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Post by td128 on May 2, 2019 6:43:21 GMT -5
I just shared this with the faithful and knowing that many more Crusaders from far and wide frequent these parts, I welcome sharing this message here as well:
Fellow Crusaders,
I have the good fortune of engaging in a fair bit of fabulous communication with Crusaders far and wide. These exchanges continually impress upon me the strength and truly special nature of our Crusader Football Family.
That said, every now and then a message crosses my desk that makes me stop and pause -- and in this case actually get somewhat emotional -- as to the impact that our collective efforts and especially those within our tremendous 90-Wide Mentoring network can have on the lives of our Crusader brethren. If you ever wonder how a little bit of attention and caring in dispensing some mentoring magic might impact the life of a young man, with the permission of this Crusader graduate from the Class of 2014, I welcome sharing the following message from Jon Smith:
Hi Larry,
I hope all is well with you and the family! Wanted to share one quick update on my end.
Starting in August of this year, I will be attending Harvard Business School in pursuit of my MBA. It was a very tough decision, with Nickson doing well in the background, but I ultimately think this is the best decision for my long-term career.
I especially want to thank my 90-Wide mentors (Craig Cerretani, Pete Mondani, and you) personally for everything you and they have done for me, and I wanted to share how I wrote about those relationships in my admissions essay (of course anonymously).
In summary of the essay, as you already know, my life was drastically changed when my father passed away in 2008. After this event, I lost my ability to trust until I met and engaged my 90-Wide mentors and those in the Holy Cross community. Everything my mentors have done for me, going completely above and beyond anything I would ever expect, taught me how to regain my trust and thrive as a professional. It was my mentors' taking me under their wing that launched me on my career trajectory, and for that, I am forever thankful.
I am also very excited to be back up in the northeast going forward and look forward to having much more frequent catch-ups.
Thank you again Holy Cross and the 90-Wide.
Best, Jon
Think we're winning??
Love the 90-Wide.
Let's Win!! LD
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Post by nhteamer on May 2, 2019 7:38:09 GMT -5
well done Larry and all others
now..............let's win.
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Post by KY Crusader 75 on May 2, 2019 7:47:07 GMT -5
Powerful example of how this special program helps student-athletes
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Post by joe on May 2, 2019 9:57:56 GMT -5
See, the world still makes human beings. Some of the best examples are members of the 90W.
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Post by td128 on May 17, 2019 4:44:00 GMT -5
The 90 Wide Program has been, without a doubt, the most valuable and impactful experience I’ve had during my four years at Holy Cross; and now as a Holy Cross football alum, I know this excellent experience will continue on for the rest of my life. During my time at Holy Cross, I have had the privilege of working closely with the following 90-Wide mentors: Brad Grinna, Dabness Atkins, Gary Acquah, LD, and Craig Cerretani. These men have played a significant role in my development and I am truly inspired by each of them. I will forever be thankful for their help.
As I was introduced to 90 Wide Program, I had the pleasure of being paired with Brad Grinna ‘06, who is really responsible for getting me on my feet and thinking about my future after college. I reached out to him and he offered me some very promising advice. Among the many things we discussed and guidance offered by Brad, he told me that as long as I work hard and remain driven, success will be inevitable. Being a part of the Holy Cross football network, the resources are available — all you have to do is go get it.
With this in mind, I knew I wanted to start setting myself up for success, but I had no idea where or how to start. At this point, I reached out to Dabness Atkins ’16 because we grew up in neighboring towns in southern California and I knew of his immediate success after graduating. He told me about his path and how he got to where he was, then advised that I start with creating and building my résumé. Thanks to Brad and Dabness, I was able to create a solid foundation of knowledge, tools, and resources necessary to jumpstart my plans for success.
After this, I turned to LD ‘83 for help. He outlined for me the next steps necessary in reaching out and networking with members of the 90 Wide Program: how to engage with effectively worded messages, how to sell myself, and how to optimize my chances of success. The lessons and skills I’ve learned through LD’s mentoring me are invaluable and I will forever carry them with me. LD connected me with Craig Cerretani ‘79, who played a pivotal role in helping me attain an internship with Arthur J. Gallagher over the summer of 2018. During that time, Craigie took me under his wing and we developed a great relationship where he imparted great knowledge, skills, expertise, and life lessons upon me.
After expressing my interest in real estate, Craig connected me with Gary Acquah ‘14, who had also been mentored by both LD and CC. I had previously heard about Gary and all of his success, so I was very excited to meet him as a result of the 90-Wide Program. Following introduction, Gary immediately invited me to his home in Boston, where we discussed his path to success and what I would need to do in order to achieve similar successes.
By utilizing all of the knowledge, tools, and resources I have acquired as a result of the 90 Wide Program, I pursued and achieved a full time position in a sales role at Unum Group — a Fortune 500 company which provides benefits for 1 in 3 Fortune 500 companies and protects 36 million people worldwide. I have also established plans to get involved in real estate as soon as possible. To further attest to the impact and benevolence of those involved in the 90 Wide Program, Gary reached out to me to offer help in my search for living arrangements post-grad. Thanks to his help, I am fortunate to have been offered housing with him and Reggie Woods ‘14 (both HC football alum involved in 90-Wide) in Boston. Talk about family taking care of each other!!
As you can see, the impact of the 90 Wide Program is unmatched. It is an incredible resource, and a huge benefit of being a part of the Holy Cross football family. The passion and generosity of the Holy Cross football alumni involved with the program cannot be found anywhere else.
Most of my development during my time at HC, both personally and professionally, is owed to the 90 Wide Program and all that it offers. As I transition into the next stage of my life, I am looking forward to being able to pay it forward and be a mentor to any HC football player who stands where I once stood. I am so glad to be part of such a large, caring family. I can’t thank the 90 Wide Program enough! I look forward to representing all of us for the rest of my life!! So proud to be a Crusader and love the 90-Wide. Tate Beachley ‘19 San Pedro, CA
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Post by td128 on May 17, 2019 4:45:43 GMT -5
After emigrating from Georgetown, Guyana in 2007, my developing love for the game of football played an influential role in shaping me as an individual – both on and off the field. The values learned through each football practice, meeting, and game will stay with me for life. The lessons I have learned through football have shaped my character and goals and continue to help me as I develop in a mature and better self and enter the workforce as a college graduate.
I was confident after my freshman year that Holy Cross would be a place where I could further my growth physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually; however, I was not fully aware and did not appreciate the power of the alumni network at Holy Cross. Through my four years at the college, I was able to witness this power first hand. To say that the 90-Wide has changed my life would be an understatement.
When my initial mentor changed industries, I was fortunate enough at that point in my sophomore year to get connected to DL as my mentor. He was there as a resource for any obstacle I faced from building my resume to sharing insights about Wall Street to drafting introduction letters to other alumni. Through my 90W connection with DL, I was introduced to Mr. Craig Cerretani, who played a huge role in helping me think critically as to what I wanted from my career.
Sophomore year, I received an email from Melissa Alves, who is a member of the Career Counseling Center and a Holy Cross alum, after I was introduced to her by one of my teammates at the time, Chase Stratton ’18. Melissa and I had a conversation about what types of internships I would be interested in and I mentioned to her that I would like to pursue a Wealth Management position at one of the large Wall Street banks. A subsequent email Melissa sent me had an application link to an internship position at JPMorgan Asset & Wealth Management in Chicago. I applied for that position and within two days received an invitation to interview. One week later and having been prepped by my mentors for the interview, I accepted the internship position. After interning in Chicago for 9 weeks in the summer of 2018 I am blessed and honored to say that I will be beginning a full-time position at JPMorgan Asset & Wealth Management.
I remember going back to Melissa after the interview process was over to thank her. She said to me, “I am not the one to thank. I only passed the message along”. She then told me that a former classmate of hers and former member of the Holy Cross Football team, Ty Shaw ‘09, reached out to her about the opportunity. Without ever meeting Mr. Shaw in person he single-handedly changed my life because he cared. That is the power of the 90-wide! I am happy to say Mr. Shaw is now someone I consider a close friend and a mentor for life.
Holy Cross Football is a place where you can come from anywhere in the world and be accepted into a family and be provided guidance and direction to pursue opportunities to succeed no matter what your goals may be. Why does that happen? Because the people at Holy Cross and within the 90-Wide care. My dream has become my reality.
Thank you Holy Cross!! Thank you 90-Wide!!
Akeem Walcott, 2019 Georgetown, Guyana/Norristown, PA
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Post by alum on May 17, 2019 7:19:44 GMT -5
Larry--Your program clearly works. Is there any kind of data you can share with us showing job placement/graduate school information for classes as a whole? How about three years/five years/ten years out? (I know I am asking a lot of a bunch of volunteers to expect this information.) It would be interesting to compare it to the College's career placement trends for the student body as a whole. We all know that great first jobs can be an important stepping stone and it seems to me that you are getting it done.
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Post by KY Crusader 75 on May 17, 2019 7:47:32 GMT -5
Again, great stories that show the effectiveness of this amazing program. Re Akeem I think back to his starring role in a preseason video last Fall—very very charismatic and I imagine he has the same effect in a job interview
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Post by sader1970 on May 17, 2019 8:11:30 GMT -5
Larry, consider connecting the 90 Wide Program with our Holy Cross Insurance Professionals group who are willing to help, not just the football players. We have a couple of non-footballers who have gotten jobs at Unum in Chicago. We've counseled and advised numerous students. Included in our group are Gordie Lockbaum, John Andreoli and other former HC athletes. www.linkedin.com/groups/8559327/
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Post by td128 on May 17, 2019 8:52:33 GMT -5
Thanks for the comments, questions, and interest.
In taking a step back and reflecting upon what is really going on within the 90-Wide, we see real life 21st century reality of the wisdom provided in Scripture at work. In Matthew 25:15, we read: "To one he gave five talents, to another two talents, and to another one talent— each according to his own ability. And he promptly went on his journey. The servant who had received the five talents went and put them to work and gained five more." In a manner of speaking, this leveraging of talents is exactly what the 90-Wide is doing.
In regard to data, we maintain an ongoing 90-Wide Mentoring File that tracks the placement and career progress of Crusaders who have been involved in the 90W since inception back in 2009. Additionally, the 90W file is the resource utilized to maintain the 29 separate Mentoring Teams that consist of our 135 alumni mentors paired by geography and/or career with selected Crusaders who hail from those locales and have interests in those industries.
Aside from this 90-Wide file that has info compiled on almost 400 Crusaders, we have also generated an ongoing 90-Wide Impact Report that has the personal testimonies of approximately 20 individual Crusaders who have embraced the 90W and the 'impact' it has had on their careers.
I welcome sharing these materials with individuals who may like to have them. Please drop me a line at: lwdoyle128@aol.com
A few other comments. Coach Chesney and staff market the 90W aggressively on the recruiting trails and the feedback from current and prospective parents especially has been spectacular. I have been informed that some recent recruits have decided to come to HC and that the 90W has been a real factor in that process. To the best of our knowledge no other school has a program as well developed and interactive.
We have shared the 90W blueprints with other alumni to launch similar efforts for other teams. This is good but there is always more to do and I have offered others on and off campus my help and guidance in replicating the 90W for other teams, clubs, programs as well.
Let's Win!!
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Post by Chu Chu on May 17, 2019 12:57:26 GMT -5
Fabulous, Larry!
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Post by td128 on Jul 26, 2019 11:19:13 GMT -5
I shared this exchange and photo with the faithful earlier today and welcome sharing it with the Crusader Football Family and fans at large who frequent these parts. Fellow Crusaders,
I hope this message finds Crusaders everywhere staying cool, enjoying the summer in the company of family and friends, and getting ready for the upcoming 2019 season which kicks off 5 weeks from tomorrow when our Crusaders look to sink the Navy at Annapolis.
I welcome sharing this message linked below and an attached photo that I received yesterday from a Crusader who himself benefited from the 90-Wide and is now paying it forward by mentoring some of our current Crusaders. Major props to Ryan Smith '16 and Chris Riley (a Connecticut Huskie QB in his former life and now a Crusader -- and proud Pop to Chris '20), who bleed Purple like few others.
What do we call this message and this photo?
WINNING OFF THE FIELD!! chuchurahrah.blogspot.com/2019/07/winning-off-field-holy-cross-football.html
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Post by hchoops on Jul 26, 2019 12:35:52 GMT -5
Congratulations on jobs well done.
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Post by jsherman on Jul 26, 2019 13:13:52 GMT -5
pretty amazing and unique thing you all do! kudos!
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Post by breezy on Jul 26, 2019 13:57:00 GMT -5
Terrific showcase that demonstrates and exemplifies the unique family connection that is built and nurtured at Holy Cross.
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Post by KY Crusader 75 on Jul 26, 2019 14:22:19 GMT -5
Larry-- How do recruits find out about this program? I'm guessing that non-coaches are forbidden by the NCAA from contacting recruits; am I right there? Is there a brochure that coaches give them?
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Post by td128 on Jul 26, 2019 14:54:26 GMT -5
Larry-- How do recruits find out about this program? I'm guessing that non-coaches are forbidden by the NCAA from contacting recruits; am I right there? Is there a brochure that coaches give them? KYCrusader75, the 90-Wide has been embraced and marketed by Coach Chesney and staff in a manner and fashion that I might have only dreamed about. We produced a 90-Wide Impact Report that highlights personal stories of Crusaders who have benefited from the 90-Wide since inception 10 years ago. Here is a link to those stories: chuchurahrah.blogspot.com/2018/07/90-wide-mentoring-impact-report.htmlThe staff utilizes this Impact Report and the personal stories to make it all real for recruits and their families. If any member of the faithful would like a copy of the Impact Report, please feel free to DM me or email me at lwdoyle128@aol.com and I am more than happy to send it along. The personal stories are powerful. Gary Acquah '14 wrote a line that captures it perhaps best of all: "The 90-Wide Mentoring Program has helped me start a story I could have never written on my own, thanks to the energy, passion, and commitment I have received from my mentors. I believe the best is yet to come, and thank my mentors for putting me in a position to be successful through hard work. I believe so much in the program that I am paying it forward now as a mentor myself." Additionally in the recruiting process, the staff often highlights for recruits and their families specific alumni in their geographic areas and specific alumni in their areas of career interest. Suffice it to say, that Coach Chesney and staff go in depth on the value proposition encompassed within the 90-Wide and how it truly can make all the difference. Feedback from Crusaders both past and present in regard to the 90-Wide has been spectacular. I am often told that our current Crusaders share this alumni support extensively with recruits during their campus visits. The 90-Wide just keeps getting better and better. It truly is a program in which everybody wins . . . now we just need to transition the winning off the field into winning on the field. I am VERY confident that VERY good days are on the horizon for our Crusaders. In regard to the Dos and Don'ts of Alumni Interaction with prospective recruits, rather than my listing what can and can't be done, far better if I simply link to the HC Athletics Compliance rules for Friends, Fans, Alumni, and Donors: www.goholycross.com/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=33100&ATCLID=210236030Thank you for asking.
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Post by purplehaze on Jul 26, 2019 15:14:33 GMT -5
The LUTH + Coach Chesney + 90 WIDE = The Return of HC Football - Everyone should get on board !
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Post by rgs318 on Jul 26, 2019 16:12:27 GMT -5
There is room for all.
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Post by td128 on Jul 31, 2019 5:41:18 GMT -5
I shared this message with the faithful this morning and welcome sharing it with the Crusader Football Family and fans at large who frequent these parts.
90-Wide: 2019 Rollout of Our Best in Class Alumni Mentoring Program
Fellow Crusaders,
Hard to believe but with this message we celebrate the 10 year anniversary of the 90-Wide and the launch of what was then known as the Holy Cross Gridiron Leadership Council and now known as the Friends of Crusader Football.
Thinking back on it, ten years ago the handful of Crusaders who gathered to undertake the efforts and programs that now encompass and define the Friends of Crusader Football had a sheet of paper and some dreams.
We now have a level of vitality within the Ring of Honor, the Jackie Mo' and Tom O' Brien Awards, our annual Crusader Football Golf Outing, the annual Bill Maloney Career Night, and our cornerstone program, the 90-Wide, that has made those dreams our reality.
On behalf of our current Friends of Crusader chair Spenser Huston '83, I want to personally thank the countless Crusaders who have helped make ALL of this come true. I also want to thank Coach Chesney and staff who have embraced all of these programs and especially the 90-Wide in a manner that we might have only dreamed about.
Our Mission back in 2009 and now in 2019 remains the same: "a commitment to excellence in helping Holy Cross Football win on and off the field."
On that note, LET'S GO and get back to work . . .
As you likely recall from last year, we revised the 90-Wide to a Team concept in which a group of alumni mentors -- typically 4 or 5 -- are paired with a handful of current Crusaders. After only one year, there is no doubt that the success of this change in format has been spectacular.
Why did we do it? We implemented this revision to stimulate an increase in the growth of individual relationships between our current Crusaders and alumni mentors and also among our alumni across the many years of graduates. In the process, we envisioned that the development of individual relationships would lead to a strengthening of the bonds and accompanying benefits within our entire Holy Cross Football Family. This pursuit and commitment to excellence can -- and I believe will -- further distinguish Holy Cross Football and Alma Mater. I have never wavered in believing and stating that our 90-Wide Mentoring Program will be best in class.
All of this is coming true.
I humbly repeat my same ask and repeat my same guidelines as last year in the midst of opening and reviewing the attached file:
1. The Ask - please check your contact info and let me know if there are any changes or inaccuracies so I can correct them.
- when you do open the attached file, please open it as wide as possible and/or scroll to the right so you can see the positions and companies of the Crusader alumni. This info is truly remarkable and indicative of the strength of our alumni base.
- for our current Crusaders and alumni mentors, please check to see what Team number(s) (1-28) you are assigned and then scroll to the bottom of the file to see the other members of your Team. The assignments are based on current relationships and the prospect of potential synergies based on industries, career interests, and/or geography. I encourage you to review all of the 28 individual Teams so you can gain a real appreciation for the spectacular coverage map of the 90-Wide both from a geographic and industry standpoint.
- I will send an Introductory email message in September to the individual Teams in the hope that it will serve to relaunch and hopefully further spur relationships within your Team and especially for new team members from the Class of 2022. I hope this initial email will be used to share info among "teammates" on an ongoing basis and for the benefit of all.
2. To The Crusaders - remember, you only get out of relationships what you put into them. To that end, please use the AEIOU approach for relationship development. That is: Be Aggressive, Engaged, Inquisitive/Information-seeking, and take Ownership so through the Jesuit-inspired process of discernment you gain Understanding!!
- I hope you might share the 90-Wide with your folks, family, and high school coaches so that they know we take care of our own and that this effort might serve to attract other potential Crusaders to Holy Cross.
- Remember, those two little words expressing gratitude are the most powerful words in the English language for a reason. Why so? Because they work and make a lasting impression.
- please save the 90-Wide file so you can reference it in the coming months and years.
3. To Our Alumni Mentors and all other Alumni - THANK YOU for your support. In regard to mentoring, remember the life you change just might be your own. Conveying a little bit of care, confidence, and wisdom into a young man reaps benefits like nothing else I know.
- if/when you have internship or professional opportunities within your companies, please share them with me so I can pass them along to the ~450 Crusaders on the 90-Wide distribution so that we can further strengthen our family and "take care of our own."
4. I want to extend a heartfelt and collective congratulations to our Crusaders in the Class of 2019 (and a few other recent grads as well) as they join our alumni family. Where are some of our Crusaders now with many having been ably assisted and mentored by individuals connected to the 90-Wide?
The Blackstone Group, JP Morgan, Alliance Bernstein, Oracle NetSuite, Arthur J. Gallagher, Cambridge Insurance Advisors, Dell EMC, Mimecast, CB Insights, Villanova Law School, Harvard Business School, and the front office of The New York Football Giants.
As Gary Acquah '14 so eloquently and meaningfully wrote a year ago about the 90-Wide, "The 90-Wide Mentoring Program has helped me start a story I could have never written on my own . . . "
Not a lot I can say beyond that. In conclusion, LET'S WIN as we continue to commit ourselves to excellence and lift high the Cross!!
AMDG
Larry Doyle '83 Chair/90-Wide
Spenser Huston Chair/Friends of Crusader Football
P.S. Sincere best wishes to the Crusaders as they enter camp tomorrow and start the 2019 season. Additionally, please accept our apology if you receive this more than once. Please do not hesitate to reach back to me if you have any questions or comments . .
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Post by td128 on Sept 5, 2019 6:22:13 GMT -5
Major props to Bill Maloney '59 who has led Career Nights for the Crusaders going back to 1985. Bill is truly a Crusader's Crusader. Bill put together the following team of alums who recently spoke to the Crusaders about "Winning Off the Field": CJ Millett, Travis Thompson, Gordie Lockbaum, Tavares Brewington, Sean Whited, Crusader legend Pete Mondani, and yours truly.
I received a number of messages of gratitude that echo the sentiments expressed by this Crusader whom I prefer to keep anonymous. His concluding remark says it all.
Hi Mr. Doyle,
I spoke with you briefly after the wonderful Career Night that Mr. Maloney, you and the other alums held for us a couple of weeks ago. I mentioned to you that I would love to be assigned a 90-Wide mentor. I am currently undeclared but I am leaning towards either sociology or political science. However, I have always envisioned myself entering the business world. I am aware that the business world is very broad and that there are many routes to go from there. I'm not entirely sure which route I want to take but I believe that a 90-Wide mentor can help guide me down the route that is right for me!
I look forward to hearing from you and I can't thank you enough for your desire to see us succeed.
Everything that was said at the Career Night has me more motivated and hungry for success in the classroom, in life, and on the football field than ever before! Thank you!!
All the best,
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Post by td128 on Sept 12, 2019 6:20:58 GMT -5
I shared the following with the 90-Wide Community earlier this morning and welcome posting it here as well for the benefit of the Crusader family, fans and faithful who frequent these parts. Fellow Crusaders,
Having sent Team Introduction messages just yesterday to the 28 Teams that make up our 'best in class' 90-Wide Mentoring program, I was quite pleased to get copied yesterday on a few dozen responses and e-mail exchanges between our current Crusaders and their respective Mentoring Teams. Certainly great to see our men on the hill not wasting any time in engaging their prospective 90-Wide mentors. Well done, one and all.
There was one personal exchange, though, that I wake up to this morning that is truly special and with the permission of our fellow Crusader and mentor extraordinaire Artie Grutt '02, I welcome sharing his exchange with his current sophomore mentee Liam Anderson '22.
Think we're winning?? Read on.
LD
Friends of Crusader Football Mission: "a commitment to excellence in helping our Crusaders win on and off the field." :
********************************************************************** From: Anderson, William Sent: Wednesday, September 11, 2019 1:47 PM To: Arthur Grutt '02 Subject: Holy Cross 90-Wide, Liam Anderson Introduction Hi Mr. Grutt! My name is Liam Anderson from Team 22 of the 90-Wide Mentoring program. I'm a sophomore linebacker and Economics major from Mount Olive, New Jersey. As of right now, I do not know what I want to do after graduation, I'm interested in business, finance, and open to new opportunities. Just wanted to take the time to introduce myself and I'm looking forward to our future conversations and our 90-Wide connection! Thanks, Liam '22********************************************** From: Arthur Grutt Sent: Wednesday, September 11, 2019 9:19 PM To: Anderson, William Subject: RE: Holy Cross 90-Wide, Liam Anderson Introduction Liam, thank you for the note and great to meet via email. I live in Morristown and have an office in Morristown and in NYC so let’s plan to connect in person when you are home. Chase Stratton '18 is a recent HC graduate and works in our NYC office. In the interim, feel free to reach out with any questions for guidance on career options post HC, balancing football and a tough school curriculum, etc.. You should also network with former Cambridge Insurance Advisor interns (Kelly Connors, Maggie Wiggin, Nicole Morris were our most recent Crusader interns). Let them know I am your mentor and ask them for advice they could give you if they were Sophomores again. Also ask them what they learned during their junior year internships. You may also want to connect with other young Crusaders who have interned for us in the past and use that connection as an icebreaker. You can see the names/profiles of other young Crusader alumni who have interned at Cambridge in this latest LinkedIn post. www.linkedin.com/posts/cambridge-insurance-advisors_we-were-pleased-to-host-three-exceptional-activity-6570111527553155072-yvW9 It’s never too early to start building your Crusader network. Similar to the gridiron, the effort you put into preparation will pay off. Keep me posted. Yours in purple, Artie HC’02
*********************************************************************************************************** From: Arthur Grutt Sent: Wednesday, September 11, 2019 11:31 PM To: 'Anderson, William' <wrande22@g.holycross.edu> Subject: RE: Holy Cross 90-Wide, Liam Anderson Introduction Liam, an email about HC, Football and sent on September 11th stirs up a lot of memories for me. Here is a quick flashback in time if you will indulge me for a few minutes and read the following: 9/11/2001 was my senior year at HC. Our football team was 1-0 and scheduled to play week 2 at Harvard. The game that Saturday September 15th was cancelled as the country and our schools were still concerned about additional potential attacks on landmarks like Harvard Stadium. Harvard had some great players like Ryan Fitzpatrick on their roster that year and went on to their first undefeated season in 88 years, but we would have beaten the Johnnies that season. Here was the game day brochure from September 2001 the following week when we resumed play. grfx.cstv.com/photos/schools/patr/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/HCvTU.pdf The world changed for my classmates and I on 9/11 and impacted us socially, politically and economically then and still now. My summer internship the prior year in 2000 was in the Twin Towers on the 54th floor of 2 WTC working for William M. Mercer Consulting Group, a subsidiary of Marsh.
Thankfully, the colleagues I had worked with during my summer internship evacuated the building safely on floors 48-54, but the company suffered tremendous loss that day with hundreds of employees killed in 1WTC.
Here is a wonderful article by the CEO of Marsh in 2002 in the Harvard Business Review. The CEO highlights core values and the importance of culture, leadership and skills you will experience and develop during your time at HC. hbr.org/2002/10/september-11-2001-a-ceos-story We played the remainder of that 2001 football season with a different sense of community, pride and purpose. We understood being Men and Women for Others in a new light. After the season ended, we faced the prospects of our last semester on the hill with excitement and fear. The economic turmoil was greater than we could understand. With the help of HC alumni networking, I was fortunate to identify training programs at companies still hiring young graduates. I had to compete against eight other Division 1 athletes for one spot in a sales training program at Guardian. After a full day of intense group interview challenges, timed technical puzzles and sales role-play scenarios against the other candidates, I ultimately won the position. I found a wonderful career in the healthcare industry that I encourage many Crusaders to consider as we positively impact and protect thousands of lives in our community. Undoubtedly, my experience playing football for Holy Cross and the investment of time from my mentors like Ted Wells, Bill Maloney, Larry Doyle and Craig Cerretani have been catalysts for initial career success and my path as a Crusader. 9/11 stirs up emotions for everyone in our country. I hope my story provides a perspective that can be valuable to you now and in the future as you find your path as a Crusader. Along with the greater HC alumni community, I look forward to mentoring you and your classmates as we prepare the next generations of leaders to take the torch from us. Yours in Purple, Artie Arthur Grutt, CEBS, GBA Managing Partner Cambridge Insurance Advisors
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Post by td128 on Sept 20, 2019 7:01:09 GMT -5
I welcome providing these posts on the 90-Wide for everybody who frequents these parts benefit to see and understand the special nature of our best in class Alumni Mentoring program.
I like sharing them particularly for the benefit of our current Crusader parents AND prospective Crusaders and their families.
When Coach Chesney talks to recruits and their folks about the 4 for 40 program at Holy Cross, he is talking about the message I received overnight from Dr. Joe Ciccone '97, the initial recipient in 2015 of the Tom O' Brien 90-Wide Mentoring Award given to those Crusader alumni mentors who have gone above and beyond. (2016: Cindy Mercer '85, 2017: Dr. Steve Fox '78, 2018: Mark Cannon '77, 2019: Craig Cerretani '79).
Joe has mentored a number of Crusaders and has often told me that he does not see his mentoring role as being completed until the individual is accepted into medical school. Well, as you can see from Joe's comment about his relationship with his mentee Tyler Zeoli '15, Joe goes even beyond that. Joe clearly embodies the best of what it means to be a great Crusader and loyal son of Holy Cross.
Joe wrote: "Francis D and I will be meeting today. I’ll see what we can do for a job. Also Tyler Zeoli '15 is going to be a brain surgeon! He told me last week. I plugged him in with my old classmate at Rutgers, JH, who is a pediatric neurosurgeon in Seattle, did his phd and residency at UCLA. Should help advise him and help him get a spot. TZ is also engaged. What a solid guy. By the time we’re done we’ll be able to open a 90 Wide Multispeciality Clinic."
Let's Win!!
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Post by KY Crusader 75 on Sept 20, 2019 7:46:13 GMT -5
Another great success story--thanks, Larry
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Post by alum on Sept 20, 2019 7:54:51 GMT -5
I can't imagine why a bright young football player would want to go anywhere but HC with this support system.
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