Commencement 2008
Gregory Ainsley is off to a master’s program in management at Wake Forest University.
Katherine Sawyers is starting a job in human resources at PepsiCo.
Aaron Gingrande is working this summer on a research project led by ILR Professor James Gross, then working for a year before beginning law school.
The agility of an ILR degree plays out this summer as 2008 graduates fan across disciplines.
"It's very versatile," said Kate Duch, referring to ILR's undergraduate degree.
Duch will return in August to Cornell to start a master's degree in labor economics in preparation for a career in higher education administration.
Chloe Chao has been working in human resources since January at Gevity, a company based in Bradenton, Fla. She finished her degree work in December with an internship at Gevity and returned to campus for graduation. "I wouldn’t have missed it for the world." Chao said.
An ILR education exposes "a wide spectrum of the business world," she said, and "taught me that when you apply theory to what's practical, it really makes a difference."
Jason Endriss, who will work in human resources at Target Corporation in Minneapolis, Minn., said powerful lectures by Professor Nick Salvatore and other faculty members were key to his ILR education.
"The passion everyone brings to the classroom … you can tell they feel strongly about the importance of the subject", Endriss said.
A mellophone player in the Cornell Pep Band and Cornell Marching Band, Endriss was a band manager for two years.
Convincing peers "to stay in line" – not easy when Big Red chewing gum is being hurled at you by opposing fans -- also schooled him for his career, Endriss said.
Kim Wong, who received a master's degree on Sunday, is working at City University of New York handling labor grievances.
Alex Feltham, who also studied collective bargaining as a master's student, said his ILR degree could take him down any number of career paths, with one caveat, "I would love to stay in upstate New York," he said.
Beyond that, Feltham said, "I have no idea."
At the Lynah Rink ceremony where 286 undergraduate and advanced degrees were awarded Sunday, ILR Dean Harry Katz centered his remarks on globalization.
Globalization demands heightened respect for diversity, he said. See unfamiliar cultural traditions as "different, but not strange," he said.
Globalization contributes to workplace pressures "which will test your ability to stay in touch with loved ones," Katz said.
"Assert yourself to slow things down," he said, to spend time with family and friends.
Recognizing that poor countries are getting poorer, Katz encouraged graduates "to participate in policy debates and in action that address these economic issues."
The full text of Katz's graduation speech can be found by clicking here.
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