attend Fordham for your M.S.W.?
I selected Fordham because of the University's reputation of excellence in education overall and in particular within social work. Additionally, as a Connecticut resident, attending classes at the Westchester campus was quite convenient.

What was the Fordham experience like for you?
Being a student at the Graduate School of Service was like having an extended family; from the library staff to the security officers, fellow students and, of course, the professors, everyone was extremely supportive and helpful.

Which Fordham professors had the greatest impact on you?
My administration professors, Dr. Lauri Goldkind and Adjunct Professor Roberta Herche, epitomize strong female leaders, and they taught with such passion; I feel fortunate to have learned from their unique knowledge and experience.

How did you get started in your career?
I've always had an innate need for things to be fair and equitable. After receiving my undergraduate degree in social work, I began working within the criminal justice system and realized my fervor for administration while serving as a judicial liaison to the State of Connecticut Department of Children and Families. I enjoyed advocacy work and having the ability to make a difference for children in such a large bureaucratic system. The experience led me to change career paths and pursue a graduate degree in social work administration.

How has Fordham helped you get to where you are today?
My Fordham education and experience helped me further realize the importance of having a foundation in a strong social work administration curriculum. I also developed competencies that strengthened my professional and people skills.

What do you do in your free time?
Spending time with family and friends is important to me. I also enjoy running, yoga and dancing.

By Lauren Cunningham, GSB '05
Young Alumni Committee Member

Brendalyn King, a native of St. Louis, Missouri, graduated in 2006 from Fordham's Gabelli School of Business, where she majored in management and minored in music. She now resides in Bedford Stuyvesant, Brooklyn, and is one of the 2009-2010 Hollyhock Fellows for the Fellowship for Operational Leadership with Uncommon Schools. In July she will become Director of Operations at Leadership Prep Ocean Hill. She also is working toward her master's degree as a member of the inaugural cohort of Teacher U at Hunter College, a newly designed teacher training institute created by Uncommon Schools, KIPP and Achievement First.

Why did you choose to attend Fordham?
Well, I wanted to be in New York—and having gone to a Catholic elementary school, I wanted to continue with a Catholic education. I also have respect for the Jesuit order and tradition.

What was the Fordham experience like for you?
The Fordham experience allowed me to be a well-rounded student. I was able to drive the RamVan, referee intramural basketball games, work out with the volleyball team, and take classes that were tailored to my major.

What course, activity or person has had the greatest impact on you?
At Fordham, Kate Combellick, clinical assistant professor in the Gabelli School of Business, had a great impact on me because she taught how I could use my business skills as a foundation to do whatever I wanted to do.

How did you get started in your career?
The summer after junior year I participated in GO! Jamaica. It was then and there that I realized that my life purpose was to provide educational opportunities for all children.

When did you join Uncommon Schools and what kind of work do you do?
I joined in 2005 as a volunteer for Excellence Boys Charter School. I was later hired as the founding office manager for Leadership Prep—I'm the first former office manger to become an operations fellow. In that position I recruited the initial kindergarten and first grade cohorts, managed admissions and created all front office systems. I've also been a reading teacher, afterschool program instructor, and director of special projects (DOSP). I'm looking forward to expanding my leadership skills while building new school systems and shaping school culture for a new Uncommon School.

What did you do as a DOSP?
I tackled school transportation by implementing a safe dismissal system, met all New York City Department of Education and New York City Department of Health compliance standards, and created valuable resources for schoolwide events.

How has Fordham helped you to get where you are today?
Fordham made me appreciate all walks of life. My time in school was a very humbling experience.

Interview conducted by Marquis Green, GSB '05

Warren Graham grew up in Hempstead, Long Island, and graduated from Fordham's Graduate School of Social Service in 2007. He is a project director at the Nassau County Family Treatment Court, where he works with juveniles and adults struggling with substance abuse. He oversees their progress through court-mandated programs (drug screenings, career services, anger management classes, etc.), and works to help reunite drug-addicted parents with their children and help drug-addicted juveniles avoid placements outside of their homes. Warren is also an elected delegate to the national assembly for the National Association of Social Workers, an organization that works to create and maintain professional standards for social workers.

How did you get started in your career?
I grew up on Long Island and saw poverty, single-parent homes, domestic violence and addiction. I wanted to give back to better this community. I got my B.S. in psychology from SUNY Old Westbury and started working in advertising. I felt unfulfilled—like I had missed my calling. A friend working for a treatment agency offering drug treatment services to Queens Criminal Court suggested I get back on the path—the care of others. I got a job there and found it so rewarding, I decided to pursue a master's in social work.

Why did you choose to attend Fordham for your M.S.W.?
I chose Fordham because Fordham has a nationally ranked graduate program in social work and is one of the premier institutions for social work education in New York.

What was the Fordham experience like for you?
Attending Fordham was wonderful. It was a multicultural, multiethnic smorgasbord, and I experienced diversity there in a way I didn't in my past education. Professors taught as if we were at an Ivy League institution, expecting us to learn from one another, not just the professor.

Which Fordham professors had the greatest impact on you?
Professor Charlene Lane fostered a comfortable learning environment with the warmth and compassion she brought to the classroom, and Professor Shirley Gatenio Gabel's classes on social policy were so detailed and informative and provided a new perspective on social welfare policy.

How has Fordham helped you get where you are today?
Instead of merely increasing my knowledge base, Fordham raised my level of professionalism and prepared me to deal with real life situations on the job. I found it easier to find employment in my field due to the value attributed to the Fordham degree.

What do you do for you?
I've written two self-published books of poetry, Indigo Soul: Collage of Life and Love and A Day In the Life. They include love poems and social commentary on the things I see on a daily basis in my line of work.

What advice would you give to current students?
Get as much as you can from your collegiate experience. There is so much to be learned from professors, students and peers. Don't underestimate the intrinsic value of educating oneself.

What are your aspirations?
I would love to teach and ultimately become a professor at a university to give back in a different way. I'm currently applying to Ph.D. programs and would love to continue my education at Fordham.

Is there a quote that summarizes your experiences?
"My purpose is greater than my maintenance." Rashawnda Little, one of my student interns, said that—it's my favorite quote. Although being a social worker is often a grueling occupation, the divine purpose in helping populations [in need] is more important than how I feel in any moment.

Interview conducted by Diana Kearns, FCLC '07, GSAS '08

A Bronx, New York, native, Tracie Babb spent her freshman year at Boston College as a psychology major. However, feeling unfulfilled at the school, she transferred to Fordham University as a sophomore, where she double majored in communications and media studies and African and African American studies. After graduating from Fordham College at Rose Hill in 2000, Babb continued her education at the Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, where she received her master's degree in public communications in 2002. She went on to Howard University in Washington, D.C., to earn her Ph.D. in rhetoric and intercultural communication.

"My college experience started out a little bit rocky going to a school that wasn't for me," said Babb, "but everything worked out when I switched over." When she came to Fordham, she said she was at home in the small classes and personal atmosphere of the school. "Everything I thought it was, it was."

She warmly recalls one of her professors, Mark Naison, Ph.D., professor of African and African American studies, helping her become more acclimated to her new surroundings and leaving her with a positive impression. "He was a good mentor to me and to other students," said Babb, "and I still keep in touch with him."

Coming to Fordham as a commuter and a transfer student was at first intimidating for Babb, but it did not stop her from creating meaningful friendships and relationships with her peers and professors. She insists the University had a family feel and she was able to dive right in, becoming both an ambassador to prospective students and joining Asili, the black student union. Babb speaks of Fordham like she is speaking about an old friend. "Had Fordham offered a Ph.D. in communications, I would have continued my studies there," she joked.

When Babb began her career teaching middle school, she felt that something was still missing in her professional life. "I wanted to go back to school to teach what I love to adults," she said. "I wanted to find a way to marry both teaching and communication."

She found a way when she went to Howard University to earn her Ph.D. in communications. A professor now, Babb taught at Bowie State University for more than three years before she started her current job at Rowan University in Glassboro, N.J. She says she is happiest teaching at the college level, but emphasizes that getting to know her students outside of the classroom makes her experiences at the university all the more enjoyable. "It's nice to be able to talk to people and know who I'm working with."

Stephanie Scorziello, FCRH '06
Young Alumni Committee Member

Erik Platt, a literary scout for Warner Brothers Pictures, has helped some of the biggest names in Hollywood find movies to star in and produce, including George Clooney, Leonardo DiCaprio, Steve Carell and Johnny Depp. Working for Maria Campbell, founder of the international literary consulting firm Maria B. Campbell Associates, Platt reads a variety of manuscripts—from fast-paced action and adventure thrillers to heart-breaking memoirs—to find a compelling story to bring to the big screen. One of Platt's recent favorite book-to-film acquisitions is Olen Steinhauer's The Tourist, an espionage thriller, which was acquired by George Clooney and his production company, Smokehouse.

"The adaptation process is always tricky, and often die-hard fans of books typically find fault with the big screen adaptation, but when done properly, they tie in together perfectly. A great example of that is the recent Twilight phenomenon," said Platt. "The job of someone like me is to anticipate and notice trends, to spot them before they are a phenomenon, so that the studio can capitalize on them in the future."

A 2007 graduate of Fordham College at Rose Hill, Platt majored in communication and media studies. He credits Paul Levinson, Ph.D., professor of communication and media studies, with helping him earn an internship in literary scouting with 20th Century Fox/Fox 2000 the summer before his senior year. Platt also worked at the Gersh Agency that same summer and at the William Morris Agency during his senior year. He also earned internships at VH1's Best Week Ever and NBC's Last Call with Carson Daly, and at the entertainment law firm Greenberg Traurig.

Platt, a New Jersey native, credits his Fordham education for his early success in the movie business. He admits to having a soft spot for the William D. Walsh Family Library on the Rose Hill campus, where he would not only study, but also watch the film adaptations of classic novels he'd read; for example, John Steinbeck's East of Eden and the movie directed by Elia Kazan and starring James Dean.

"I didn't know it then, but I really was training myself for a profession I only dreamed of pursuing later in my life," said Platt. "Luckily, Fordham helped make that career a reality, and all that training allows me now to see what makes a book potentially something special for film."

Marquis Green, GSB '05
Young Alumni Committee Member

Growing up in Florida, Christina Leavenworth always knew she wanted to go to college in New York City. "Fordham had that small town feel within a big city," she explained, "I fell in love with it the moment I stepped foot on campus."

At Fordham, Leavenworth played scholarship tennis, met lifelong friends, and discovered her passion for journalism after interning with ABC's 20/20 and Primetime Live during senior year. After graduation, she headed to Ghana, Africa, where she gained on-air experience as the host of Good Morning Ghana. Returning to the United States, Leavenworth spent a year as a reporter for Blue Ridge Communication's TV-13 News in Pennsylvania. She also worked as an anchor, reporter and producer of CNN Headline News Local Edition for the Poconos.

Looking for a change of scenery and the chance to cover hard news, Leavenworth moved to Mobile, Alabama, to work for Fox 10 News – WALA, the number one rated station in the market, covering West Coast Florida, Mobile and lower Mississippi. Focused on breaking news and investigative reporting, her story, "Driving while InTexticated," spurred legislators to review laws banning texting while driving.

Station management soon promoted Leavenworth and offered her a greater opportunity and challenge—to run the Pensacola News office. As the Northwest Florida Bureau Chief, she is the lead reporter on breaking new stories, responsible for assigning coverage to the station's several reporters, under her news judgment.

"In this line of work, you need to know a little about everything," Leavenworth said, "Fordham's strong core education provided me that broad knowledge and prepared me to deal with various situations and types of people."

Passionate about her work, Leavenworth enjoys the day-to-day excitement of the job. "You never know what news is going to break next, where and when," she said. "I report and go live on a daily basis. It's the job of my dreams and I couldn't have gotten to where I am today without my start at Fordham."

Lauren Cunningham, GSB '05
Young Alumni Committee Member

It seems fate is playing a role in Ashling Colton's post-undergraduate life. The 2009 Gabelli School of Business graduate, who majored on marketing and minored in communications and media studies, says she had life after Fordham mapped out.

After spending a good amount of her junior and senior undergraduate years at WFUV-FM (90.7) as the host of the Ceol na nGael program, Colton was determined to pursue more education. She was accepted into Fordham University's Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, and hoped to continue on at WFUV as a graduate assistant (thus being able to afford her graduate studies). However, Colton had to postpone her graduate studies because she would not be able to serve as a graduate assistant until fall 2010.

Nonetheless fate stepped in. While conducting an interview at WFUV, Colton learned of the International Rose of Tralee Festival, a fête, she describes, as similar to a beauty pageant. She says it provides an amazing opportunity for young Irish women to showcase their individual aspirations and promote their Irish heritage and social responsibility.

The international festival is a competition for young women, known as "roses," from around the globe the chance to earn the crown of the Rose of Tralee, a title that provides them the opportunity to travel the world promoting and engaging in charitable work. When Colton learned of her educational setback, she set out to become the New York State Rose. After a daylong grueling series of intricate competitions, Colton was chosen to be the New York State Rose. In August 2009, she headed to Ireland for the international festival where she competed against the 49 other "roses" in hopes of becoming the 2009 Rose of Tralee. In the end she didn't win, but Colton enjoyed the worldly experience and plans to see where fate takes her next.

Gloria Chin, FCRH '00
Young Alumni Committee Member

A native of Bridgeport, Connecticut, Mark C. Smith entered Fordham University at Rose Hill in 2000 as a red-shirt member of the Fordham Rams football team, and went on to double-major in history and sociology, with a minor in African American studies, before graduating in 2004.

While at Fordham, Smith was an accomplished and active student. He served as a Ram Van driver, commuting students between Fordham's two campuses, and was a research assistant and videographer for the Bronx African American History Project, which is headed by Mark Naison, Ph.D., professor of history and African American studies at Fordham. Smith also received a scholarship to play the trombone with the Fordham Band, and he was a member of the prestigious Rose Hill Society, a select, volunteer group of students who assist the Office of Undergraduate Admission in all on-campus events for prospective students. He participated in the society for three years, serving as the co-chair his senior year.

As an undergraduate, his acts of service also extended beyond Fordham's walls. Smith mentored students at Regis High School in Manhattan, and he volunteered with Fordham's Global Outreach, traveling to Belize to help re-build homes for the indigent and terminally ill natives.

Smith appreciates all that he learned at Fordham. According to him, the University challenged him in ways that he could not see other institutions doing. As he explains, "Fordham taught me how to question life, rather than just accepting things as they are, and for granted."

When asked, what values do you accredit most to Fordham, Smith said, "Making part of my life to serve others." That is why, he added, "I am a present and active member of several different nonprofit organizations in New York City, for which I help fundraise and raise awareness." One such group includes the 100 Black Men of America, Inc., through which he serves as a mentor to inner-city high school students.

In addition to his enthusiastic involvement with local community organizations and charities, Smith is a young, but rising financial advisor at UBS. He also recently helped open and continues to help run, with his mother, Supreme Fish Delight, in Harlem.

JM Mariotti, FCRH '04
Young Alumni Committee Member

Janine Maclaren's roots in Fordham University extend back as far as the 1930s, when her grandfather, Philip Joseph Maclaren, M.D., graduated from Fordham College at Rose Hill in 1933. Janine Maclaren joined her Fordham family—her father, brother, sister and two uncles are also alumni—when she earned her B.S. in business administration in 2005.

Maclaren grew up learning all about the University through her family. Attending Fordham was a tradition and honor to them. Her father, she said, would often share his reflections on the University: "Fordham equipped us with the tools to succeed in life and it imbedded a sense of community, hard work, good ethics and a desire to pursue our dreams."

Gifted in art, Maclaren often received first place in art competitions including the Annual Congressional Art Competition hosted by the U.S. House of Representatives, and was offered full scholarships to different art schools across the country, but she chose instead to continue the Fordham legacy. Upon graduation, Maclaren went to go work at Bloomberg, where she quickly excelled as a full-time employee in the company's competitive sales department. Her position there, which continues to this day, entails a series of responsibilities including traveling. During her work trips to develop strong business accounts and networks, she also gains insight and exposure to different world markets and stock exchanges.

But without Fordham, Maclaren would not have been as prepared for this profession. She credits the University with instilling the necessary tools to be able to communicate and work effectively with others. And because of Fordham, Janine said, she is "very happy, with a strong sense of personal growth and development." This, along with her personal sense of accomplishment, is something for which she thanks Fordham.

JM Mariotti, FCRH '04
Young Alumni Committee Member

In 2005, after a year at Loyola College in Maryland, Ryan Ruocco transferred to Fordham University. "That was one of the best decisions I've ever made," he said. "My experiences at Fordham were absolutely fantastic."

The underpinning of Ruocco's enjoyment at Fordham came from his time working with the sports staff of WFUV (90.7 FM), the University's award-winning public radio station. A sports enthusiast, Ruocco always wanted a career in the industry, and Bob Ahrens, executive sports producer at WFUV, helped train the aspiring sports broadcaster.

While part of the student staff of WFUV, Ruocco hosted a number of live sporting events for One on One, WFUV's weekly sports call-in show. He covered events including the NFL Super Bowl, the NFL Draft and Old Timer's Day at Yankee Stadium. As a beat reporter, Ruocco interviewed star athletes, such as Yankee's shortstop, Derek Jeter. But his most passionate work was doing the play-by-play for Fordham basketball and football on WFUV.

"I take so much pride in the Fordham connection in sports and broadcasting," Ruocco said. "I think that lineage provides a foundation of belief that I can make it too."

Ruocco continues to follow his passion for sports. As a sports update anchor for 1050 AM ESPN Radio in New York, he does the radio play-by-play for the National Invitation Tournament basketball games and for the CBS College Sports Network. And during the Major League Baseball season, Ruocco is an in-booth statistician for all telecasts of Yankees home games.

JM Mariotti, FCRH '04
Young Alumni Committee Member

Before taking up residence at the Yale University School of Art, Rory Mulligan, FCLC '07—one of nine students selected for the school's MFA program in photography—found his interest in the subject at Fordham College at Lincoln Center.

Fordham's Department of Visual Arts served as a backbone, Mulligan said, helping him develop his talent and fully realize his passion for black-and-white and color photography. He was inspired and motivated by his professors, including Joe Lawton, associate professor of visual arts, who worked with Mulligan on several projects at the Black and White on White photography studio in Manhattan.

Fordham also instilled in Mulligan a sense of personal responsibility toward others, and the world as a whole, he said. Through the University's Global Outreach (GO!) program, he traveled to Nicaragua and to a reservation in the Navajo Nation, where he lived and worked with other students on various social justice projects in the community. As a board member of GO!, he led a group of students on a service-immersion trip to Jamaica.

"Fordham prepared me for the real world," he said. "It taught me how to establish and build upon relationships with others. It shaped and molded me."

Fordham's influence runs in Mulligan's family, too. His grandfather, the Honorable William Hughes Mulligan (FCRH '39, LAW '42), was a former dean of Fordham Law School; his father, William Hughes Mulligan Jr., earned a B.A. from Fordham College at Rose Hill in 1970 and a J.D. from Fordham Law in 1974; and his sister, Katherine, graduated from Fordham College at Lincoln Center in 2004.

JM Mariotti, FCRH '04
Young Alumni Committee Member

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