Commencement 2007 - Villanova University

At Villanova, “I learned to learn, notjust in classes, but in other areas, like testtaking, communication, multiculturalawareness and management,” Dr. Saulinosaid. As a psychiatrist, he sees manypatients from different cultural backgrounds.“If I could have done it differently,I would have studied harder in mySpanish classes,” he told the students.“Language skills are vital to any professiontoday.”Change of focus pays offJohn Casey ’87 A&S began college as anengineering student, but said he soon realizedthat it was not what he wanted to dofor the rest of his life. So he opted for achange, both in his academic interests andhis college.“I transferred to Villanova and decidedto study what I liked,” Casey said. Hebecame a political science major. “Needlessto say, all my engineering credits didn’ttransfer,” he said with a smile.Casey was unsure of what he wanted todo after graduation, but was happy studyingin liberal arts, he said. He is now thechief compliance office with SAC CapitalAdvisors, LLC, a private asset managementfirm in Stamford, Conn. Whenasked how he came into the world of businessas a liberal arts major, Casey repliedthat in many ways, his career found him.He just had to work hard at it to move upfrom his entry-level position.“You won’t always know what you wantto do right away, and that’s okay. Onceyou do know where you want to go, youneed to apply yourself, and you will excel,”he added.Valuable mentors and friendsCandace Robertson ’98 A&S, who majoredin biology, is now a research manager at theInstitute for Women’s Health and Leadershipin the College of Medicine at DrexelUniversity in Philadelphia. Her definingmoment at Villanova, as a liberal arts andsciences student, was in the lasting relationshipsshe made with her friends, thefaculty and the staff, she told the audience.“I met all of my friends at Villanova,”Robertson said. “We are still very much intouch today.”The A&S faculty mentorship wasanother valuable tool, Robertson said. HerVillanova education, she said, gave her theabilities not just to master her field but toapply her skills elsewhere in the “real world.”The A&S faculty members “teachyou to think critically and how toimprove your writing,” Robertson noted.“Good writing skills are, if not one of,the most important skills that a collegegraduate can take into the world,” sheconcluded.“Of course, there were not many womenin the field, but I kept doing my best andalways offered new ideas,” she said. She hasbeen instrumental in ESPN’s workplacediversity initiatives. Today, Gatti is thesenior vice president of Communicationsand Outreach for ESPN/ABC Sports.“It truly is the faith and values here at Villanova that sustain you.”—Rosa Gatti ’72 A&SRosa Gatti ’72 A&S (right) talks about overcoming gender barriers in sports broadcasting,as Candace Robertson ’98 A&S, a women’s health research manager, looks on.Cable sports pioneerAs a high school student, Rosa Gatti ’72A&S was going to apply to Rosemont College,but when Villanova started admittingwomen, she was very excited and could notwait to apply. However, she added, therewere challenges when she arrived.“I was one of about 500 women in amostly male college, and some of them,you could tell, didn’t want us there,” Gattisaid. When asked how she overcame thebarriers, she insisted that it was a processof trial and error, both during her time atthe University and in her career pathtoward public relations in sports. “It trulyis the faith and values here at Villanovathat sustain you,” said Gatti, who majoredin modern languages.Gatti’s career was launched in sportsinformation at Villanova. In 1980, shejoined ESPN in its infancy, and beganto shape its communications stragegies.In 1983, Gatti was awarded an A&SAlumni Medallion, and she is a formerVillanova trustee.Although her degree is in foreign languages,Gatti emphasized the importanceof taking advantage of every course, notjust those in one’s major, adding thatcourses in communication are moreimportant now than ever.Gatti concluded by offering three tipsfor success: gain as much knowledge aspossible; be honest; and be proactive,especially if it means going out of one’scomfort zone.“When I graduated, there was no suchthing as cable television,” Gatti saidwith a laugh. “But now it’s everywhere.Who knows what lies ahead five yearsfrom now?”For more information on the College,visit www.villanova.edu/artsci/college/newsevents.Summer 2007 55