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Meet Alum Christopher Gillis ’14, Associate at Ropes & Gray LLP

Name: Christopher Gillis

Class Year: 2014

Title: Associate (Attorney)

Organization Name: Ropes & Gray LLP

 

1. In one sentence, what does your job entail?

Working with health care clients to help them do deals, solve problems, and expand their business in a highly-regulated industry.

 

2. What planned and unplanned events connected you to your industry and your first employer after Holy Cross? How did you learn/decide it was a good fit for you?  

After falling in love with economics while I was writing my senior thesis, I thought I was going to pursue graduate work in economics and I found a job doing academic research (through my thesis advisor). I did that for a few years and decided I was looking for something that was still very analytical, but that offered a more inter-disciplinary/multi-disciplinary approach to solving problems, which I was very happy to find in the law. I’ve always been a planner and had very certain ideas about what I wanted for my future, so while going to law school certainly doesn’t seem like the riskiest of moves, it was a real learning experience to have to sit with the uncertainty/disappointment that comes with realizing your original plan just won’t quite work. There wasn’t a lot serendipity or many surprises that followed the decision not to get an economics PhD, I just needed to have an honest conversation with myself and the important people in my life to figure out what the right path would be.

 

3. What were you involved in when you were on campus?

A lot — there wasn’t a committee or workshop I’d say no to. Being an involved student was one of the true highlights of my time at Holy Cross. I had a few different positions on SGA’s executive cabinet, ran a few of the weekend workshops, was a co-chair of the Spring Break Immersion Program, and was a Manresa leader.

 

4. What was your major and how did it affect your career decisions? 

This question was obviously somewhat answered above, but I was a very proud economics major. I think what I loved about economics is similar to what I love about the law. Part of the beauty of a liberal arts education is that you can deal so much in the abstract and the theoretical, but I really loved the practicality of economics, its applicability to the real world. The first class I took in the major was “Health Economics” taught by Melissa Boyle (my friend to this day). It was 2010, so right at the height of public debate over the Affordable Care Act (as if its ever really ended), and I loved how this one class had the ability to inform me and alter the way I thought about an issue that was so tangible and relevant to so many people. That same sensation has only ever really repeated itself for me in law school and, even more so, as a practicing lawyer. It’s also really not hard, as health care lawyer, to trace the through-line from Prof. Boyle’s Health Econ class on the second floor of Stein to the work I do everyday now.

 

 

5. What are one or two skills that you developed at Holy Cross that you use in your work? 

I would say the biggest skill I learned is how to work. I can’t tell you how many people I want to law school with who were able to coast through four years of college at some really great schools because it just wasn’t challenging. I always felt challenged by the workload and rigor of Holy Cross and I think investing the time to do well in that environment has paid dividends to me both in law school and as a lawyer. Also, going back to being involved — I learned early on, especially in my role as Director of Academic Affairs on SGA, how to have substantive conversations with highly accomplished professional people and not feel overly intimidated. Being able to locate that poise feels like a uniquely Holy Cross skill, too. There aren’t too many places that bring students into the fold of institutional governance as fully as Holy Cross does, and that exposure was invaluable.

 

6. What advice do you have for students on campus today? 

“On campus” is a funny phrase these days, isn’t it? I think I’d encourage people to treat your time at Holy Cross like a laboratory experiment. You have four years to try things out; see what works and see what doesn’t, and be honest with yourself about what does and what doesn’t. I can promise your life will be richer because of it and things will fall into place.  And when you graduate, no matter what major you’ve chosen or what future you’ve laid for yourself, you’ll be accepted into a vibrant alumni community with open arms.
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Meet Alum Neema Hakim ’14, Editor-in-Chief at Chicago Journal of International Law

Name: Neema Hakim

Class Year: 2014

Title: Editor-in-Chief

Organization Name: Chicago Journal of International Law

 

 1. In one sentence, what does your job entail? 

I manage the Chicago Journal of International Law, a student-edited publication at the University of Chicago Law School which features international law scholarship.

 

2. What planned and unplanned events connected you to your industry and your first employer after Holy Cross? How did you learn/decide it was a good fit for you?  

I was introduced to my first employer through the Washington Semester Program in 2013. During the spring semester of my junior year, I had the honor of interning at the Obama White House in the Office of Communications. I had no prior connections to Washington, DC or to the Administration. I just took a chance and applied online, driven by an earnest passion for public service. A year after my internship, I was offered a full-time job in the same office.

 

3. What were you involved in when you were on campus?

On campus, I participated in the Student Government Association as an intern, co-director of communications, and co-president. As co-president, I worked with peers at other local colleges and universities to found the Worcester Student Government Association.

 

4. What was your major and how did it affect your career decisions?

At Holy Cross, I double majored in political science and philosophy. Political science familiarized me with our government institutions, while philosophy taught me to think creatively. That foundation allowed me to keep up in the crucible of the White House and to later serve as Assistant Press Secretary at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. My undergraduate studies also prepared me for law school, where I often call upon my understanding of policy and theory to think through legal problems.

 

5. What are one or two skills that you developed at Holy Cross that you use in your work?

At bottom, a liberal arts education at Holy Cross taught me to think critically. As Editor-in-Chief of the Chicago Journal of International Law, I need to understand how to identify strengths and weaknesses in legal argument and to recognize top international law scholarship. I also have to manage 43 editors and staff members. The tendency to take nothing for granted, cultivated at Holy Cross, permits me to fairly critique the work of others and offer productive feedback, both to scholars and to my colleagues.

 

6. What advice do you have for students on campus today?

Whatever you choose as your major and whatever career you pursue, remain open to being wrong. The right answer is rarely simple and often nuanced. Embrace that complexity. Challenge your peers, professors, and superiors, but do so respectfully and for the truth, not ego.
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Meet Alumna Kathleen Reiser ’14, Attorney at The Law Office of Courtney P. Spencer, LLC

Name: Kathleen Reiser

Class Year: 2014

Job Title: Attorney

Organization Name: The Law Office of Courtney P. Spencer, LLC

 

1.  In one sentence, what does your job entail?

I believe that every child has a right to a free appropriate public education and I work  to ensure that every family and child has a voice within the special education system and receives the education they deserve.  I represent families with children with special needs in special education matters to help ensure children with disabilities are receiving an appropriate education.

 

2. What planned and unplanned events connected you to your industry and your first employer after Holy Cross? How did you learn/decide it was a good fit for you?

I went to law school at night while working at The Hartford Insurance in environmental claims. I was interested in special education law while in law school, so I left The Hartford to clerk at my current firm. After graduating law school, I joined the firm as an associate. I knew this area of law was a good fit for me because I had a passion for the work.  While I was not able to take my classes focusing on special education law, it was important for me to get practical experience while I was in law school, which ultimately confirmed that this was an area of law that I was interested in.

 

3. What were you involved in when you were on campus?

On campus, I was involved in as much as I could be! In addition to different volunteer organizations, I was involved in SGA, Purple Key Society, Admissions Senior Interviewer, Student Advisory Board and an intern with OSI.

 

4. What was your major and how did it affect your career decisions?

I was a political science major and was pre-law. I knew I wanted to go to law school prior to even college and was always interested in political science. I think more than anything, the well-rounded liberal arts education that Holy Cross provides helped me both in law school and in my career. Holy Cross taught me to think critically and how to look at an issue from a multitude of perspectives and I use this skill every day when evaluating a case in order to put forth the strongest argument for my client.

 

5. What are one or two skills that you developed at Holy Cross that you use in your work?

One of the strongest skills I took from Holy Cross was the ability to defend my convictions and ideas. This skill was extremely helpful during my first cold call in law school and continues to be helpful every day at work.

 

6. What advice do you have for students on campus today?

I think the best advice I can give, is to take classes and get involved in activities that may seem out of your interest realm. Holy Cross offers so many opportunities and provides a chance to explore different interests. Some of my favorite classes or on campus activities turned out to be courses/events that I went in underestimating. Most importantly, enjoy the four years on the hill because it goes by too fast!
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Meet Alum Patrick Drain ’01, Deputy Foreign Policy Advisor to the Chief of Naval Operations

Name: Patrick C. Drain

Class Year: 2001

Job Title: Deputy Foreign Policy Advisor to the Chief of Naval Operations

Military Rank: Commander (O-5)

Organization Name: US Navy

 

 

1. In one sentence, what does your job entail?

 

I support the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) through his Foreign Policy Advisor to by providing key information, analysis, and specific advice on a wide range of diplomatic and political-military issues that concern the U.S. Navy.

 

 

2. What planned and unplanned events connected you to your industry and your first employer after Holy Cross? How did you learn/decide it was a good fit for you?

 

I joined the US Navy in 2001 upon graduating from Holy Cross, and initially I served as a Surface Warfare Officer.  It was a pretty good fit, but after about a decade I realized there was a better option for me within the Navy.

 

In 2011, I transferred into the Foreign Area Officer (FAO) Community in the Navy, which placed me in a cadre of Middle East (CENTCOM)-focused officers and offered one year of Arabic language training and a Master’s Degree in National Security Studies. My focus was to do my best as a Middle East FAO, and this eventually earned me enough recognition to be asked by name to join the CNO’s personal staff.

 

My tip on knowing if something is a good fit: If on most days you wake up in the morning and look forward to going to work, then you’re in the right place.  If on most occasions this doesn’t happen, then you should probably look for a new job.

 

 

3. What were you involved in when you were on campus?

 

Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC), all four years

Student Government Association – Class VP (freshman and sophomore years), SGA Parliamentarian (Junior Year)

Resident Assistant (Junior Year)

Students for Responsible Choices (Senior Year)

First Year Program

 

 

4. What was your major and how did it affect your career decisions?

 

Political Science.  It was a reflection of my interest in international affairs, and I do not think it affected any of my career decisions.  I could have majored in anything at Holy Cross and gone down the same path.  They critical thing Holy Cross gave me is a firm foundation in thinking deeply about issues and the capability to intelligently express my ideas.

 

 

5. What are one or two skills that you developed at Holy Cross that you use in your work?

 

Writing.  The amount of writing – and the thorough analysis of our writing, at Holy Cross helped to hone a crucially important skill for many, many jobs.

 

 

6. What advice do you have for students on campus today?

 

Stick with what you love to do – you’ll work with more enthusiasm in these fields than you would otherwise.  Even if doing what you love means you will be starting at the bottom of what seems like an impossibly long ladder, it will be worth it in the long run.  People notice enthusiasm, and it will open doors you cannot imagine.

 

Don’t stick with jobs that are “comfortable.”  Once you get good at something and you feel like you’ve learned what you need to learn and you’ve got it down, it’s time to start thinking about where you want to go next.  Look to do things that will push your envelope and force you to learn more and be more than the comfortable job ever would.

 

Minor in a foreign language and aim for fluency!