October 28, 2008
More
than 30 students gained incredible access to some of St. John’s
University’s most successful and accomplished alumni in Washington,
DC at the 28th Annual Alumni Insider’s View of the Capital
Program.
Photo Gallery
The event occurred from October 22 to October 24 and drew alumni
from various fields including law enforcement, government, the
military, the non-profit sector and health care. The alumni
graciously gave of their time to share their experiences working
and living in and around the nation’s capital and students learned
about the many opportunities available for internships and
employment. Student selection for the program is highly competitive
and the group of St. John’s seniors and graduate students were
excited as they traveled by bus from the Queens campus to
Washington, DC on Wednesday, October 22. That evening, a welcome
dinner was held at The Market Inn in DC where opening remarks were
made by Andrea Papa '88SVC, Associate Director of Student
Engagement and Regional Programs for the Office of Alumni
Relations. Rev. Kevin Creagh, C.M. '91SVC, '04PD, Associate Vice
President for International Sites and Alumni Chaplain, offered the
Invocation and Laura Cranston, R.Ph. '84P, Chapter Leader for the
Washington DC Alumni Chapter, and Michael Goldman, Esq. '98L,
President of the School of Law Washington, DC Alumni Chapter,
welcomed the students.
Joseph Canovas '08L, a participant of last year’s Insider’s
View, is now a Law Fellow in the General Counsel’s Office at the
AFL-CIO and spoke to those gathered about how fortunate they were
to be selected for this year’s program. “The alumni participants
give students valuable and candid information about living and
working in D.C.,” he said. “I think if you take advantage of the
information and opportunities provided, it will be a productive and
enjoyable experience.”
The next day was a full one as the group first ventured to the
Cannon House Office Building for a Legal and Law Enforcement Panel
moderated by Brian Browne '93C, '97G, Assistant Vice President for
Government Relations at St. John’s. An Industry and Non-Profit
Panel was facilitated by Art DeCelle '78C, '81G, Executive Vice
President and General Counsel for The Beer Institute, followed by
lunch at Bullfeathers Restaurant. Later, some students traveled to
the United States Securities and Exchange Commission where Brian
Breheny, Esq. '90CBA, '96L, Deputy Director for Legal and
Regulatory Policy, Division of Corporation Finance, was the host
while a small group of students opted to go to the President’s
Council on Bioethics to meet with Council Chairman Edmund
Pellegrino, M.D. '41C, '71HON.
On Thursday night, it was standing room only at the Student and
Alumni Networking Reception held at The Phoenix Park Hotel.
Students reveled in the opportunity to have one-on-one time with
the alumni. “I came because I wanted to learn more about different
fields and they have a really wide array of alumni participating,
so the event definitely has met that expectation,” said Diana
Castaldini '09C. “The alumni are the people who have gone through
what we are about to go through,” said Patrick Donegan '09TCB. “We
can draw on the life lessons and experiences that they have offered
to us during the program.” As part of the evening’s events, Laura
Cranston announced the presentation of the Joseph Addabbo '46L,
'84HON and Arthur B. Carton '25C, '29L Scholarships to five of the
students.
On Friday, Raymond Martinez, Esq. '93L, Deputy Chief of Protocol at
the United States Department of State, hosted the group there
before they traveled to the Longworth House Office Building for a
Healthcare Industry Panel moderated by Laura Cranston. During
lunch, Thomas Snowden '88SVC spoke about how he got started in
internships in television which led to his position as Video Editor
for the Washington Bureau of NBC Nightly News and The Today Show.
The final panel on U.S. Military and Challenges of the 21st Century
was moderated by James McGinty '64CBA, '66MBA, '85HON and at the
conclusion, students enjoyed a tour of the nation’s capital before
heading home.
Andrea Papa declared the annual event a success. “This year’s
Insider’s View was particularly successful because of the number of
students who were a diverse group representing undergraduate,
graduate and doctoral level students from all six of our St. John’s
University schools,” she said. “Additionally, I think we had the
most alumni participation in program which was equal to the number
of students who came to Washington.” The Insider’s View of the
Capital is one of the premier programs offered by the Office of
Alumni Relations.