Today’s Terriers
Sara Sooy ’14—A Woman of All Trades
By Stef Morisi ’10
P
resident of the St. Francis College Economics Society, Vice
President of the Finance Club, President of the Dorm Council,
Resident Advisor, member of the Tennis Team, active in
Campus Ministry: The list goes on and on for Sara Sooy ’14, an
economics major with a minor in Spanish who works part-time in
the SFC Athletics Department.
Growing up in Bernardsville, NJ, Sooy enjoyed the life offered by a
small, family-oriented community. So it was no surprise that on her first
trip to SFC, she fell in love with the feel of a small college, its sense of
community, and the opportunity to play NCAA Division I sports. Sooy was
happy to pick up a tennis racquet and fight for the Terriers on the court.
This is Sooy’s second year as a Resident Advisor, which is something
she always wanted to be. As President of the Dorm Council, she oversees
events at the dorm inside the St. George Residence Hall on Clark Street
and works closely with Dean of Students Cheryl Howell and Director of
Residence Life Jamaal Womack ’09.
“Sara is a great example of student leadership here on campus.
She embodies Franciscan values which are evident in her relationships
with the students, faculty, and administration,” said Director Womack.
“I am lucky to have her as an RA.”
Even though Sooy has an incredibly busy schedule juggling jobs,
volunteer work, sports, and academics she says, “academics are the
first priority.”
Sara is also very connected to her faith. She invites people to go to
Mass with her at Assumption Roman Catholic Church in Brooklyn
Heights where she teaches CCD with other SFC students. By incorporating the community into her daily life, Sara says she has truly turned
Brooklyn Heights into her campus.
It’s an idea she recommends to all St. Francis students: “Take every
experience you can get. Get involved. It goes by so fast.” When asked
if she would do anything differently if she could, Sara simply replied,
‘I wouldn’t change a thing, honestly.”
Some of the biggest reasons for her good experiences at SFC
are the people she has worked for, particularly Director of Alumni
Relations Dennis McDermott ’74 and Vice President of Development
Thomas F. Flood.
Sooy also says that she’s very appreciative of the alumni who come
back to speak to students at Economics Society events where she
pays special attention to their career advice and offers of internships.
The SFC community is “a hard-working family” and Sara feels that
the philosophies that have been passed down to her are “perfect for
a work environment.”
But companies will have to wait a little longer before they can put
Sara’s talents to use. Her plan right now is to apply to graduate schools,
making sure she brings her Franciscan spirit with her. ●
Weapons of Mass Destruction in the Context of the Syria Crisis
I
nternational Cultural Studies student Kathryn Dwyer ’15 got some high level insight into the use and possible
disarmament of chemical weapons in Syria from Dr. Randy Rydell, a senior political affairs officer in the UN’s
Office of the High Representative for Disarmament Affairs.
As an intern with SUNSGLOW, an international non-governmental organization founded by St. Francis Professor
Yassin El-Ayouty, Dwyer met with Dr. Rydell who explained how agreements like the Geneva Protocol and Chemical
Weapons Convention govern and limit the use, development, and stockpiling of weapons of mass destruction.
Tying the issue to Syria, she also discussed how the motivations and geopolitics of outside countries dominated the
response to the gas attacks on the Syrian people.
“I learned that achieving peace in the world is even more complicated than it appears to be,” said Dwyer. “The crisis
in Syria is just one of the many examples of a country harming itself and its people due to a conflict that could
potentially be resolved through mediated discussion.” ●
Kathryn Dwyer ’15 with Dr. Randy
Rydell outside the United Nations.
S T. FR A NC I S COL L EGE T ERR IER | W IN T ER 2013-2014 | 3