Adelphi University Students P.R.E.P. for Success with Al Trautwig
Garden City, NY - October 17, 2017 - “I urge you to learn something new everyday,” said Al Trautwig ’78, ’17 (Hon.). “Learn a little about art, learn a little about pointillism, learn a little bit about physics, learn a little bit about sports, learn a little bit about life. You have an open universe to do that in so take advantage of it.”
First-year students at Adelphi University were able to get a head start thinking about their futures with Emmy Award-winning broadcaster, Adelphi Athletic Hall of Fame member and part-time faculty member in the Department of Communications, Al Trautwig, as he kicked-off the first P.R.E.P. (Preparation, Reflection, Experiential Learning, Planning) for Success event.
The lecture and panel was also comprised of Adelphi alumni and students including: Brandon Buono, a third-year undergraduate student at Adelphi University pursuing a B.B.A. in Management with a specialization in Management Information Systems; Gary Jansen '92, the director of Image Books and a senior editor at Penguin Random House; Tiani Kennedy ’11, a cover designer for W. W. Norton & Company, Inc.; Crista Maracic, M.A. '16, a fourth-year doctoral student in the Clinical Psychology program at the Derner School of Psychology, adjunct professor and practicing clinician in the Derner Clinic; Timothy McAleer ’10, the owner of the tour company, Founding Footsteps; and Catherine Stolfi, M.S. ’17, who works with Nature's Bounty Co, ensuring the natural products are being analyzed to regulation, safety and environmental standards.
The event was part of Adelphi’s Leadership Certificate Program — an interdepartmental initiative goal offering Adelphi undergraduate and graduate students opportunities to develop leadership and professional skill through a series of workshops. The workshop held on September 19 titled “P.R.E.P. for Success—A Winner’s Guide to Achieving Goals”, centered around starting off your college career on the right foot, making the most out of your classes and focusing on achieving and finding your dreams, goals and passions.
“I’ve been involved in pro-sports since I was thirteen years old and being involved in pro-sports I’ve learned a lot about economics, about racism, trust and the most important thing I’ve learned is winning,” said Trautwig during his lecture. “There is an approach from the very beggining to state your goal. We’re good enough to win the Stanley Cup, we’re good enough to win the Larry O'Brien Trophy. In your case, you’re good enough to win with honors, you’re good enough to graduate with an idea, it happens the first day.”
Trautwig also delved into the importance of writing in your everyday life, one of the most important skills when it comes to applying for jobs and communication in the workplace, and gave the students some advice about why cliches matter in connection to following your passions.
“You're going to hear an awful lot of things from people like me; follow your passions, have a dream, things like that. The one thing about cliches is that they’re cliches because they apply,” said Trautwig. “They’re real and they become cliches because people say them all the time, the reason people say them all the time is that they matter and they apply. Should you follow your passion? Yes, but first you have to figure out what that passion is and the only way you can find out what your passion is, is by trying to learn something new everyday.”
Other speakers agreed with Trautwig about the idea of exploring new avenues including Tiani Kennedy, who found her passion changing after graduation.
“A had a moment of sheer panic,” said Kennedy, after realizing the difficulties of balancing her creative time and her prep time while working as a teacher for two years after receiving her M.F.A. in creative writing. “I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life, so I stopped for a moment and thought about what skills I had, what would I enjoy doing every single day and graphic design was that.”
“I was freelancing during that time, so I created a portfolio for myself using some of the same work that I had created while I was here at Adelphi,” Kennedy continued. “I applied for an art internship at W.W. Norton and, at the same time, I was applying for full-time teaching positions. I landed a full time job as a teacher and I landed the internship, and I passed on the full-time job because I knew the internship would make me happy.”
The choice to pick Norton over the teaching position led Kennedy to a full-time career as a cover designer for the publishing company, giving the powerful message to the first-year students that trying new things and making the most out of our time in college can lead to unexpected and exciting career opportunities - one of the major themes and takeaways of the event.
About Adelphi: A modern metropolitan university with a personalized approach to higher learning.
Adelphi University is a highly awarded, nationally ranked, powerfully connected doctoral research university offering exceptional liberal arts and sciences programs and professional training with particular strength in its Core Four—Arts and Humanities, STEM and Social Sciences, Business and Education Professions, and Health and Wellness. Adelphi is dedicated to transforming students’ lives through small classes, hands-on learning and innovative ways to support student success.
Founded in Brooklyn in 1896, Adelphi is Long Island’s oldest private coeducational university. Today Adelphi serves over 7,900 students at its beautiful main campus in Garden City, New York—just 23 miles from New York City’s cultural and internship opportunities—and at dynamic learning hubs in Manhattan, the Hudson Valley and Suffolk County, and online.
More than 100,000 Adelphi graduates have gained the skills to thrive professionally as active, caring citizens, making their mark on the University, their communities and the world beyond.