Paying it forward: John Moses '53
Annual Fund Chairman John Moses '53 stresses that creating college opportunities for young people today will help hundreds of others tomorrow. “Higher education is a powerful way to affect our nation and the world,” he says.
The $3.7 million in contributions to the last Fund by Union alumni and supporters will enhance every aspect of College life, he notes, from financial aid to faculty recruitment to the College's unparalleled foreign exchange program.
“The 9/11 attacks made us poignantly aware that there are people in the world who don't see us the way we are and who act based on that false perception,” says Moses, a management trainer and consultant in Stamford, Conn.
“I'm proud that Union is helping to challenge negative perceptions by providing opportunities for three-fourths of our students to spend a term abroad, studying, living and working in a range of nations.”
With an A.B. from Union and a M.A. from NYU in 1967, Moses knows firsthand how donors make a difference. “When I was writing a check for my Union tuition in the '50s,” he reflects, “there were alumni writing checks to the Annual Fund, and that kept my tuition costs down.
“I feel a responsibility to repay the help I got. The way to do that is to not break the chain – and 'pay it forward' to the next generation of students.”
MAKING A CASE FOR GIVING: Fred Pressley Jr. '75
When Fred Pressley Jr. '75 walked across the Union campus for the first time, he felt a world away from his native New York City and 4,000-student high school. But he quickly acclimated to the small, dynamic, scholastically rigorous environment.
“Union's academic competitiveness was exhilarating,” says Pressley, Trustee, Terrace Council chairman and a partner in the internationally recognized law firm of Porter, Wright, Morris & Arthur in Columbus, Ohio.
“Combined with faculty who genuinely cared about each student and provided guidance every step of the way to help us achieve our goals, it was an invaluable experience. These qualities are unique to this day, even compared to other small colleges.”
A Powell, Ohio, resident, Pressley earned a B.A. in political science from Union and also holds a J.D. from Northwestern University School of Law, Class of 1978. He considers the close friendships he forged at Union among his significant achievements.
His most rewarding Union experiences? “Regular student forums where individuals from all backgrounds spoke openly about national and international issues,” he notes. “These kinds of lively debates help people work out their differences and encourage an understanding of others' cultural values.”
In all, he says, “Union stays with you a lifetime.”
Enjoying Alumni Support: Michelle DeSimone-Shellard '83
Michele DeSimone-Shellard '83 has worked in communications, public service and government. In all of her professional positions, she muses, “I've been connected to Union people, and it's been very valuable.”
The connections began early on, at a student internship at the Schenectady Gazette, where her mentor was Managing Editor Orazio “Buddy” Ottaviano – Union Class of 1948.
Along the way, there were many more key encounters with alumni, including Assemblyman Jim Tedisco '72, who gave her a big assist, after graduation, to the communications office of the Republican minority at the New York State Assembly.
In 1989, DeSimone-Shellard became a lobbyist for the Association of Towns of the State of New York; the association's attorney was a Union grad whom she contacted via the Career Center.
And when she launched her own business as a special events coordinator and spearheaded a high-profile health conference for Empire State Report, she worked with Editor and Publisher Floyd Weintraub – Union Class of 1970.
For the last several years, DeSimone-Shellard has taken on numerous College volunteer activities, including serving as 20th ReUnion coordinator for her class, and being active with UCAN and Concordienses. When she begins her next job search, no doubt she'll be looking forward to some key Union connections.