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English graduate Brandt Siegel ’03 (Marysville, Ohio) is working in the corporate relations department at The Abernathy MacGregor Group, a Manhattan-based public relations firm.
“I will be able to learn from individuals who orchestrate major corporate actions such as mergers and acquisitions,” says Siegel. “I may also see how the firm and its clients deal with crisis situations. These are new experiences and can give me a sense of how I can use the skills I learned at Lafayette. Until now, I have used my writing and analytical skills solely in an academic environment, but [now] I will have an opportunity to use them in a business setting.”
Siegel graduated summa cum laude with honors in English in May. He was elected to Phi Beta Kappa, the oldest and most respected undergraduate honors organization in the United States, and received the Gilbert Prize, awarded to students who have demonstrated superiority in English.
Although Siegel is working at Abernathy MacGregor while he decides whether he wants to go to law, business, or graduate school, he knew exactly what he was looking for when he started college four years ago.
“When I came to Lafayette, I wanted to obtain more than book knowledge or knowledge useful for a career,” says Siegel, a Marquis Scholar at Lafayette. “I wanted knowledge that would inform and enrich my life, a deeper understanding of myself and the world around me. I aimed to achieve personal independence.”
Living and studying in Spain for a summer and a semester “took me quantum leaps toward my goals,” says Siegel, who minored in Spanish. “I lived with three different families and spent one month in Pradena, a village outside Segovia where I was the only American. I learned just how independent I could be.”
Siegel, who conducted research in two EXCEL Scholar projects, says “working in close contact with professors, analyzing literature, and refining my thinking and writing techniques enhanced my analytical skills and even the way I make decisions and nurture relationships.”
In his EXCEL project during the 2001 January interim session between semesters, Siegel studied the battles of the British siege of Philadelphia during the Revolutionary War under the guidance of Bruce Allen Murphy, Kirby Professor of Civil Rights.
During the conquest of Philadelphia, American colonists whisked the bell away to Allentown to prevent their foes from melting it into bullets, and the rest was history, says Siegel. Those clashes catapulted the Liberty Bell to fame as a symbol of America’s founding years. Siegel examined military movements and other events related to Gen. George Washington’s initial loss of Philadelphia to British Gen. William Howe, which he eventually reclaimed.
Siegel also assisted James Woolley, Frank Lee and Edna M. Smith Professor of English, with analyzing versions of Jonathan Swift’s poems. Woolley was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship for the research (see related story).
“Professor Woolley was a great help, giving me sound advice as his advisee, student, and friend.”
“My experience with literature has allowed me to realize my goal,” says Siegel, who completed his year-long honors thesis on the application of Kenneth Burke’s literary theory to Edmund Spenser’s Elizabethan epic The Faerie Queene. He was advised by Patricia Donahue, associate professor of English and director of the College Writing Program. Donahue is one of six outstanding faculty members recently chosen from applicants around the world as 2003-04 Carnegie Scholars by the Carnegie Academy for the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (see related story).
“Literature and literary criticism expanded my understanding,” says the student.
During his first year at Lafayette, Siegel won awards for performances at regional and state National Forensics Association events. He also co-founded Lafayette Communications Union, a living group/organization that promotes verbal communication and professional venues for dialogue on campus.
Siegel has been reporter, photographer, and copy editor for The Lafayette (school newspaper) and active in College Republicans. “Working for the newspaper taught me a new style of writing and gave me a chance to engage in a professional activity that demands critical thinking,” he says.
Through College Republicans, he met Ray Howe ’54, who is active in local politics. “He has been a teacher and instilled pride about belonging to Lafayette.”
Last summer, Siegel learned about international banking and commerce at the Bank of New York, which he says helped him assess his career path.
A pianist, Siegel participated in racquetball, soccer, and rock-climbing, and served as an America Reads tutor while at Lafayette.