#youngalum

It has only been a few months since Damarius Edwards, Bus Ad ’16, graduated from Marquette’s College of Business Administration, but he has already put his degree in Finance and Economics to use as he establishes himself at Morgan Stanley. Edwards will complete a year-long trainee program as a Wealth Advisor Associate before he transitions to his next role as a Financial Advisor Associate, another trainee program to supplement the development of his own practice. Edwards has no shortage of ambition, but he also credits his time at Marquette as preparing him in a variety of ways for his career in wealth management, offering the opportunity to grow professionally while holding internships.

Edwards’ initial draw to Marquette was the opportunity for “professional and social development.” He took advantage of a variety of opportunities as an undergraduate, working as a Resident Assistant, joining Greek life and serving on the Marquette Alumni Association National Board of Directors to connect with alumni from a variety of backgrounds. He reflects upon these as some of his favorite Marquette memories, citing his time spent here as both impactful and meaningful. “We leave [Marquette] knowing the world isn’t too big for us to make our mark, no matter where we choose to place it.”

This mentality extends into Edwards’ workplace as well. As a minority in a variety of ways at his office, he says his time at Marquette prepared him to take on these roadblocks: “Four years of a Jesuit education has taught me to dig deeper than what lies on the surface in building relationships. My line of work is predicated on trust and integrity, two traits I feel Marquette instilled in me. Knowing how to navigate the path of relationship building has only aided me positively in my post-graduate career.” Embodying these ideals has given Edwards an edge as a former student of Jesuit education.

He describes the impact of Marquette on his own personal values: “Marquette graduates [have] a sense of gratitude. We all leave the university appreciating what we learned and find our particular niche in the greater society.” Edwards believes in the importance of giving back, stating that he is a strong believer in the saying, “Leave a place better than you found it.” With his determination to give future Marquette students a similar experience - one that ensures that “no graduate leaves Marquette the same way he or she came” – Edwards will surely leave a lasting impact on campus long after his graduation day.

When Joe Daufenbach, Arts ’13, Grad ’14, enrolled at Marquette for his undergraduate studies, his initial plan was to make his way to Capitol Hill. Two years since graduating from Marquette, Joe has yet to find himself working in the White House. Instead, after exploring a few different fields through Marquette’s liberal arts core, he found that his interests truly lie in economics which led to a career in corporate real estate and facilities management.       

His post-graduate experience has kept him close to his alma mater. He worked with locally headquartered Johnson Controls and survived a corporate acquisition after his business unit was divested to CBRE Group, Inc. During that time he received a leadership award and also pursued continuing education in the facilities management industry. Joe’s Marquette experience illustrates how the university not only arms students for success, but also ensures that students find their passions along the way.

Joe’s shift in concentration from politics to economics exemplifies the broad interests of Marquette students. He recollects, “Marquette really taught me how to think in a multi-disciplinary way, and the emphasis on development of the whole person definitely contributed to my success.”

He began as an intern with Johnson Control’s Global Workplace Solutions (GWS), moving to a full-time marketing analyst role and finally to a position as a commercial manager in their Americas region after CBRE Group, Inc. acquired GWS. He accredits his success to a combination of his own hard work and the impact of a Marquette education. “The lessons I learned, the relationships I made and the values instilled in me at Marquette have helped me to achieve things that would have been impossible with hard work alone.”

Joe remains connected with Marquette as a donor seeking to pay it forward for students following in similar footsteps. “Without [the generosity of alumni] I would have missed out on the truly life-changing opportunity that Marquette provided to me.” Revisiting the importance of his time as a student, he says, “I see giving to Marquette as an opportunity to not only pay back what was provided to me, but also provide someone else the opportunity to elevate their potential for achievement.”

Joe certainly elevated his own potential for achievement, utilizing his talents honed while at Marquette to rise in the ranks within his corporation, completing his Facilities Management Professional credential and receiving a leadership award from CBRE. As to where he sees himself going next, Joe hopes to continue to “learn something new every day, be constantly challenged, work with a great team, and feel like I’m making or ‘being’ the difference.”

Recent alumna Beth Turbak, Arts ’13, has never been one to sit still. While at Marquette, Beth participated in the Global Village living-learning community on campus, as well as traveling as far as Chile and Honduras. On a constant pursuit to live out Jesuit ideals, Beth’s words are concise on how her time at Marquette shaped her undergraduate career. She says, “It was Marquette who asked, ‘Where does your passion meet the world’s need?’”

Marquette first appealed to Beth with its “tight-knit community, but also the invitation to engage with the wider Milwaukee community.” Her time as a student at Marquette was characterized by internships, Global Brigades, a semester abroad and service as a Manresa scholar. Beth utilized Marquette’s resources to push herself out of her comfort zone to discover how she could best serve her community locally, nationally and globally.

Admitted as a speech pathology major and graduating instead with a degree in social welfare and justice, Beth credits various mentors, experiences and conversations throughout her time at Marquette with shifting her focus toward medical social work. Her heart for others and dedication to Jesuit values led her to serve in the Milwaukee community as well as in South and Central America.

Throughout her journey, Beth has been guided by the timeless challenge of St. Ignatius of Loyola to “go forth and set the world on fire.” When describing her time since graduating, she explains that, “as my Jesuit education had so shaped me, I knew that I wanted to continue seeking experiences in service, community and social justice.” She spent time as a Jesuit Volunteer Corps Northwest member working with an end-of-life care program in Washington before returning to her home state of Minnesota to pursue a master’s degree in social work.

Discussing her post-graduation accomplishments, Beth once again reminds us of how Marquette is not an experience that ends after four years. “The most significant accomplishment post-grad is to have stayed very close with my Marquette family.  Upon graduation, we found ourselves across the country and world. This speaks to the foundation laid by our Marquette experience to remain close into life’s next chapter and continue so throughout those to come.”

For Beth, it is all about connections: connections with those whom she serves through her social work, with the Jesuits and with her Marquette family. She views donating to Marquette as an alumna as one way she remains connected while ensuring opportunities for future Marquette students.

Beth does not hesitate to highlight the role Marquette plays in distinguishing its graduates: “Our Jesuit education calls us to pursue where our passions meet the world’s need. Our Marquette community and education instills in us the courage to do so.” Her service to each community she has established herself in has no doubt put her passions to use, a result of an encouraging Jesuit education at Marquette. Beth truly characterizes Marquette pride, not only by recognizing the financial gift she is offering as a donor to the university, but by embodying the ideals of Marquette. Alumni still find themselves calling Marquette home; however, they are the people that make this place home. Their warmth and passion for others encourage the next generation of doers and inspire the next wave of students to “go forth and set the world on fire.”

Kate Ciurej (katecbrown) writes...

I'm nominating my friend Christine Grant (@cmg_shift_blot) for #YAOTM, because she's led one of the most interesting post-Wellesley lives of anyone I know. After teaching in Thailand for a year with Princeton in Asia post-graduation, Christine returned to her hometown of Seattle to pursue work in environmental consulting. She subsequently won a Stevens fellowship to tour Europe on bicycle and study transportation policy in bike-friendly cities, and wrote all about it on her excellent blog, Shift (http://christinemgrant.com/). Christine's more recent pursuits have included leaving Seattle to embark on a bike tour of the Western US with her fiancé Sean (pictured), in pursuit of a new place to settle. Most of all, I want to recognize Christine for her incredible ability to combine her many interests into big adventures, and for having the courage to leave a comfortable routine behind, in order to blaze a new trail.