Class humanitarian

The words—“I really like helping people”—were sincere and heartfelt. Still, they made Carly Samuels cringe.

After all, the Rowan University management and entrepreneurship major was “all business” going into the interview for the director of charitable events position with Student University Programmers.

Gearing up for the meeting in the spring of her freshman year, she had done her homework, outlined some goals and was dressed to impress in her best pencil skirt. Then, she was certain she blew the interview when she uttered those words, which she worried sounded “juvenile” to her interviewers.

“What a corny answer,” she said, quickly apologizing to the committee.

Right then, Director of Student Activities Constantine "Cos" Alexakos stopped the interview.

“Don’t ever apologize,” he said, “for wanting to help people.”

Samuels, who landed the job, took Alexakos’ words to heart—with extraordinary results.

$100,000 in charitable fundraising

As only the second director of charitable events in SUP history, Samuels led and organized a 20-member committee of student volunteers that raised more than $100,000—a phenomenal amount of money--for six separate charities.

Amazingly, the group accomplished that feat in just two years, organizing fun, University-wide activities such as the Color Run, Holiday Helper, St. Baldrick’s Day, and the Mustache March.

Charities benefitting from their work included Back on My Feet, the Gift of Life Family House, the Front Row Foundation, the American Stroke Association, the St. Baldrick’s Foundation and Justin and Jason’s Journey x2 .

Because of the students’ hard work, thousands of dollars went to help transplant patients and their families. People with chronic illnesses were able to land in the front row of their favorite concerts or sporting events. Funds went to support stroke victims. Tens of thousands supported pediatric cancer research. A family with two children with a genetic disorder received financial help. And homeless individuals, through the power of running and additional community support systems, were assisted in getting back on their feet.

Samuels, who graduated magna cum laude with her bachelor’s degree in management in entrepreneurship from the Rohrer College of Business on May 11, is quick to note that the $100,000 accomplishment is not hers alone.

Bole Humanitarian Award

“It was 100 percent a group effort. You have to have an incredible team to accomplish that,” says Samuels, who received the Robert D. Bole Humanitarian Award, a medallion presented to a graduating senior whose lifestyle and activities display compassion and concern for the well-being of others through their involvement in and service to the University.

She chuckles as she recalls her early days leading SUP’s charitable events committee. A self-described Type A personality with a business mindset, Samuels had no problem overseeing a $5,000 budget. But she hit some bumps in the road early on as she took a leadership role on the committee.

“When I first started, I had agendas and handled everything like a business,” she says. “But nobody came to my meetings. I learned from others how to run the meetings. I realized that SUP is a club and that people didn’t want to come to a meeting if it felt like another class.

“I began to understand how people work together in a business sense and started to learn not only how to interact with them, but, also, how to get the best out of them. What I found most helpful is that I needed to care about the events and have everyone else care about them, too.”

Culture shock

Joining SUP—a large, spirited student organization--was a bit of a culture shock for the quiet, reserved Samuels, who was barely involved in activities at East Brunswick High School.

“In high school, I was very different. I warmed the bench in field hockey. I was not involved,” says Samuels, who graduated from East Brunswick in 2012.

“In SUP, everyone was loud and very friendly…way too friendly for me at first,” she admits.

Yet, through her charitable events work, Samuels gained the confidence to pursue other leadership positions on campus, including taking over as director of live events for SUP (where she oversaw a budget of $156,000) and as special events intern for Rowan After Hours; serving as a resident assistant in Mimosa and Whitney residence halls; and coordinating campus-wide internship opportunities for her fellow students in the “All About ME (Meaningful Employment)” Higher Education Internship Program.

Through that program, now in its second year, Samuels coordinates with various departments across the University to give students chances to learn about career opportunities within higher education. Thus far, 16 students have taken advantage of the program—learning more about career opportunities in Advising, Healthy Campus Initiatives and Public Safety, among many others.

“I love that program,” says Samuels, who will pursue her master’s degree in higher education from Rowan with the goal of working in student activities. The leadership role in “All About ME” required Samuels to build strong relationships with professionals across the University.

“She has a natural love of higher education,” says Karen Siefring, assistant to the dean for advisement in the Rohrer College of Business. Siefring co-coordinates the program with Julie Peterson, director of student enrichment and family connections.

“Her enthusiasm, her skill set, her drive and her great ideas have been tremendous assets to the program.”

Outstanding Student Leader

Recipient of a laundry list of scholarships, Samuels has attended and presented at conferences such as the National Association for Campus Activities, and served on the Dean’s Student Advisory Board for the Rohrer College of Business, among many other activities.

Her work earned her the Outstanding Student Leader Award, presented to a senior who excels academically, demonstrates team building, motivates and inspires others and exemplifies personal values of integrity and dedication.

“When you come to campus, you never think you’ll be put into that category,” says Samuels. “To see my name up there with other people who have received that award—people I’ve looked up to in my years at Rowan—it’s very nice to even be nominated.”

Samuels made the conscious decision to get involved on campus after experiencing a devastating loss. The spring of her freshman year, Brooke Nudelman, a little girl she babysat, died of cancer at age two.

“Getting involved was my coping mechanism. I was scared of not filling my time,” she says. “I decided I could either let her passing consume me or I could change my outlook on it.

“I hope that her family knows that part of the reason for the fundraising I’ve done is because of her. This was my way of putting good karma back into the world.”

‘When you invest in other people, it means something’

At Rowan, Samuels has done that—and then some--Alexakos says.

“Carly took the position as director of charitable events and set the bar. Now, everyone is trying to reach that bar,” says Alexakos, who lauds Samuels’ organizational skills, people skills, vision, follow-through, attention to detail and time management skills.

“She’s an excellent leader. Students look up to her. They respect her. And they work to live up to her standards. She’s made huge contributions to this campus,” adds Alexakos, noting that Samuels, as director of signature events, was instrumental in the success of Hollybash, the first-ever, eight-hour outdoor spring festival for all members of the University community.

“Because of its success, we’re hoping to make Hollybash an annual event. She just knocked it out of the park.”

Samuels views her SUP interview—the one she thought she flubbed—as a turning point. All that has come since…the fundraising, the opportunities, the relationships, the awards, the fun…have made for an extraordinary, memorable Rowan experience, she says.

“From Cos, I learned that this work is not just a job. When you invest in other people, it means something.

“There are a lot of opportunities here at Rowan,” says Samuels. “I’ve never heard of a student who had an idea and it was shot down. There’s a lot of genuine student-driven excitement here. People genuinely want be here. Something at Rowan clicks for them.”