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david F. d’alessandro ’72, lifetime achievement
As the former chairman, CEO, and
president of John Hancock Financial
Services and the author of three
best-selling books, David
D’Alessandro has combined his
unique marketing savvy with
personal life lessons to become a
celebrated fixture in the global
sports arena. Early in his career with John Hancock,
he created the “Real Life-Real People” campaign, which
garnered him AdWeek’s Marketer of the Year award.
Two years later he spearheaded Hancock’s signing of a
$10 million contract with organizers of the Boston
Marathon, ensuring the survival of the storied race. He
went on to elevate sports marketing to a new discipline
by sponsoring the Olympic Games, Major League
Baseball, and the Los Angeles and New York City
Marathons and by establishing the John Hancock
Bowl. Named one of the “Most Powerful People in
Sports” nine consecutive years by The Sporting News,
D’Alessandro was also cited as one of the 25 people
expected to have the most influence on the Olympic
movement by Around the Rings after he threatened to
pull John Hancock’s purchase of $20 million in
commercial time for the 2000 Summer Olympics
during an ethics scandal. During this time, he was one
of the IOC’s most vocal critics and his public pressure
helped lead to IOC reforms that are in place today. He
is also a member of Major League Baseball’s Commissioner’s
Initiative Special Task Force on Baseball in the
21st Century.
Today, he is a sought after speaker for corporations,
universities, and governmental conventions, and is
also a guest columnist for the Boston Globe and a guest
host for CNBC.
dJ carstensen Jr. ’85, Men’s Basketball
A three-year captain, two-time
team most valuable player, and
dedicated student-athlete, DJ
Carstensen played a major role in
transforming the landscape of the
Utica College men’s basketball
program. Following a successful
high school career, the two-time
Iowa High School All-State selection joined UC’s
first-ever Division I men’s basketball team in 1981.
Over the next four years, the 6-foot-8 forward guided
the Pioneers to 41 victories, 37 of which came in his
final three seasons, under legendary head coach Larry
Tradition. Opportunity. Transformation.®
Costello. Carstensen currently ranks 13th on UC’s
all-time scoring list with 962 career points. He is one
of only seven players in program history to appear in
more than 100 games. He was known for his great
hands and smooth mid-range jump shot, which
translated into 390 career field goals, good for eighth
all-time at UC. He was a 74.3 percent free throw
shooter for his career, and he grabbed 465 career
rebounds. In his final two seasons, he led UC in
rebounding, shot better than 50 percent from the floor,
and scored in double figures more than 40 times. In
his senior campaign, the Pioneers won a then-best 15
games, including two victories against eventual
postseason teams. Today, he remains close to the game,
traveling across the country as a Division I men’s
basketball referee. Over the course of the past 11
seasons, he has generated an impressive officiating
résumé that includes four consecutive NCAA Division
I Men’s Basketball Tournaments, two Atlantic 10
Championships, and two NITs.
Bernice (Wesley) Benjamin ’90, Woman’s Basketball
Bernice (Wesley) Benjamin is one of
the most prolific women’s basketball
players to ever step foot on the court
at Utica College. A dynamic
forward, she was a four-year
letter-winner, two-year captain, and
two-time team most valuable player.
She ranks second on the College’s
all-time scoring and rebounding lists with 1,750 points
and 1,073 rebounds. She ended her career as one of
only two players in program history, along with 2008
Pioneer Hall of Fame inductee Sharon Lyke ’85, to
score more than 1,000 points and grab more than
1,000 rebounds. She led UC in scoring, rebounding,
and field goal percentage in each of her four years. Her
senior season was, by any standard, one of the most
dominant in school history. She ranked in the top 10
nationally in both points and rebounds. Her 556 points
set a school single-season scoring record, and she
earned ECAC First Team All-Star recognition. After
college, she played one season of professional basketball
in Kronberg, Germany. Earlier this year, she was
inducted into the Delaware Afro-American Sports
Hall of Fame.
pioneer 31 fall 2009