What was it about the young alumni trustee position that interested you? I realized that the impact my time at CC had was immeasurable. It is thanks to CC, the high expectations from professors, the challenging classes, the dynamic dialogue, the strenuous schedule, and the intellectual people that I was able to move into a great job right out of college. I wanted to give back. I joined the Alumni Association Board in February 2009 and saw the young alumni trustee position as the next logical extension of my service to the college. Since the young alumni trustee is a pilot program, I hope to capably serve on the board and make a difference. I see this position on the board lasting generations, and I hope to be just the first of many qualified young leaders of the college.

What are board meetings like? My first meeting was September 23–26. Being a strategic planning meeting, we were off-campus at the El Pomar Foundation all weekend, working with various groups of constituents of the campus (students, staff, faculty, the Mellon Group, etc.) to learn about their visions for CC under new leadership. From listening sessions with those groups to presentations on the Mediterranean Semester to the Plenary Session where I took the oath of office, it was a tremendous experience. Exhausting … but awesome.

What are some of the issues that you would like to engage while you are a trustee? First and foremost, I think it will be important to listen and learn. There is a tremendous amount of institutional knowledge held in the 37-person board, and I look forward to just learning from them. As President Celeste moves toward retirement in June 2011, I hope to serve as a voice for the young alumni population as we seek a new leader for the institution.