{"id":85722,"date":"2024-08-20T14:53:25","date_gmt":"2024-08-20T14:53:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/adv\/alumni-news-media\/?p=85722"},"modified":"2024-11-06T18:11:33","modified_gmt":"2024-11-06T18:11:33","slug":"the-power-of-connection-how-rochesters-campus-life-shapes-interpersonal-and-professional-skills","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/adv\/alumni-news-media\/2024\/08\/20\/the-power-of-connection-how-rochesters-campus-life-shapes-interpersonal-and-professional-skills\/","title":{"rendered":"The power of connection: How Rochester\u2019s campus life shapes interpersonal and professional skills"},"content":{"rendered":"
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I am in the Chicago area, where I grew up and where I have been since shortly after graduation. My wife Tracey and I have been married for 21 years and we have two daughters, Molly and Samantha. I am a Member with the international law firm of Dickinson Wright and work out of our Chicago office. My practice is focused on intellectual property litigation, with a significant amount of my caseload covering cases involving trademarks and advertising claims. Tracey and I are incredibly excited that Molly will be heading off to the Ä¢¹½´«Ã½ as part of the Class of 2028.<\/p>\n
I most value the times I spent with great friends from my fraternity, Sigma Phi Epsilon, and from the rugby team. On campus, I had several memorable Dandelion Days and helped to organize a great Greek Week during my senior year. On a more academic level, I fondly recall winter afternoons spent studying in many different corners of Rush Rhees and, for the first time in my life, digging into some hefty and heady discussions in my junior-year history seminar. I also remember spectacular classes like \u201cPolitics and the Mass Media\u201d with Peter Regenstreif, \u201cNational Security Policy\u201d with John Mueller, and \u201cBritish History to 1485\u201d with Richard Kaeuper. That last one was a special opportunity to get into research from primary sources\u2014a real pre-internet dive into doing historical research.<\/p>\n
Living on campus, coping with fraternity brothers, and being part of an athletic club all helped me to develop problem-solving and interpersonal skills that I rely on to this day. In each setting, we were left to rely on each other to figure out the next step. Sure, we had examples from folks who came before us, but if we wanted to get a grill up and running out behind Gilbert Hall to have burgers, we tended to engage in some good-natured self-help. To this day, I credit those experiences with helping me develop the skills that have helped me to succeed at work and home. I even look for folks with similar experiences when I\u2019m hiring because I know someone who has been on a team or part of an organization can usually get things done.<\/p>\n
I credit Rochester with sparking my interest in lifelong learning. As an attorney in litigation, each case I work on is an opportunity to learn a new industry or a new subject matter area. So, the quest for knowledge is a key to success in my work. I enjoyed being around bright and inquisitive people during my time at Rochester and valued the challenging and insightful faculty the school provided. All of that helped make me who I am today, and I am incredibly indebted to the University for the skills I\u2019ve developed as a result.<\/p>\n
My volunteer interest was very much related to the great experiences I have outlined above. It was something I\u2019d always expected to do because I have such a strong affinity for the University. In the past, I have been part of the George Eastman Circle and different iterations of the Chicago Network. I have participated in interviewing prospective students and acted as a mentor to undergraduates.<\/p>\n
First, do it. Second, be curious. Events pop up all the time. As do opportunities to get involved that result in new friendships and special experiences you might not find on your own. One of the most stimulating events I\u2019ve attended was one put on by the University at the University Club of Chicago where Rochester alum and then-University of Chicago President, Hugo Sonnenschein, had a fireside chat with Richard Thaler, Rochester alum and author of \u201cNudge.\u201d Never would have been there if it were not for my involvement with the alumni network.<\/p>\n
Getting a chance to meet new and interesting people and re-connect with old friends. For me, it continues to be those interpersonal connections.[\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”25px” image_repeat=”no-repeat”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row row_type=”row” use_row_as_full_screen_section=”no” type=”grid” text_align=”left” css_animation=”” box_shadow_on_row=”no”][vc_column][vc_column_text css=”.vc_custom_1724166563723{border-top-width: 1px !important;padding-top: 10px !important;border-top-color: #999999 !important;border-top-style: solid !important;}”]<\/p>\n
\u2014 Amelia Sykes, Summer 2024<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n [\/vc_column_text][vc_empty_space height=”25px” image_repeat=”no-repeat”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Meet Chicago Network member David Becker \u201995, P\u201928<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":52,"featured_media":86552,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[22,142],"tags":[52],"class_list":["post-85722","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-profiles","category-stories","tag-volunteers"],"yoast_head":"\n