Leah O'Brien
I live on Beacon Hill in Boston and I鈥檓 the Marketing Manager for聽Boston听尘补驳补锄颈苍别. I鈥檓 responsible for creating, managing and executing special events and programs. It鈥檚 very different kind of marketing since I have to always keep in mind our publisher鈥檚 brand but also create custom programs for our clients with their brands in mind 鈥� everyone from JetBlue to Infiniti to BMW. Before this I was with Phoenix Media Communications Group, which owned Phoenix Magazine, a weekly alternative newspaper, and previously owned WFNX Radio but recently sold them. I was their promotions manager. One day I got a phone call there that led to this job.
I think St. Mike鈥檚 gave me such a great education聽and I have such an amazing network here in Boston through my contacts. I鈥檇 like to connect more with other alumni in our area because it strengthens all of our positions in what we do; and there鈥檚 so many of us here, we should work together. It鈥檚 fun living down here since some of my former roommates I still see each other all the time. A close group of girlfriends lived together senior year and we still talk together on a daily basis. Whenever they do the alumni networking events down here, I try to go to them to, but since I work in events of course, my nights are often booked already. This is definitely a career position for me I鈥檇 say 鈥� something I definitely would like to continue doing as my occupation.
St. Mike鈥檚 always felt like a second home, and I always appreciated the people there, particularly my professors. One thing I remember really distinctly is when I walked into the聽聽for a tour. Everyone was so friendly and welcoming and excited I was there, and throughout the time I was at St. Mike鈥檚 that feeling never left me. At St. Mike鈥檚 it felt like they really wanted me to be there, and it felt that way with both friends and professors.
I was an聽听尘补箩辞谤聽with minor in聽Gender Studies听补苍诲听Journalism. I also did a lot of extracurricular activities. I was on the Programming Committee with the Student Association, so we did special events and programs and came up with student activities, working on everything from getting more students to hockey games to planning Centennial events. And basically, that鈥檚 what I do for my job now!
A lot of things I did in college聽outside of class have been relevant to my work even if less directly. I鈥檝e found that laying out the yearbook as yearbook editor is quite similar to laying out a magazine. Even my English theory classes had a lot to do with what I do as an events planner now because they were about coming up with good ideas, and that鈥檚 what I have to do for my clients. At the time I didn鈥檛 know what I would be doing for a career, but it still was valuable preparation in being challenged to think creatively.
I grew up in Danvers, MA, and spent a lot of time figure skating, so I often would go up to Vermont for a competition, starting about age 7 or 8. And I really fell in love with the area 鈥� everything from mountains to the lakes to the people. St. Mike鈥檚 is the only place I applied to in Vermont 鈥� all the rest were out west or down south聽鈥� but I went up there and fell in love with St. Mike鈥檚 too. I鈥檓 a skier and I always got the聽. But my favorite was the聽聽鈥� we took full advantage of that, me and my roommates. We went to lots of performances and we loved it.
One favorite professor of mine was聽聽in English, particularly his 鈥淟as Vegas鈥� class that he taught when I was there. I was just talking about him the other day to my current boss, because I thought it was just such an interesting way to teach a class by looking at a city as reflection of our country and exploring how we can look at so many literary theories from just one place like that. Also, we read so many really interesting books. I took another of his classes that I loved too. He was an awesome professor who made you think in so many different ways. You flexed your brain when you were in that class, and that鈥檚 something that comes in handy in a lot of jobs.
I鈥檇 tell current students to just enjoy it, because it goes by quickly. You shouldn鈥檛 be afraid to think, and Saint Mike鈥檚 helps you to understand that fact, and also teaches you to think well. I did everything from the聽聽to the聽. At St. Mike鈥檚 you have so many opportunities to develop who you are as a person, to experience so many other things. It鈥檚 really the whole package.
I had a Little Sister through MOVE, and then we did a couple things with Habitat for Humanity, and I loved the Wilderness Program. I went ice climbing and kayaking, whitewater rafting, and it was a lot of fun. I wish I still did more things like that now but it鈥檚 harder once you鈥檙e out of college and working. But me and my friends, we鈥檝e started paddle-boarding and we go on hikes and we ski still, but it鈥檚 not as intense as it was back at St. Mike鈥檚. Our time there started good habits and hobbies for later life. The point is, there鈥檚 so much St. Mike鈥檚 puts in front of you, and you鈥檙e not really going to have so many chances to take advantage of all they give you later in life. I mean, when else in your life will it be your normal routine to see fantastic shows, go ice climbing and sit around and talk about literature?