A TV commercial features the CEO of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. You nudge your spouse. “That’s a Villanova nurse.” A friend posts photos of the new Shanghai Disney Resort. After liking, you comment, “BTW, designed by a VU engineer.” Your phone chirps with a breaking headline from a global news service. You read it to your co-worker, adding, “A top producer at this network is a Nova grad.”
These did-you-know remarks are increasingly common. Alumni turn up in a plethora of places and professions. They thrive in jobs traditional and exotic, along paths linear and winding, with titles significant and singular. They fill positions that are often prominent, yes, but also offbeat, risky, hard to find, hard to get or hidden from the limelight.
For Villanovans, accomplishment is not a matter of wealth, fame or power, although these outcomes often ensue. Alumni succeed because, by uniting mind and heart, they find meaning in their lives and purpose in the world. They use their gifts, embrace their journeys and trust in the rightness of their callings.
Here are glimpses of a few of the many alumni who inspire the reaction, “Wow. You’re a Villanovan?”