In our alumni spotlight series, learn about Harvard graduates' most meaningful experiences from college, and how Harvard impacted their professional and personal paths after graduation.
Hometown & Current City: I'm from San Diego, but I live in New York City now.
House Affiliation: Quincy
Concentration: Economics, psychology
Current job/title/company: Associate, Skadden Arps
What was your professional path after college?
I've had a circuitous path to where I currently am, to say the least! After graduation, I thought I wanted to get a PhD in economics, so I took a job at a public policy think tank in DC where I worked with a lot of young economists. I decided for various reasons not to pursue economics. I had always wanted to give screenwriting a try, so I wound up moving to Los Angeles where I took a job as a personal assistant and wrote screenplays in my spare time. It was an interesting experience, and I learned a lot about myself. I ultimately decided I was too risk-averse to really give it a go in the entertainment business. I decided to apply to law school, and I've been a lawyer for four years now. It's a good fit for me, I'd say!
What fills your time now? Professionally and otherwise?
I work at an associate at a law firm, and my practice area is appellate law. We're the nerds of the legal world and get really focused on narrow legal questions. Outside of work, I live with my fiancee Kaitlin and our dog Pickles, who is a three-year-old beagle. I like to cook, run, and hang out with my friends. Some of my closest friends - including two of my best friends in NYC - lived on my floor in Weld my first year of Harvard.
What was a favorite class you took and why?
So many come to mind, but I think my favorite class was "Human Memory and Amnesia" with Daniel Schacter. Ironically, going on thirteen years later, I don't remember all that many details about what we studied. But one theme of the class was that human memory has evolved to be imperfect--in other words, many of the flaws of memory (for example, our ability to forget) also help us be resilient. The best Harvard classes were the ones with "aha" moments - where you learned something that changed how you viewed the world. There were a lot of moments like that in this class. I think the best way to find fun classes at college is to be open to taking one-off courses in random fields that sound interesting.
It also turned out to be a mistake that I was even able to take this class. I was a sophomore, and Professor Schacter had intended only to let juniors and seniors in. But I got an email saying there was a spot for me, and when I showed up the first day, he asked me "Are you sure you should be here?" I told him I got an email saying to come to class, and he basically said, "Well, I guess if you're already here you might as well stay." I've always been grateful for the accident that led me to his class!
Did you have any research/internship opportunities and/or professor/mentor relationships that were influential?
Yes! I was so fortunate to be able to work with Ben Friedman in the economics department. I took a class with him sophomore year called "Religion and the Rise of Capitalism," and I went to his office hours occasionally. It turned out that I did well in the class, so he asked me if I'd like to help him with a research project related to the material we studied in the course. I'm so glad he reached out and that I said yes! I worked for Professor Friedman for two years of college, and he's been a mentor since then. He's given me advice and written me letters of recommendation, and we're still in touch fourteen years later.
What were you involved in extracurricularly?
One of my favorite extracurricular activities was Satire V (pronounced, "Satire Five"). Satire V is Harvard's version of The Onion. ("Satire V" is "Veritas" spelled backwards, and its motto is "holding a mirror up to truth"). We had lots of fun, and I hope it's still going strong!
My roommate and I also did a weekly political cartoon for the Harvard Crimson. We thought we were really clever and profound back then, but I'm sure I would cringe if I looked back at what we put out.
I also stage managed a few plays for the Harvard-Radcliffe Drama Club. I've always loved theater, but Harvard was the first time when I actually got involved in some productions. One of the nice things about extracurricular activities in college was that it didn't feel like you were doing things just to add to your resume. (Unfortunately, it did not always feel like that was the case in high school, although I wish it were.) It was liberating to just be able to do things that sounded fun!
What is a favorite memory of Harvard House life?
A few of my senior year roommates and I were on Quincy House Committee (or "HoCo") together. HoCo is the student organization that runs House social life. Back then, we had monthly Penguin Pubs (the penguin is Quincy's mascot), which were essentially house-wide happy hours. Basically, the House paid for us to get drinks and a bunch of food once a month, and everyone in the House would drink, eat, and hang out together. After the Penguin Pubs, whoever had made it to the bitter end would bring the leftovers to someone's room, and we'd keep the party going. It was a lot of fun, in part because it felt so inclusive. Everyone in the House was invited, and for the core group of people that would always stick around, the only thing we had in common (besides that we lived in Quincy House) was that we just wanted to keep hanging out with each other.
What is your favorite Harvard tradition and why?
I always loved Housing Day! That's when first-year students find out which of the twelve upperclass Houses they'll be assigned to for their last three years of Harvard. All the upperclass students gather in Harvard Yard early in the morning and get letters from the Dean's Office that contain the housing assignments, and then they run around Harvard Yard delivering the letters to the first-year students. There's a lot of excitement leading up to Housing Day, and the day itself is a great celebration of House life. I had such a wonderful experience in Quincy House. I made lifelong friends simply because we all saw each other in the dining hall every day for three years. I unfortunately had to miss my ten-year college reunion last summer. (Aside: Ten years!? Where does the time go?) But a few of my friends from Quincy House had a makeup reunion a couple months later. It was really special to have that sort of community both during and after college.
What advice do you have for someone applying to college?
I remember how stressful the college-application process was. I know it's easier said than done, but I think the best advice is not to get too hung up on getting into any one school (or even any handful of schools). College is a really cool time of life - for many people, it's their first time living away from home and being mostly independent. It's also a time to put yourself out there and try new things - academically, extracurricularly, and socially. I think that all of what is good about college - and pretty much everything that I enjoyed so much about Harvard - can be experienced at any school. So try to keep a positive attitude and know that you can (and probably will) be happy no matter where you end up.