Comings and Goings: Brian takes on a new role

Brian Federico, a former member of the undergraduate admissions staff, is now a major gifts officer for Institutional Advancement. Here, he shares the journey that brought him to that new position.

I’ve always enjoyed stories, but I discovered early on that I’m not creative enough to make up my own. I majored in English so that I could enjoy other people’s stories—something that my work in admissions allowed me to do with both current and prospective students. Now as a development officer, I get to encourage alumni to tell me their stories and shape the ongoing narrative of the College—a narrative to which my own story is very closely tied.

I came to Lewis & Clark in 2001 as a first-year student from Nogales, Arizona and very quickly found a home in student life. I became a Resident Assistant, I interned with Ray Warren in Ethnic Student Services (now Multicultural Affairs), co-chaired the Gender Studies Symposium, spent a semester in London, and did my best to make the most of my Lewis & Clark experience. Though I majored in English, I also really enjoyed my classes in gender studies, religious studies, and music. I was hired as an Admissions Counselor the day before I graduated, and it was a great spot to land right out of graduation. Admissions gave me a very holistic look at the college and its mission. I learned a lot from my colleagues and a lot about the kind of impact I want to have on the college.

My trajectory is a bit uncommon, and I owe a lot of my success to Lewis & Clark. The college has provided me with innumerable opportunities for growth since my time as a student, and now it does so in my professional life. I’ve traveled quite a bit now as a student and staff member spreading the good word about Lewis & Clark, doing my best to encourage others to perhaps think about their own uncommon journey. It’s not a bad gig, to say the very least.

To share your uncommon journey with The Source, write to source@lclark.edu.