Name: Vincent Lundy
Field of Study: International Economics and Finance Major with a Minor in Sales and a Concentration in Big Data
Status: Undergraduate
Graduation Year: 2021
Hometown: Pittsburgh, Pa.
Why did you choose Catholic University? My decision to enroll at CatholicU came down to two simple reasons. The first was the students. On my second visit to Catholic, I did an overnight stay with a freshman student. During my visit, I got to meet several other students who all provided a welcoming presence. The students I met stayed in touch with me throughout the spring and eventually we become very good friends when I came to CatholicU in the following fall. The connection that I felt with these students spoke volumes about the type of character the students at CatholicU possessed. After my visit, I felt that I could not only fit in, but succeed in my social and academic life.
The second was location. Before choosing a college, I knew that I wanted to have an internship experience during my freshman year. This was an ambitious goal; however, I knew that if I wanted to accomplish this goal, I needed to attend a school which would have the most opportunity for me to find an internship. Attending CatholicU would be a big step in attaining this goal, and I was fortunate to actually accomplish this goal when I interned on Capitol Hill during the spring of my freshman year.
Organizations and activities: I have been fortunate to be a part of many activities and programs such as orientation, student government, and intramural sports over the course of my time here at CatholicU. One in particular that has been very influential was the Busch school’s sales competition. I competed in the spring 2019 and came in third place, which qualified me to compete in the National Collegiate Sales Competition in Atlanta, Ga. It was a great trip where I got to learn a lot from the many sales professionals who attended the event. On this trip, there were three other CatholicU students and a faculty member. The memories and friendships that I gained with this group were truly special. I have also had the opportunity to be a counselor at the Busch School’s Summer Business Institute for the past two years. This was a pre-college business camp for rising junior and senior high school students. For a week in June, I had the opportunity to speak with these students about my experiences from the college application process to my time at CatholicU. This was a great way to give back and help these students gain a better idea of what they want for their future college experience. The most recent program that I have been involved with at Catholic was my study aboard experience at Oxford University. Studying at Oxford was an eye-opening experience both academically and socially. I had a lot of fun with my tutorials (i.e. classes) and playing soccer while I was there. Although my experience was cut short (because of the COVID-19 outbreak), I was able to travel to Berlin, London, and Southampton and had a great time in these places.
"To be a part of a community that truly looks after each other is special and it is what makes CatholicU so unique.
Favorite course: One of my favorite courses was an international economics course that I took while I was studying abroad at Oxford. Oxford courses are very different when compared to American courses. The major differentiator is that there are no lectures; it is simply a one-on-one conversation with the student and the professor for one hour a week (called tutorials). The are no tests or quizzes, but weekly readings and a 5-7-page essay that is due at each tutorial. This was one of my favorite courses because I read, wrote, and learned so much throughout the course. All of the work I did for this course, while tedious, helped me to engrave the information into my head. When it came time for my tutorial, I was able to have an intellectual conversation with my professor and ask insightful questions so that I could better understand the topic. In addition, the essays that I wrote covered topics that were all very interesting to me, and that made the course a lot of fun.
Goals: My goals are separated into short, medium, and long-term goals. My short-term goals include graduating from college in May 2021 and securing a full-time position post-graduation in technology sales. My goal 3-5 years from now would be to become either an account executive or a sales engineer (i.e. a professional salesperson). My long-term goal in 10 years is to have a family and career that I really enjoy. Although these goals are specific, I think it is hard for anyone my age to know exactly what their goals are post-graduation.
Is there a faculty or staff member who has made a significant impact on you? The two faculty members who have had a substantial impact on my time at CatholicU are Dr. Maria Aguirre and Professor Mark Weber. Dr. Aguirre was the first economics professor I had at Catholic and would later become my faculty advisor. She has pushed me to consistently get out of my comfort zone and to also find an internship! Specifically, she pushed me to study abroad at the University of Oxford. She helped me realize that this would be a great experience to grow both socially and academically. Although my time in Europe was cut short due to COVID-19, I had an amazing experience and I would highly recommend studying abroad to anyone. Professor Weber is another important faculty member who has impacted my time here at CatholicU. Mr. Weber was my sales professor during my sophomore year and he also was the faculty member who took us to the National Collegiate Sales Competition in Atlanta in April 2019. He has given me insight into what a career in technology sales would look like, which has influenced my career decision post-graduation. Mr. Weber has not only made an impact on my time here but also on the many other students who have taken his class over the past three years. His commitment to helping others is admirable and is something that I look up as a student.
What makes Catholic University unique? I get asked this question a lot when I tell people that I go to The Catholic University of America. People try to guess the reason as to why it’s so unique. The typical guesses that I hear is because of its Catholic social teaching, the school’s location in Washington D.C., or the generous merit-based scholarships that it awards to applying students. While those guesses are true per se, there’s only one, true answer. The people. Nearly everyone that I have met so far at CatholicU has been genuine, caring, and respectful. One of the most telling stories that illustrates this answer happened this past fall when I was in the interview process for an internship. My sales professor at the time, Mr. Peter Pin, offered to help anyone in the class with their upcoming interviews. So, I took him up on his offer. Over the course of two weeks, we had three separate conversations about my strategy going into my interviews. Overall, he spent about two hours outside of class to help me craft my strategy so that I could perform well in my interviews. I ended up getting offers from both companies. This is just one of the many stories that I could tell regarding the people and faculty at CatholicU. To be a part of a community that truly looks after each other is special and it is what makes CatholicU so unique.
Awards/recognition: I was selected as a Cardinal Leadership Award winner from the Office Campus Activities (OCA). Specifically, I won the Roy Bode Memorial Award. This is a description of the award: “This award is the highest honor presented to a junior male. The recipient is successful academically, has taken a prominent leadership role on campus, and exemplifies the highest ideals of Christianity”.
Proudest accomplishment: I’m most proud of the person I have become over the past three years. So far, I have interned on Capitol Hill and in Silicon Valley, studied abroad at one of the world’s most prestigious universities, been selected to serve in several student leadership positions, and I have given my time to help high schoolers as a camp counselor. I’m proud of the fact that I have been able to experience these amazing opportunities and that these opportunities have formed me into becoming a better person. College is a unique time, and I’m proud that I’m making the most of my time at CatholicU.
What Catholic University means to you: My experience as an Orientation Advisor has surely exemplified what CatholicU has meant to me these past three years. When I think of CatholicU, I am reminded of the people. The Orientation staff are all passionate, caring students who have come together to achieve a common goal. It is unique to have such a group of college students who are willing to give their time to help first-year students adjust to their new home. This experience and the students who comprise this group exemplify what Catholic means to me.
