19. Kosha Brightwell Massal

Toronto, Canada · Industrial and Labor Relations

Name at Cornell
Kosha Brightwell

krbrightwell@yahoo.com


Tell us about what you're doing with your life.
I'm an in-house lawyer for a pharmaceutical company.  I negotiate agreements with our customers- which are the  entities that actually purchase products-  like wholesalers and distributors.

Which Cornell classmates do you keep in touch with?
Too many to name!  My very best friends are Cornell alumni-- we've stood up at each others' weddings, share parenting advice, travel together, give career advice, are god-parents to each others' kids.  They are my family. 

How has your time at Cornell influenced you since you graduated?
Cornell made my current life possible.  I was a poor kid from a bad neighborhood and I was able to start experiencing the world. I lived in Akwe:kon, language house, and Ujamaa. I studied abroad.  I gave rowing crew a try.  I worked for the public service center, the Olin archives and Sibley library.  I'm now married to a Frenchman, have visited more than 20 countries on four continents, speak 3 languages, sew, ice skate & ski--and I'm nowhere near done learning, exploring and "becoming."

What does being a Cornell alumnus mean to you?
I always think of Cornell as the "blue collar Ivy."  It begins with Ezra Cornell's stated intention to found a University where any man can study any subject and follows through with the true embodiment and realization of that intention. From admitting African-Americans from very the first years of the University to continuing to study and support veterinary medicine, agriculture, textiles, hospitality management.  I'm very proud to be an alum of an institution with such an egalitarian legacy.

61. Jennifer Helgesen

Larchmont, New York · Industrial and

Labor Relations

Every few weeks, Cornell '95 Faces features a profile of one of our class officers. This week, meet the Fund Representative.

Name at Cornell
Jennifer Wendling

Jennifer_Helgesen@hotmail.com

Tell us about what you're doing with your life.
My husband Chris and I spend a lot of time chasing our two very active boys who are 6 and 4. I am enjoying raising them in the town that I grew up in outside of NYC.

After many years in the field of HR technology, I redirected my career to allow for more flexibility. I founded a recruiting firm focusing on HR/HRIS positions. I have crossed paths with quite a few ILR grads who are in the field of HR. My office is a mile from my home, which is really convenient.

What are your duties as class officer and what have you enjoyed about the job?
I am the Fund Representative for our class. Initiatives have included campaigns to reconnect with former dues payers and increase participation as well as personalized thank you notes to fund contributors.

I really enjoy being part of such a dedicated group of Cornell alums. As we approach our 20th reunion, the excitement of the officers is quickly building as we collaborate on ways to maximize involvement and provide a high quality experience to attendees.

What was your favorite class at Cornell, or the one you found the most useful?
What I found most useful was the balance of the intimate and focused ILR program coupled with the opportunity to take many classes across the University—including graduate level. Being with grad students who had been in the "real world" already was interesting. I stayed an extra year on campus and got my Master's from the Cornell Institute for Public Affairs. There were quite a few '95 grads who stayed another year for a masters degree or dual major, including several close friends.

What random or surprising encounters with Cornell or Cornellians have you experienced since you left?
Not sure if it is surprising, but I can't believe how many Cornell grads are in my town! 4 out of the 6 kids in my son's toddler playgroup are children of Cornell alums—including Michael Koby, a fellow ILR '95. Several of my close friends are Cornell grads who I did not know on campus. We instantly bonded over shared memories regardless of our graduation year. Also, I sold my first apartment to a Cornell graduate. We made the connection at the closing table. But most importantly, I met my husband through a Cornell friend!

What are you most looking forward to at Reunion 2015?
This will be the first reunion that I am able to attend. Can't wait to spend quality time on campus with close friends walking down memory lane as well as catching up on "today." Also looking forward to reconnecting with others who I have not seen in many years. Social media is great but nothing tops the in person connection. I know that the campus and Collegetown have both changed quite a bit so I'm eager to see what's new and show my husband around.

74. Neal Kaplan

Queens, New York · Industrial and Labor

Relations

nhkaplan@hotmail.com

Tell us about what you're doing with your life.
I am currently Vice President, Deputy General Counsel for the New York Mets. I work with the General Counsel and two other outstanding lawyers on all legal matters for the organization. In addition to doing work for the team and the Mets business operations, we handle legal issues for our home ballpark, Citi Field, our spring training facility in Florida, our training complex in the Dominican Republic, and the Brooklyn Cyclones minor league baseball team and its ballpark in Coney Island. Significant matters that I’ve worked on since joining the Mets in 2003 include the creation of the SNY television network; the financing, construction, and operation of Citi Field; the sale of minority interests in the team; and baseball salary arbitration. I live in Queens, New York with my beautiful wife and high school sweetheart Ginny; our children Samantha, 9; and Will, 6; and our cat Maz, 13.

What is your favorite memory of your time at Cornell?
Without question, graduation day. Getting through Cornell was such hard work, often under difficult circumstances, and I remember having such a feeling of accomplishment at reaching graduation in one piece. I was fortunate enough to be one of the ILR degree marshals and help to lead my school into the football stadium, and the first moment I saw the stands full of graduates’ families, friends and loved ones, including my own, is one of my most cherished memories.

Which Cornell classmates do you keep in touch with?
My three closest friends are all Cornell class of 1995: Rob Friedman, David Quigley, and Jonathan Perry. Rob and I have been friends since freshman year in ILR, I met Jon right at the end of senior year, and I didn’t meet David until law school. All three of us went to Harvard Law School, but I think that something about the Cornell experience, or maybe something about the kind of person who would go to Cornell, is the same for all of us, and is at the heart of our friendships.

What advice would you give to a student starting at Cornell this year?
Aside from bring the heaviest coat, gloves, boots, and hat you can find? Take advantage of the opportunity to take classes in different schools, and to meet people whose interests are very different than your own. I was in ILR, but my transcript includes classes like Intro to Acting, Psychology & Law, Ancient Seafaring, Art from 1940 to 1990, and Science in Western Civilization. I tried to make the most of Ezra’s “any person, any study” philosophy, and I’m glad I did.

80. Jordan Berman

Pennington, New Jersey · Industrial and Labor Relations

jordan@shorn.com

Tell us about what you're doing with your life.
I rocked the cradle in 2001 by marrying a Hotelie ’97, Elizabeth Schepp. We have two rambunctious boys (Dean, 9 and Nate, 6) and live right outside Princeton, NJ (there’s a Wegmans…enough said). I’m a former cable TV marketing guy (Showtime, MTV), turned producer, turned entrepreneur, who returned to my ILR roots by launching a start-up, ofc “the office engagement network” (www.ofc.tv). ofc is an interactive video channel and production studio enabling Fortune 1000 companies to engage employees otherwise watching cat videos during their coffee break. In an era when nobody reads and everybody watches, ofc makes HR sexy via amazing workplace video.

What was your favorite class at Cornell, or the one you found the most useful?
My favorite class was a collective bargaining course taught by Professor Harry Katz, now Dean of the ILR School. The class culminated in a high stakes negotiation pitting teams representing labor and management. I teamed-up with my pals, Rob Friedman and Pete DeBellis. We deployed some crazy psychological tactics to throw our competition off-balance. In addition to wearing ridiculous matching outfits, we found a dead mouse and placed it inside a matchbox that was left in our opponent’s mail cubby. The mouse was accompanied by a note, “When the Katz is away, the mice will die!” A classic moment.

What is your favorite memory of your time at Cornell?
My favorite Cornell memory is when my band, Nothing Rhymes With Orange, played at The Nines on Slope Day. I played drums, backing-up my bandmates including Alon Barzilay on keyboards, Pat Hunt on guitar, and Eric Semo on bass. All of our closest buddies came to the performance, likely enhanced by the fact that everyone was buzzed from a day on the slope. The Nines is a somewhat mythic place for me, given I ate there with my dad the first time I ever visited Cornell while still in high school. Best damn deep dish I ever had.

How has your time at Cornell influenced you since you graduated?
My time at Cornell has influenced me in many ways since graduation. I left with a high degree of confidence that I could hustle and keep up with just about anybody, given the concentration of achievers at Cornell and ILR. In fact, an early career lesson was realizing I might have to sometimes downshift my intensity when operating in a more bureaucratic environment. So, Cornell has always been a reminder to pursue great things with great people, even though the world so often rewards mediocrity.

What extracurricular activity or hobby from your time at Cornell was the most meaningful?
The most meaningful activity for me was involvement in the Cornell Tradition and its Student Advisory Council. It provided a great framework around work, service and academics. In fact, I spent 3 of my 4 years holding a part-time job selling shoes at Fontana’s in Collegetown. To this day, I consider Steve Fontana like family. His entrepreneurial spirit and passion have really stuck with me all these years. With that said, winning the intramural softball championship senior year with my buddy, Neil Glass, was a kick-ass moment and I still have that sweat-stained t-shirt to prove it!