Fontbonne inspires me to excel in all that I do. It inspired to me to well in my academics. I worked hard in my courses, got good grades , and got accepted into ODK for being in the top third of my class. It also helped me to get internships. I was encouraged to search for a career very early, and I am really glad I planned ahead. Right now I have an internship with life work systems and next month I will find out if I received another internship for this summer. People at Fontbonne encouraged me to give a good impression to potential employers and writing a resume.
Fontbonne also inspired me to get involved on campus. I have met so many amazing people and enjoy seeing them everyday. I am part of the activities board, student government, enactus, and I am also leading the metanoia retreat. (You should all attend). I do not simply go to class and go home, I interact with people on a daily basis. I have become a well rounded person at Fontbonne.
Tagged as:
#FBUGriffinNation,
Griffin Pride,
inspiration,
School Spirit
One of my fondest memories of high school is having my favorite teacher Mrs. Cascone as my teacher and counselor. I first met Mrs. Cascone during my sophomore year, she was my English teacher. Not only did I improve my English skills that year, I opened myself up to her and her impactful advice as a counselor. During my junior year of high school, I applied to be in National Honor Society in my school. I received the news that I did not make it in. To be quite honest, I was so devastated. I felt crushed, just as I had started my junior year. I felt like my goals I had already set for that year weren’t valid anymore.
I went and talked to Mrs. Cascone about how I was feeling. She could tell that I was in a slump, so she gave me the advice to work all of junior year to build up my leadership qualities. She advised me to start my own club. After thinking about it, I decided to start my own Spanish Club in my high school. I saw the need for Latino students in my high school to feel included. Even though I have left my high school, the Spanish Club at my high school now has students in it. My senior year, I made it into National Honor Society thanks to Mrs. Cascone. Mrs. Cascone has always been there for me, as a teacher, counselor, and mentor. She has always been a cheerleader for my successes and a shoulder to cry on for my failures. She saw the quality of leadership in me even when I did not see it in myself. Mrs. Cascone built up my confidence so I could succeed in my internship with Bank of America Student Leaders and at Fontbonne University. Due to Mrs. Cascone, I am the treasurer for a new student organization, the Latino Hispanic Union at Fontbonne.
The most admirable characteristic of Mrs. Cascone is her humbleness. She is always wearing herself out trying to help every student with their problems. She rarely takes time for herself. She always schedules time out of her day to check in on me. Even though she is in Kansas City and I am in St. Louis, she still manages to shoot me a meaningful text every once in a while. Mrs. Cascone made me the woman I am today. I wouldn’t be at Fontbonne University if it weren’t for her!
“One child, one teacher, one book, one pen can change the world.”-Malala Yousafzai
Take care,
Mari
Tagged as:
high school,
inspiration,
learning,
teachers
Hello again everyone! This week I’m going to write about one of my favorite teachers during my time here at Fontbonne: Julie Portman.
To start us off, Julie Portman was the very first teacher that I had ever met at Fontbonne. She was my WING team’s Mission Core teacher, so she was at our orientation all weekend. Since I had her as my Mission Core teacher, she taught me to be more aware of all that can happen in the world around us. We learned about so many social issues in her Mission Core class that I now pay more attention to my surroundings. Making sure that I know an adequate amount about different things that happen everyday can be useful in that you will always be able to have a conversation with somebody. Whether or not that could be small talk or a heated debate over issues we feel so strongly about! She also always talked about getting involved on campus, and she was one of the voices I listened to when I went to the Fall Expo last year. I thank her for all that she has done for me because now I am more socially aware, and I am more involved on campus than I could have ever imagined.
Thank you all for reading every week! I appreciate it, and I’ll see you all next week!
Morgan
Tagged as:
Education,
inspiration,
teacher
Where do I start with this post – Most Influential Professor. Even though I’m still a Junior and haven’t graduated from Fontbonne yet, it would be difficult for me to pick a professor that has influenced me to: Learn More. Be More. IF I had to choose as of this moment, I would have to say Professor Mark Alexander. I feel like this professor does not receive enough credit. Yes, he was a professor of mine at first, but that all changed when he asked me a question (during freshman year) that changed my College Experience and Life for the better, “Why are you not a part of Enactus?” Not knowing how to respond, I agreed to attend that week’s meeting. And the rest was history!

Even though I’ve known him for only three years, he has gone above and beyond what a typical professor does/should do. Speaking from personal experience, he wears many hats (Professor, Faculty Advisor, Mentor, soon to be Ph.D recipient, & many others). He treats his students as if they were not only students but also as if they were his work colleagues and friends! He constantly wants his students to improve themselves. And let me tell you, I’ve improved myself and have done things that I did not think I could have done without his guidance (represented Fontbonne at a National Level – TWICE)!!! Not only is he the Faculty Advisor for Fontbonne Enactus (which I am the President of), he has many valuable connections! If it was not for him, I would not have joined the Regional Business Council and had Kevin Demoff (COO/EVP of Football Operations) of the former St. Louis Rams, now Los Angeles Rams; along with several other Top-Level Executives from various other companies (some Fortune 500 Companies) as contacts that are one tap away from my PHONE!!! Above all of that, Professor Mark Alexander has his own Scholarship fund that aids certain students (inner-city students) here at Fontbonne!!! Seriously, Professor Mark Alexander is the true definition of MVP (Most Valuable Professor). Until next time guys, stay classy!
Tagged as:
Business,
Enactus,
inspiration,
Mark Alexander,
Mentor,
Most Valuable Professor,
president