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Guest Column
Have you seen the changes?
I graduated from NYIT in 1991, but i never really bid farewell to the college. In addition to my career in financial services, I'm an active member within NYIT's Alumni Federation, which hosts dinners, cruises and other networking events where you can catch up with old friends (see www.nyit.edu/resources/alumni and visit the "Meetings & Events" area).
What inspires my loyalty to NYIT? The answer is simple: When I was a high school senior who needed some direction, the college offered me a great education and a generous soccer scholarship. It was a winning combination that I couldn't turn down.
In the classroom, courses like Money and Banking stirred my interest in Wall Street and led to my current career as a vice president at Quick & Reilly. And a marketing course, taught by Associate Professor Donald Nagourney, showed me that even great products can die without the right marketing campaigns.
On the soccer field, former coach Bill Easteadt took a little-known Division II program and built it into a nationally ranked team.
Athletics channeled my stress in a positive direction as I adapted to college life. I learned how to deal with success, failure, pain and the adversity that comes with competition. Most importantly, I mastered the art of time management-an essential skill for all of us who are forced to juggle families, careers and other commitments.
Although I enjoyed my time as a student-athlete, NYIT and the Alumni Federation didn't change much during the early 1990s.
Now for the good news. About three or four years ago, the pace of change at NYIT began accelerating. Jeff Morosoff (NYIT's director of alumni and government relations) kept us informed as NYIT made real changes across its campuses.
Skeptical? Drive around the Old Westbury campus and you'll spot some big improvements, including new signage, new walkways and students equipped with laptops that can access NYIT's network. Similar changes are prevalent on the Central Islip campus, which now has wireless networks, and the Manhattan campus, where classrooms in a fourth building-close to Columbus Circle-are scheduled to open this spring.
There's always room for improvement, but it's hard to believe how far NYIT has come.
in the game.
What about NYIT's athletics programs? I realize NYIT isn't an athletics powerhouse. This is, first and foremost, an academic institution for higher learning. But I'm pleased to see that NYIT President Edward Guiliano and the Board of Trustees have taken an interest in our dedicated student-athletes. Many students, for instance, spotted Dr. Guiliano at last year's lacrosse playoffs. And Ben Arcuri, a former media relations manager for the NBA's Miami Heat, recently joined NYIT as sports information director.
Still, sometimes alumni sell the NYIT athletics program short. Our lacrosse team has competed for national championships. Our track athletes have entered the Olympics. Women's volleyball has won bids to the NCAA tournament. Our baseball team has produced more than 40 professional prospects. And the list goes on.
I hope today's student-athletes enjoy the NYIT experience as much as I did. This may sound like a cliché, but I wouldn't change a thing about
my college years.
Frank Palumbo (B.S. '91) is first VP of the Alumni Federation's Executive Council, first VP of the Long Island Chapter and first VP of the Athletics Chapter. Reach him via alumni@nyit.edu
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