18. Scott Lajoie

Mashpee, Massachusetts (Cape Cod) · Agriculture and Life Sciences

scottlajoie@hotmail.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/ScottMLajoie
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/scott.lajoie.1


Tell us about what you're doing with your life.I live and work on Cape Cod with my wife of nearly 10 years, Wendy, and three children, Willow, 7, Miles, 5, and Sawyer, 1. After a career in magazines, in which I worked for publications as disparate as Forbes magazine in the Bay Area during the dot-com boom and Cape Cod Magazine, I now write and edit for the International Fund for Animal Welfare, a global non-profit located here on Cape Cod. I do some freelance articles from time to time for some local publications, from the Boston Globe to the Cape Cod Times, and I tutor local students to prepare for the SATs. I am on the board of the Cornell Club of Cape Cod and the Class of 1995 Council. I have for years participated in CAAAN as well.

Which Cornell classmates do you keep in touch with? 
I keep in touch with former roommates Steve Miller, Dean Bowles, Steve Paul, and Jen (Pierson) Logan, as well as Dave Grubman, Mith Niles, and a slew of Big Red Band and Cornell Daily Sun friends.

How has your time at Cornell influenced you since you graduated? 
Any time I put a lot of effort into an endeavor, I am reminded how it pales in comparison the hard work I put into everything I did at Cornell.

What extracurricular activity or hobby from your time at Cornell was the most meaningful? 
The Cornell Daily Sun was definitely that for me. I wouldn't be where I am today if I hadn't had that learning experience. It's as if my career started three years sooner.

23. Niraj Shah

Boston, Massachusetts · Engineering

Twitter: twitter.com/nshah10

Tell us about what you're doing with your life.

I live in Boston with my family (we have two kids, ages 10 and 8) and am one of the co-founders of Wayfair, which is a leading online retailer of home goods. I have been in Boston for about 20 years now and I now think of it as home!

What was your favorite class at Cornell, or the one you found the most useful?
The most useful class was the Entrepreneurship and Personal Enterprise class taught by Professor David BenDaniel in the Johnson School. The reason for this is that it led to Steve Conine and myself starting our first company together right after graduation in 1995. That company, Spinners, was based on the business plan which we wrote for that class as our class project.

Which Cornell classmates do you keep in touch with?
I keep in touch with a few but most closely with Steve Conine and Mike O'Hara, both Engineering '95. Steve, Mike and I have worked together for a long time. Steve and I are the co-founders of Wayfair which we started in 2002 and it is the third company we started together.

What advice would you give to a student starting at Cornell this year?
I would encourage that student to take advantage of all that the college offers—all types of classes, meet all types of people, all types of activities. The broad diversity is an amazing thing and I think students may not often take full advantage.

47. James McCloskey

Westborough, Massachusetts · Human Ecology

james.mccloskey3@gmail.com
Twitter: @paddygreenfield
Facebook: jamesmccloskey3

Tell us about what you're doing with your life.

I work in the mutual fund industry, interfacing with clients and advisors of multiple mutual fund firms.  I also test computer systems.  In my spare time, I swim, kayak, hike, engage in social media, politics, and charity, maintain close friendships and family relationships, exercise, meditate, pray, and read.  

What advice would you give to a student starting at Cornell this year?
Get organized quickly so you don't get overwhelmed.  Maintain interests outside of class.  Exercise a lot.  Be very giving to the people around you.  Develop deep friendships and stay close to your family.

What extracurricular activity or hobby from your time at Cornell was the most meaningful?
The political scene.  I went against the grain politically, being the chairman of the College Republicans, and writing op-ed columns for the Cornell American and Cornell Review.  Took a stand on the issues of the day, and met many great people doing so.  

What are you most looking forward to at Reunion 2015?
Reconnecting with (and making new) friends.  Doing as many outdoor activities as possible, like kayaking, canoeing, bungee jumping, and perhaps the 2-mile run.  Hope we score a good band to have a concert with.  Rush would be my first choice!

64. Stephen Friedfeld

Boston, Massachusetts · Arts and

Sciences

stephen@acceptu.com

Tell us about what you're doing with your life.
I received a Ph.D. in engineering from Rice University and then returned to Cornell from 2000 to 2004 as an assistant dean of admissions and academic advising. I became the associate dean of graduate affairs in the engineering school at Princeton University from 2004 to 2010.

I co-founded AcceptU (www.AcceptU.com) in 2010. AcceptU is a college, grad school, and MBA admissions counseling group. We have 30 former admissions officers who work virtually (Skype, phone, email) with prospective applicants. I attended Teachers College at Columbia University, where I received an MA in higher education in 2013.

In personal news, I got engaged late last year! We have a bulldog named Zoe (who is very sweet) and a miniature dachshund named Killer (who is not).

What was your favorite class at Cornell, or the one you found the most useful?
I loved my Freshman Writing Seminar called Medieval Aspects of Culture: From the Madonna to Madonna. I learned so much about writing, critical thinking and analysis. I am always writing or editing or teaching writing. (I also liked Quantum Physical Chemistry—admittedly less useful than writing, but still an excellent class.)

What advice would you give to a student starting at Cornell this year?
I would advise a new CU student to stay in Ithaca for at least one summer. I never lived in Ithaca during the summers as a student but spent four great summers there when I was working in Arts & Sciences. I would also advise students *not* to stay during winter break.

If you could change anything about your Cornell experience, what would it be?
I regret that I did not study abroad. It was considered fairly difficult for a chemistry (or any science major) to study abroad because of the sequential courses, but I still wish I had done so. I also took three P.E. classes (instead of the required two), but wish I had taken more—they were fun and easy.

79. Brett Blumenthal

Boston (Cambridge), Massachusetts

· Architecture, Art, and Planning

moque19@gmail.com

Tell us about what you're doing with your life.

Professionally, I'm an author within the lifestyle design and wellness genre. My books have included best sellers 52 Small Changes: One Year to a Happier, Healthier You; A Whole New You: How to Ignite Change for Your Best Life; and Get Real and Stop Dieting. My next book is currently under negotiation and will likely be released in January of 2016.

Additionally, I'm an artist and focus on multimedia illustrations and watercolors. My work can be found at http://www.tinytoesdesign.com and Etsy.

Prior to my current careers in writing and art, I practiced architecture for over five years and was a management consultant for close to seven years. I also went back to Cornell to get my MBA.

My most recent "project" was giving birth to our beautiful son earlier this year, a project I'm most proud of!

What advice would you give to a student starting at Cornell this year?
While at Cornell, I struggled to find what it was I really wanted to do. It took me a long time to realize that I needed to be true to myself, my talents, and my passions. For years, I tried to fit into a typical corporate setting because I thought that was what I should do. I lived "unauthentically" to who I really was. As a result, the advice I'd give new students is to really explore all that Cornell has to offer and not get caught up in what they think they "should" take or "should" do.

What extracurricular activity or hobby from your time at Cornell was the most meaningful?
I discovered my passion for wellness by taking aerobics classes at Helen Newman Hall as a freshman. I absolutely adored one instructor and was inspired to become an instructor myself. Within a year, I was teaching classes at Helen Newman, too. My favorite class to teach was "Double Step" which was extremely popular among students, attracting upwards of 70 students per class. It was such a blast! All 70 of us in complete synch, dancing and exercising to some of the best music out there. It was a total rush!

If you could change anything about your Cornell experience, what would it be?
I started as an engineering student and transferred to architecture. I had a chance to go to Rome for a semester and I opted not to. If I had it all to do over again, I most certainly would have taken advantage of that opportunity. Travel is a very important part of my life and seeing the world is something I want to impart to my son. I'm sure, had I gone to Rome for a semester, I would have had amazing experiences that would have helped shape my life in a truly positive way.