February 18, 2011
“St. John’s has given me an education no other institution
could,” said Robert Marrocco ‘12TCB. “Its rock-solid curriculum, Catholic and
Vincentian values and New York City location have all helped to
make me well-rounded and well-prepared for a successful business
career.”
“What really put it over the top,” Robert added, “is being part of
the Ozanam
Scholars Program.” Robert credits its extraordinary mix of
hands-on service, results-oriented research and global travel with
helping to position him to become a future business leader.
Launched in 2007, the four-year Ozanam Scholars Program
prepares students to identify and solve real-world problems of
poverty and social injustice. Robert is a member of the Program’s
second cohort and will graduate in January 2012 after just three
and one-half years.
Robert is especially excited about his senior-year Ozanam capstone
project on alternative nonprofit funding strategies. “In
formulating these strategies — which I believe will contribute to
financial thinking — I am applying everything I’ve learned from my
service assignments.”
Robert cited principles he extracted from his continuing work with
the Little
Sisters of Assumption (LSA) in East Harlem — a community
health-services-provider. Getting a first-hand look at LSA’s
organizational structure, he was impressed that, unlike other
nonprofits, LSA does not rely solely on donors to raise money. It
also employs cost-effective practices such as delivering multiple
services from one locale, using surveys to identify growth
opportunities and constantly measuring client satisfaction.
St. John’s focus on study
abroad and academic
service-learning (ASL) has enriched Robert’s education as
well. He has traveled to Rome, Paris, Spain and New Orleans, where
he helped rebuild houses damaged by Hurricane Katrina. On campus,
he strengthened his entrepreneurial skills, collaborating with the
Department of Academic Service-Learning to create a new student
worker position — an ASL Assistant that will track study abroad
service hours and coordinate activities with St. John’s strategic
partners.
This semester, Robert landed a competitive internship with FGI Risk
Services, a financial services firm in Manhattan. “I’m gaining
hands-on trade credit insurance experience — an invaluable
career-building credential,” he stated.
Robert plans to pursue his M.B.A. at St. John’s Rome, Italy,
Campus. Then he will seek a global corporate position
specializing in direct foreign investment. “My experience modeling
funding alternatives will serve me well in the for-profit arena,”
he said. “All organizations need to create new financing models to
survive in a turbulent economic climate.”
“St. John’s has helped me build an impressive undergraduate record
as well as a cross-section of high-level contacts,” he said. “Most
important, it has given me the tools and opportunities to grow
academically, socially, spiritually and professionally.”