With an undergraduate degree from Gabelli School of Business at Fordham University, Alanna Galdi decided to continue with her Master’s in Media Management at Gabelli. She explained why one word not only changed her master’s experience but her outlook on life.
You should never take the feeling of being part of a community for granted. Having completed her undergraduate degree at Fordham University’s Gabelli School of Business, Alanna Galdi chose to continue with a Master in Media Management.
Although the ability to carry undergraduate credits into her postgraduate degree made it easier to stay on at Fordham, already being a part of the Fordham family ultimately made the decision a simple one.
She says, “[Fordham] allowed you to bring some credits from undergrad towards your graduate degree, so for me, the master’s degree was a no-brainer. I added that extra year of school on and I was happy to do it at Fordham because it’s been such a great experience so far.” (00:27)
“Coming from a Fordham background and continuing my education at Fordham, it makes me feel really special, it makes me feel more a part of the university. It makes me really happy to be a part of the community.” (02:47)
For Alanna, the shift from undergrad to postgrad study was not simply more of the same: The classes are longer and later, with more group work and networking opportunities. In many ways, her master’s experience has been a stepping stone between her undergraduate degree and the start of her professional career.
“Yes, you’re going to class but you’re also building relationships and meeting people that could potentially help jumpstart your career,” she elaborates. “It’s meeting professionals, networking, and branding yourself to help with your future career.” (12:14)
As much as Alanna enjoyed her undergraduate years at Fordham, the time she spent commuting in and out of New York City meant she admittedly missed out on some of the social aspects of the program. It’s something she was keen to correct when it came to her master’s.
“When I started grad school, I gave myself a goal to be more involved, make more friends, make more connections, and right off the bat I was like: ‘Okay, I’m going to sign up for all these clubs and do all these things.’ It really helped me make relationships with people and friendships that will probably last the rest of my life,” she tells us. (10:40)
Beyond the positive impact on her social life, this one-word change in attitude has also changed Alanna as a person: “I think I’ve become more of an extrovert, which is weird for me to say, but growing up I’ve definitely been one of the people in the back of the room, listening and taking things in. I still do that but my graduate experience has definitely forced me to say ‘yes’ more.” (09:52)
“Because of that, I’ve had so many valuable experiences and made so many relationships with people that I probably wouldn’t have made [otherwise].” (10:46)
Based on Fordham’s Class of 2021, the average exit salary of a master’s graduate from the Gabelli School of Business is US$63,987. With most students having secured a job shortly after graduation – and some of them even before – the return on investment (ROI) of Fordham University master’s programs remains high.
Zoya adds, “We have a great networking system. We have a wonderful Career Center that’s going to do all they can to make sure that our students graduate with a job by the time they graduate. But really, the community that you can find at Gabelli is going to be hard to find anywhere else, and networking is so important, especially when it comes to the business world. The connections that you’ll make at Gabelli [are] lifelong connections. It’s not just transactional. It’s a very, very supportive community.” (09:18)
‘Community feel’ isn’t something that one might actively seek when looking through university or college rankings. Yet that feeling of being accepted, of being part of something, of being one of the community, can make or break your study experience.
It was the Fordham community that convinced Alanna to stay at Gabelli for her master’s, and it’s the same community that she will miss after graduation.
“If I could come back after graduation – which I know I can – I would, because this community is definitely something I’m going to miss.” (12:49)
Thanks to her renewed outlook on life, Alanna was able to enjoy being part of a community where she felt at home. All it took was one word.
