Philadelphia Alumni Gather to Meet Accepted Students

More than 30 alumni, accepted students and their families and representatives of St. John’s University gathered at the Philadelphia Marriott West in Philadelphia, PA on Wednesday, March 18, 2009 for an accepted student enrollment reception.  Staff and current students shared information about St. John’s and provided insight to help accepted students make a decision about attending the University in the fall.

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Admissions Counselor Kerri Darcy welcomed attendees and introduced current senior Ashley Gurney '09TCB, a native of the Philadelphia area.

Gurney provided a detailed account of her student experience at St. John’s, emphasizing the wealth of cultural and social knowledge gained through the various study abroad opportunities she had as a participant in the Discover the World program. She also provided personal insights into her life as resident student.

Andrea Papa '88SVC, Associate Director of Student Engagement and Regional Programs for the Office of Alumni Relations, told attendees that “the strength of the alumni network is lifelong.”  Each year, Alumni Relations sponsors programs that benefit both alumni and students including Alumni Insider’s View and Student Alumni Association (SAA) programs, where current students have the opportunity to meet and learn from the personal experiences of successful alumni.

Philadelphia Chapter Leader Marc Fein '92SVC and Chapter member Chrysa Smith '82CBA candidly spoke with students and families. 

Fein emphasized the value of the "people connections" he made at St. John's and the sense of community that exists at the University. He outlined his successful career track from radio stations to Comcast Cable, and ultimately to his current role as Executive Vice President of Programming, Production, and Business Operations, for Versus, a Comcast company.

Smith described her experience at St. John's as “unique and meaningful.”

The reception was a great opportunity for alumni to reminisce while sharing their stories with future St. John’s students.