September 29, 2011
The pressure to know your future plans can weigh heavily on Hamilton students’ minds. Whether choosing a major, a summer internship or a career path, such a monumental decision can seem overwhelming. The “Hamilton Leaders Live Their Passions Through New Ventures” panel provided a look at what it takes to make your own way in the world, making a living while pursuing a personal goal. The advice from several alums who have struck out on their own paths is this: follow your passion, wait patiently for the right opportunities to come along and don’t hesitate to act on that ‘A-ha!’ moment.
John Werner ’92: Follow your passion
John Werner ’92 is the Chief Mobilizing Officer and Managing Director for Citizen Schools, an after-school program that offers underprivileged students enrichment programs and teaching apprenticeships. After graduating from Hamilton, Werner spent several years as a public school teacher and as a principal for students with behavioral disorders. He found himself asking the question, “Is American education going in the right direction?” The realities of the education system in our country would indicate that we are falling behind many leading nations. While funding has skyrocketed in the last 30 years, student performance has flat-lined.
Werner’s solution was to keep students in school longer and offer programs that would get them excited about learning. Citizen School’s primary focus is “STEM,” or science, technology, engineering and math education. The organization recruits mentors from organizations such as Google to teach students about their specialties or hobbies. Students are allowed to “shop” for courses that interest them and then attend a three-hour apprenticeship.
“We are increasing the school day and expanding the talent pool of teachers,” said Werner. He pointed out that it is unreasonable to expect schoolteachers to be virtuosos who know everything about anything. Experts do have something to contribute to the classroom. This “second shift of educators,” as Werner calls them, have already proven successful in turning around entire schools. Werner has been able to turn his passion for educating children into a new structure for reforming the American education.
Gretchen Grad ’85: Believe in the ‘A-ha!’ moment
Gretchen Grad ’85 always knew she wanted to pursue a career in finance. After graduating from Hamilton, she enjoyed 12 years in banking. Then, like most Americans, her life was changed forever on Sept. 11, 2001. In the aftermath of the attacks, Grad was alarmed by the growing schism between the East and West hemispheres and frustrated by what she saw as Americans’ ignorance of foreign policy. Her concern with conflict-resolution led her to create Hands for Peace, a program that brings Israeli and Palestinian teenagers together. This was no small feat for Grad, who spoke neither language and shared neither religion. Still, she believed her liberal arts education at Hamilton gave her all the necessary skills, especially when it came to persuasive public speaking.
“You don’t need an advanced degree. You need to network and seek advice,” said Grad. “Know what you know, and know what you don’t know.”
Hands for Peace is a non-profit that invites Israeli and Palestinian students to the United States for a chance to meet, discuss and connect with one another over their similarities and differences. The two-and-a-half week program sets the teenagers up with host families, facilitates dialogue and team-building and also offers site-seeing and cultural exploration. Once they return home, the students attend follow-up meetings in Jerusalem and are connected with other peace organizations. According to Grad, many students who have participated in Hands for Peace have gone on to have careers in international relations.
Though Grad had no formal training to prepare her for fostering diplomacy between foreign exchange students, she found that there was no obstacle that could keep her from creating the organization of which she dreamed.
K. Blake Darcy ’78: Carpe Diem
Blake Darcy ’78 had no clue what he wanted to do with his life when he was a senior at Hamilton. Upon graduating, he decided he “just had to get out there and do something,” and after a series of unrewarding jobs, Darcy settled in happily with DLJ, an investment bank located in New York City. Now the Chief Executive Officer for Gotham Asset Management, LLC, Darcy was offered a risky opportunity while at DLJ that set him up for great success decades later. In the 1980s, the company proposed setting up an online consumer system with an online broker.
Many in the firm considered this a foolish waste of resources. In fact, it would be impossible to recruit anyone to take a gamble in this new venture. Yet Darcy accepted the challenge and ran with it, enjoying success in his endeavors even during the market crashes of 1987 and 2008.
“Starting in a difficult moment can be great. People are willing to try non-traditional avenues,” said Darcy.
He believes part of the reason his efforts in online brokerage were so successful is simply because the time was right. Darcy does not profess any personal convictions driving his career, to compare with Werner or Grad, but he does share their optimism and keen eye for opportunity.
“When opportunities came that I thought made sense, I took a chance and said ‘I will do this,’” said Darcy. “Opportunities being offered to you is more likely than having an ‘A-ha!’ moment, but you must have the passion to get you through.”