5. Jevan Taylor

Several of the alums featured between now and reunion were degree marshals for their respective colleges during our commencement ceremony in May 1995, an honor awarded to the two students in each college with the highest GPA.

Kansas City, Missouri · Human Ecology

jevantaylor@sbcglobal.net

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

I am married, have 2 great kids, and have built a career in marketing and advertising.  Soon after graduating from Cornell I got married to my high school sweetheart, Andrea, and we moved to NYC.  I started a career in advertising and she pursued business management.  We soon tired of the big city life and moved to North Carolina.  I continued to work in advertising while we had two children, Rowan and Zane.  We moved around a little, finally settling in Kansas City.  I currently work in marketing for a financial services firm while Andrea is going back to school to pursue a second career in the medical field.  I keep busy striving to be a good dad and husband while continuing to build my marketing career.  I try to fit in a little tennis, hiking, swimming, and travel when I can.

What was your favorite class at Cornell, or the one you found the most useful?

Not really a class, but I participated in the semester in NYC program, where I had an internship in the industry of my choice 3 days a week, while taking a multi-cultural class the other days.  This enabled me to see what my chosen career was really like, gain valuable job experience, and ultimately it was the key to getting that first job.  As the company where I did my internship hired me after I graduated.  It was the single most important experience in college that prepared me  for employment in the real world.

·  What is your favorite memory of your time at Cornell?

Hanging out with my close group of friends.  Upon arriving at Cornell, I quickly became close friends with 5 other transfer students.  We spent the entire time at Cornell together, doing everything.  I remember playing tennis across from my dorm room with them after class in the sunshine on a warm fall afternoon.   Catching some sun in the Quad.  Hiking in one of the nearby parks.  Even sitting on the dock of the lake and watching the sailboats.

Which Cornell classmates do you keep in touch with?
Chris Erbig.  My long-time roommate at Cornell And currently godfather to my two children.

30. Brian Smith

St. Louis, Missouri · Human Ecology

brian.j.smith278@gmail.com

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

After being diagnosed with Type I Myotonic Muscular Dystrophy in 2010, and ultimately unable to continue working, I am now a full-time stay-at-home dad and volunteer in my daughter’s first-grade classroom. Type I Myotonic Muscular Dystrophy is a degenerative neuromuscular disease.  It impacts all muscles–smooth and skeletal–and all systems in the body.  There is no treatment and no cure.  This is a relatively new disease and the research is still in the early stages.  My wife and I, along with other family and friends, have been become members of the Muscular Dystrophy Association (www.mda.org) and actively participate in fund raising, support group development and awareness programs in the St. Louis, Missouri area.

What is your favorite memory of your time at Cornell?
For me, Ithaca was mountain bike trails and East Shore Sailing on Shore Road.  

Midway through senior week, my father (may he rest in peace) arrived in Ithaca to spend some time and enjoy the campus.  We decided to get on our bikes and just ride.  Four hours later, we found ourselves in the parking lot of East Shore Sailing, renting a boat.  And, while the sailing and the grueling bike ride back up Gun Hill road were fun, the perfect way to end the day was over cold beers and hot pizza at The Nines.

What advice would you give to a student starting at Cornell this year?
Four years at Cornell is about so much more than academics and earning good grades.  College is just as much a social learning experience as an academic one.  Leaning to live and interact with people from many different backgrounds will provide you with life-long lessons that will serve you well in life after college, both personally and professionally. Whether you are more inclined to a faculty-sponsored wine and cheese, a fraternity party, or the bar scene in Collegetown, it is vitally important to include this social component as part your Cornell experience (just don’t forget to study as well).

How has your time at Cornell influenced you since you graduated?
The top-notch education you receive at Cornell means little in the real world.  In both the academic and professional arena, it is the name, prestige and reputation of Cornell University which enables one to get ahead.  On more than one occasion, I was told by recruiters and potential employers that I was invited in for an interview, and sometimes eventually hired, because I went to Cornell.  All other things being equal, and competing against many other similarly qualified candidates, the fact that I went to Cornell set me apart and gave me that special edge over the competition.