They graduated from Baruch in different eras with different degrees, but Randy Sepe (’87) (left) and Sulexan Chery (’10) (right) have something in common: both went on to attend graduate school at the prestigious Yale University, and both show their appreciation for the impact Baruch had on their lives through membership in the 17 Lex Society.
Sepe started out at Baruch as a statistics major. Also a rock guitarist/composer, he switched his major to music and found a role model and valuable mentor in Music Professor Andrew Tomasello (today deputy chair for music in the Department of Fine and Performing Arts). When Sepe started thinking about becoming a music professor, Tomasello laid out a plan for him that included Ivy League graduate studies. Ultimately, with a full scholarship, Sepe earned a PhD in music theory from Yale, where Tomasello received his PhD.
“It’s important for kids to see that they don’t have to start out at an Ivy League school to be successful,” Sepe says. His advice: “Companies need smart, hardworking people. You may not feel that you have the advantages that everyone else has, but you can create your own path and get where you want to go from Baruch. It’s what you put into it that counts.” Today Sepe puts his statistical training to use as the manager of customer and sales growth at the cloud computing company Salesforce, which matches gifts to Baruch. Sepe’s personal gift plus the match grant him membership in the 17 Lex Society. And, he’s still performing, as a guitarist in the rock band UVTraveler: “Even after all the music I studied, at heart I remained a rock musician—that’s what I love,” he says. (Watch his band on YouTube; Sepe’s in the Fanta T-shirt.)
Like Sepe, Chery believes that Baruch is what you make of it. A rating specialist at Standard & Poor’s (S&P) and Executive MBA student at Yale, he’s recruited at Baruch, NYU, and Princeton and says he sees no difference between the students intellectually and academically. What makes Baruch students stand out? “People with the character, work ethic, and determination that Baruch students have are the kind of people they look for at a school like Yale.”
It doesn’t matter that Baruch is a commuter school, Chery says. “I met lifelong friends and made connections by joining many student organizations, including Baruch’s Finance Club and The Ticker.” Chery stresses that Baruch students can have a fantastic undergraduate experience by becoming involved in activities and clubs and taking advantage of the many opportunities the College has to offer. Chery has remained actively involved with Baruch as an alum, paying it forward by mentoring students at Baruch’s Starr Career Development Center and referring some for positions at S&P. Likewise Chery values the opportunity to network with seasoned executives, one of the benefits of his Associate-level membership in Baruch’s 17 Lex Society.
Gifts from 17 Lex Society members constitute 80 percent of all cash gifts to the College. The discounted Associate membership offers giving options ranging from $100 to $500, based on graduation year and level of education. This is especially attractive for recent grads just starting out in their careers.
—Teri Wade (MA ’05)
Those interested in joining the 17 Lex Society can visit www.tinyurl.com/17lexsociety for more information. See whether a match could make you eligible for membership by visiting www.matchinggifts.com/baruch.