Terry Begley, GABELLI ’86, the CEO of corporate banking at PNC Financial Services Group, kicked off the evening. He shared that as the new chair of the council, he’s excited to harness its passion for the University to help Fordham’s new president, Tania Tetlow, with “what she’s trying to accomplish.”

Fordham’s ‘Knights of the Round Table’

The reception served as the first official opportunity for Tetlow to meet the council, a group of successful professionals and philanthropists committed to mentoring Fordham’s future leaders, funding key initiatives, and raising the University’s profile.

“I am so excited to have my own council!” she told them at a reception prior to the mentoring event, which was held in the Lowenstein Center’s 12th-Floor Lounge. “I’ll think of you as Fordham’s Knights of the Round Table: You bring your wisdom, your contribution, your expertise—so much—to Fordham and our students.”

Tetlow said she loves hearing about the ways council members not only “help with the kind of donations that pay forward opportunity” but also engage with “our students quite directly—mentoring them, giving speeches, doing so much for the school.” She added that she’s “eager” to take in their advice and work with them to continue to enhance the Fordham experience for students.

Forge New Connections

Margot Reid, GABELLI ’21, special events and professional development chair of Fordham’s Young Alumni Committee, opened the roundtable discussion portion of the evening by welcoming alumni and parents “back here, back home, to Fordham.” She encouraged the students and recent graduates to really “make the most of this unique opportunity to connect with … the Fordham family” in the room, a group that included graduates from class years spanning five decades.

At 10 tables, each one featuring at least two mentors, attendees shared their stories—from what brought them to Fordham and who in the Fordham community has had the biggest impact on them to how to navigate the workforce while staying true to their values along the way. Guided by discussion prompts, they also delved into how Fordham’s global network of more than 200,000 alumni can help.

Garismar Ramirez, a Fordham College at Rose Hill senior studying neuroscience, asked the mentors at her table how they transitioned to the workforce after college, noting that she feels it would be a big jump to go from worrying about GPA and test scores to performing well every day on the job.

Thomas E. Kelly III, PAR ’11, ’13, said that he did it by learning to be comfortable with ambiguity and trusting in his ability to do a “good job.”

“Don’t be afraid. Don’t be anxious,” he said, adding they should aim to perform with as much excellence as they can.

Kelly, a member of the President’s Council, also encouraged students and recent graduates to use the resources Fordham offers, through the alumni relations office, the Career Center, and the Office of Counseling and Psychological Services, to help overcome any nervousness or anxiety they might have about interviewing and networking.

Trust the Process

Guthrie Garvin, FCRH ’99, a managing director at the real estate and investment firm JLL and member of the President’s Council, said that it’s important not to put too much pressure on yourself to find “the job” you’ll have for the rest of your life.

“I’ve been doing the same thing for 18 years, but it was a pretty circuitous path before that,” said Guthrie, who spent some time in education and sales before turning to real estate. “Find what you think you’re passionate about and jump in, but don’t be afraid to pivot if it turns out that there’s another path that seems more exciting. It’s part of the process.”

Speaking of process, Errol Pierre, GABELLI ’05, senior vice president of state programs at Healthfirst and member of the President’s Council, told the students that internships could help them determine what they’re most passionate about. Thanks to a series of three internships he completed as an undergraduate, he learned what he didn’t like. And “if you can align passion and profession, the sky’s the limit,” he said.

Remember You Belong

Halley Rodriguez, a Fordham College at Lincoln Center senior and a member of Fordham’s Collegiate Science and Technology Entry Program (CSTEP), said she was curious about how to combat imposter syndrome.

In response, Garvin encouraged each of the students at the table to “be confident in yourself and where you should be,” to resist the temptation to “run from what’s a little uncomfortable,” and to remember always that they will bring value to the organization that hires them.

“Constantly tell yourself, ‘I’m supposed to be here,’” Pierre said. “The time it takes to be in your head [worrying]takes you away from performing.”

“There’s so many issues that impact the ability for people to be healthy in low-income communities like the Bronx,” Pierre said, such as high unemployment, low graduation rates, and limited access to affordable fresh fruits and vegetables.

Pierre said Bronx County, where he’s lived for more than 15 years, ranks last out of 62 counties in New York when it comes to health outcomes. He’s on a mission to improve that statistic, not just through his work at Healthfirst, but also by mentoring Fordham students as a member of the President’s Council and by teaching health economics as an adjunct professor at Columbia University and other schools across the city. He said a holistic approach is what’s needed.

“There’s so many downstream impacts of not having [good] health [outcomes], but the solutions are outside of just giving people a health insurance card; it has to do with the total environment,” he said.

The Value of a Fordham Education

Born in New York City to Haitian immigrants, Pierre said the value of education was drilled into him and his older brother “the entire time growing up.” He watched as each of his parents worked multiple jobs to provide for their family and make higher education that much more accessible for him and his brother.

“My dad actually started a business cleaning offices, and the sole purpose was for his children to go to school, get an education, work hard,” Pierre said.

Pierre said that in high school, Fordham was on his radar as one of the city’s top schools. He liked that he could live on campus but still visit his family often. He also liked the University’s proximity to countless internship opportunities and the reputation of its business school. Add in the fact that he could continue running track, which he did throughout high school, and Pierre said he was sold.

“I knew I wanted to be a business major somewhere that would afford me the opportunity to have an internship. I remember, once I got the acceptance from Fordham and the ability to join the track team, that was my decision; that was it.”

Beginning a Lifelong Commitment

Pierre’s start as a Fordham student is imprinted in his mind for more than the opportunities and change it provided, though: 9/11 happened at the beginning of his first semester.

“I remember going to the rooftop of Dealy Hall with other classmates and looking at the city skyline,” he said. “I remember every single piece of that moment. There was so much bonding for that cohort.”

Pierre said that those moments, along with his time on the track team and in the classroom, were defining for him. “[You] figure out what you want to be when you grow up, figure out the type of man you’re going to be for the rest of your life,” he said. And that’s why he’s so committed to the University still.

“After I graduated, there was always a goal to stay connected to Fordham—you just want to give back because of how much was given to you as a student,” he said.

Offering Current—and Future—Students a ‘Hand Up’

One of the ways he tries to meet that goal is by serving on the President’s Council, a group of successful professionals and philanthropists committed to mentoring Fordham’s future leaders.

Last September, he joined two other council members on a panel titled “Born, Bred, and Making It in NYC.” He told Fordham students that a series of internships really helped drive him to his career and passion: equitable access to health care for everyone.

After graduating from the Gabelli School of Business in 2005, he earned a master’s degree in health policy and financial management from NYU, and now he’s pursuing a doctorate in health economics at Baruch College’s Zicklin School of Business—all to be better equipped to both find solutions to public health crises and to educate students to be able to do the same.

As a member of the President’s Council, Pierre has also contributed to the Fordham Founder’s Undergraduate Scholarship Fund. He recalled one incident when he was able to help clear the barriers of entry for one student of color with her heart set on enrolling in the Ailey/Fordham BFA in Dance program. Now, she’s in her second year of the program, he said.

In the past, he’s also had a chance to reach students before they enroll, offering advice and sharing his experiences with Black male student-athletes through his involvement in Fordham Gents, a mentoring group consisting of Black male alumni.

“I would sit at a table with 10 to 12 kids, and we literally would just talk about college life, school, how to write a resume, how to look for scholarships, things to think about when thinking about a school, my experience at Fordham as a Black student,” he said. “Giving back that way was very impactful for me, and I just felt it was a must-do because I wish I had that sort of exposure, training, and guidance. I wished I was able to meet alumni that were of color that said, ‘Hey, I’ve been through it.’”

Since December, Pierre, who recently finished a term on the President’s Athletic Advisory Board, has also been serving as a member of the Athletics Steering Committee and is hoping to facilitate a partnership between Healthfirst and the University. He said that recruiting from the communities it serves is a priority for Healthfirst, so the organization is looking to Fordham and other New York City schools for interns and recent graduates.

“Once COVID-19 is dying down, and we can go back into the community and be safe, where there’s opportunities for Healthfirst to do community engagement events in partnership with Fordham, we’ll definitely connect.” More than recruiting students, Pierre said the partnership would also focus on what can be done to help the community overall.

“My passion has been trying to work with anybody … because we shouldn’t be in a society where we have so much money, yet there’s so many people that need a hand up to help them have a better life and thrive.”

Fordham Five (Plus One)

What are you most passionate about?
I’m most passionate about mentoring and helping people along their path to being the best version of themselves.

What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
The sweet isn’t as sweet without the bitter.

What’s your favorite place in New York City? In the world?
I have forever fallen in love with Harlem, New York. After that, Johannesburg, South Africa, is my second favorite place.

Name a book that has had a lasting influence on you.
On Beauty, by Zadie Smith. Actually, any book by Zadie Smith!

Who is the Fordham grad or professor you admire most?
I admire Anthony Carter, FCRH ’76 [a Fordham trustee and former member of the President’s Council]. He has been a thought leader and high-level executive in his industry. He sets a high bar and an amazing example of how to give back to the Fordham community. Lastly, he has created unique opportunities for other alumni, like me, to give back, too. He’s a Fordham titan!

What are you optimistic about?
I am optimistic about the COVID-19 recovery in New York City. As we return to normal, vaccinations are quickly becoming the gateway to our new, post-pandemic economy. This means the unvaccinated working class of New York could potentially be shut out due to their lower vaccination rates. This comes at a time when the need could not be greater. But I am hopeful that New York and the new administration in City Hall will find the light at the end of this tunnel.

Interview conducted, edited, and condensed by Sierra McCleary-Harris.

That’s according to three members of the Fordham University President’s Council—Maureen Beshar, FCLC ’86, Errol Pierre, GABELLI ’05, and Ed Sisk, FCRH ’85—who shared their stories and experiences with Fordham students and others on Sept. 14. The online panel discussion, “Born, Bred, and Making it in New York City,” was part of the council’s Executive Leadership Series.

“There’s just something about a Fordham student that has Jesuit values, and wants to be a global citizen and give back to their community,” said Pierre, a senior vice president at Health First, the largest nonprofit health insurance company in New York. “And I think there’s something intangible that just comes with” living, studying, and working in New York City.

Putting Fordham Lessons into Practice

When Sisk, the managing director and head of public finance at Bank of America Merrill Lynch, was put in charge of the company’s banking division after the 2008 financial crisis, he said that he used values he learned at Fordham years ago to help manage his team through it.

“For an organization to be successful, it has to be driven by core values,” he said. “We define our core values as: we focus on our clients, we work hard, we conduct ourselves with integrity, we win or lose as a team—that’s how I assess how people do their jobs.”

Beshar, a managing director and CEO of North America for Robeco, an asset management firm, said that in her field, she has to explain complex situations and solutions to clients, and her Fordham education helps her do that effectively.

“I think Fordham really helped me question things in a way that I might not have done before,” she said.

Seizing Opportunities to Explore Career Options

When Pierre started at Fordham, he wasn’t sure what he wanted to do. He enrolled in the business school because he wanted to look like “the guy with the dress shoes and the suit whipping around The Wall Street Journal on the subway,” he said. But while he was at Fordham, he decided to use the internship opportunities presented to him to explore several fields.

“Internships really drove me to my passion,” he said. “I was glad I was in the city, because I had a lot of friends that went to other schools that didn’t have the plethora of opportunities for internships, as I did being so close to Manhattan.”

He started out interning for a life insurance company and quickly realized that wasn’t for him. “After two weeks, I was like, ‘I can’t do this,’ which was fine,” he said. “The beautiful thing about internships is, if you find that you don’t like something, that’s just as valuable” as finding something you like.

He then tried interning at a bank but found that the role was often about “helping rich people get richer.”

“Even though I was in the business school, we still had to take philosophy, we still had to take religion—I didn’t know why I still had to take those classes—but then I learned, ‘Oh, I’m graduating with a conscience and as a global citizen,’” Pierre said.

That led him to his third internship, at Blue Cross Blue Shield. He started out doing data entry, but over the next 10 years there, he learned more about aspects of the insurance business that interested him, such as “coverage gaps—why some things are covered, why things aren’t,” and disparities in health care.

“I would not be in my line of business if it was not for interning while I was at Fordham,” he said.

Thinking Differently

When Beshar first enrolled at Fordham, she was working two jobs—one at a local deli and one at a hospital—to help pay for the cost of school. After her first year, she had to drop out and ended up taking an entry-level position at Merrill Lynch to save some money. Beshar knew that if she wanted to advance in her field, she had to go back to school, and when she did, she returned to Fordham and decided to study something that would help her think differently and stand out—philosophy.

“Going to Fordham, it almost felt like coming home again,” she said. “With my interest in philosophy, and trying to be a little bit analytical, Fordham … was a natural choice. … It was very exciting, and I think gave me exposure to so many opportunities, so many different people, so many different experiences.”

Tapping Into with the Alumni Network

One of the pieces of advice the panelists gave to students and those in attendance was to reach out to those who preceded them at Fordham, particularly because they all now share a bond with the school and the city they called home for at least four years.

“One of the reasons to love being a Fordham New Yorker is there’s so darn many of us, and we’re thriving where we are doing business and we are mentoring,” said Sisk, who added that he’s always available to offer advice to Fordham students.

Beshar said that she’s seen and benefited from the positive impacts of the alumni network.

“What you learn and the support you get and just the networking —if you’re open to learning, I think it’s always there” for you, she said.