April 16, 2012
Times Square is arguably Manhattan’s busiest attraction, known
for its bright lights and crowded streets. But for some lucky
individuals, like young alumna Sara Silvestri ’10CPS, it’s also
where they work every day.
“It’s chaos!” Silvestri joked. “There are flash mobs
dancing outside my office, press conferences and events going on
all the time. It’s a crazy part of town, but I love it.”
This charismatic young alumna works as the
Marketing and Public Relations Coordinator for Marriott
International, Inc. with her office located in Times Square’s
world-famous Marriott Marquis. She graduated with a B.S. in
Communications from St. John’s Staten Island campus in 2010 and in
a short period of time has already made her mark on the
professional world.
“I work for Marriott properties located
throughout all five boroughs of the city,” she explained. “In
particular, I’m involved in advertising campaigns for our catering
and food and beverage departments, working through various online
channels to promote a variety of our efforts.”
Silvestri transferred to St. John’s in her
sophomore year because of the University’s outstanding
Communications program and its location in Staten Island. She soon
landed an internship with Conde Nast and various other publications
based in the city.
“Communications is such a broad major, so what
I learned at St. John’s can be applied to many different
positions,” she said. “My internships helped to prepare me for the
professional world and ultimately led me to my job with
Marriott.”
Hospitality Management is an industry that
Silvestri never dreamed she’d be working in, but she’s come to love
the atmosphere and the opportunities it affords.
“I never realized all of the opportunities
that are available to you if you work in Hospitality,” she noted.
“Marriott is a fantastic company, one that allows for a tremendous
amount of career growth, so I’ve come to really love this whole
experience and the Hospitality atmosphere.”
Silvestri attributes much of her success to
her time spent at St. John’s and the professors and students she
met there. As a Staten Island native, she particularly enjoyed
going to a campus that was practically in her backyard.
“What’s so impressive about the Staten Island
campus is how close-knit it is,” she said. “It’s really like a
family over there – that’s how close we all are. Yet at the same
time you’re part of this much larger university, so it’s exactly
what I wanted out of college.”
In many ways, Sara’s relationship with St.
John’s has come full circle. As a student, she participated in Alumni Insider’s
View…Programs (AIV), and recently – less than a year after
graduation – she served as an alumni panelist at the
AIV… Hospitality Management Program held at the Marriott
Marquis.
“I remember a few years ago sitting in the
audience watching alumni, thinking, ‘Wow, will I ever get there?’”
she said. “Now I’m more than happy to give back to a new crop of
students, and it’s definitely a great feeling to know that I can
impact these young men and women.”
From the Staten Island campus to the busiest
neighborhood in Manhattan, Silvestri has certainly started her
career off on the right foot. And her advice to students is simple:
apply.
“Don’t be shy about applying all over the
place,” she suggested. “Go for as many jobs as you can, in as many
different fields as you can. I never would have guessed that I’d be
working in Hospitality Management, but I’m so glad that I am. So
don’t be afraid to take risks and see what’s out there!”