Bellarmine Magazine Podcast: The Pineapple

Ryan Stevens is a native Louisvillian. He says he came to Bellarmine and got involved in student government and interned with a couple of law firms, and as a result, graduates with fond memories of the school. He shares some keys to having a successful and pleasant roommate experience, but he also talks about what makes Bellarmine special. He says being a good "global citizen" is one of the important messages from Bellarmine that will stay with him the rest of his life.

Laila Bangesh is, in a word, a "go getter". She will graduate with an undergraduate degree in Political Science and Business but she will walk later this year in another graduation ceremony with her MBA. And then, by this time next year, she will be packing for law school. Laila is determined to do the work, to reach her goals. She says she is motivated and driven by her parents and believes there will be plenty of time to go to the mall, after she earns her degrees and establishes herself professionally.

Keneisha Johnson was very involved in school as a high school senior and continued that level of involvement in college. She visited the campus of Bellarmine University three times before making a decision to fill out an application. She was accepted and by sophomore year was in charge of 47 students in one of ther residence halls on campus. Having completed an internship in downtown Louisville, Keneisha graduates with a degree in Communications.

Brian Wall came to Bellarmine University from Rochester, New York and a great love for lacrosse. He was recruited to play on the Bellarmine Knights only Division 1 sport, lacrosse. Brian played the position of Attack Man. He is a finance major who completed a valuable internship in New York in investment banking and would like to return to New York and to J.P. Morgan after graduation.

Kennethia Chapple came to Bellarmine University from a high school in Indianapolis, IN that was larger than Bellarmine. She would like to return to that high school to create and implement an after school program. She graduates Bellarmine University with a degree in Math and her plan is to take a year off then pursue a graduate degree in Industrial Engineering. In this interview she shares a heartwarming and very inspiring story about her fourth grade teacher.

Austin Smith is a double major in Finance and Accounting. While studying at Bellarmine University Austin interned with General Electric Appliances and subsequently spent two years working with the corporation. In addition to his internship and his course load Austin has managed to find some balance. He has participated on a a team that has won two Mud Volleyball Tournaments.

Laura Pierson came to Bellarmine University via Tennessee. She admits she wasn't the greatest high school student and that she wasn't even excited about Bellarmine at first, but something happened on her way to pursuing an undergraduate double major in Theology and Communications. Along the way she spent a semester studying in England and returned to the US and to Bellarmine more excited about her education and most importantly her future.

Robbie Gaines enters Bellarmine University from Borden, Indiana and has plans to go much further than the Louisville, Kentucky campus. Gaines refers to himself as a global citizen and would like to join the Peace Corps after graduation and work as Health Coordinator in an underprivileged community.

Commencement Address: Susan M. Cameron,born in Schenectady, New York, earned a B.S. in business from the University of Florida in 1980 and an MBA from Bellarmine University in 1984. She has been recognized by Forbes and Fortune magazines as one of the most powerful women in business. She served as Chair, Executive Chair, President and CEO of Reynolds American Incorporated and since 2011 Bellarmine extended a Susan M. Cameron endowed scholarship fund to sophomores. Ms. Cameron is an inaugural member of the T. William Samuels Jr. Kentucky Business Legends Hall of Fame.

Johnny Thiel comes to Bellarmine University from Crestview Hills, Kentucky which is located south of Cincinnati. Thiel has made the college experience look easy. First off, Thiel picked Bellarmine early in the selection process, then he went through the random roommate process and it was a big success, and finally he took advantage of the international studies program and spent a semester in Milan, Italy. Thiel is a Communications major with a focus on Sports Administration.

Isabella Popovich comes to Bellarmine University from the state of Indiana and says even though her first college choice was a huge state school, once she visited the campus of Bellarmine University she knew she needed to pursue her nursing education at Bellarmine. Five years later she is about to embark on a nursing career, perhaps as a labor and delivery nurse, while planning a September wedding.

Miranda Maertz is a graduating senior from Union, Kentucky and says although her hometown was less than two hours away she made Bellarmine her "home away from home." This Economic major studied in South Africa as part of her degree program and made a decision from that experience to begin her professional career by working with non profits. Her story is amazing and she offers roommate advice and how to understand your "freshman self".

Charlie Derossett comes to Bellarmine University from Georgetown, Kentucky. He enrolled as a Pre-Med major but along the way switched. He graduates with a major in Biology and a minor in Biochemistry. He says his future is wide open, but he knows for sure that he wants to have a career helping people and encouraging people to enjoy themselves. He has been a big part of the Bellarmine University Orientation team that helps freshmen transition to college.

Bryce Chalfant has found his niche at Bellarmine University through international studies and his leadership with Pioneer Scholars. Chalfant studied in Spain and plans on returning to teach English for a year after graduating, before returning to the states to earn a graduate degree in Anthropology. Chalfant is part of the leadership team for Pioneer Scholars, an organization that helps inform and guide first generation college students.

Emily Bryant says she felt fortunate to take part in a program, while in high school, that introduced her to the field of accounting and to Bellarmine University. By the time she graduated high school, she knew the academic path she wanted to pursue and she knew that Bellarmine would be a perfect fit. Less than a year after graduating with the Class of 2018, Emily Bryant will have earned an MBA from the Rubel School of Business at Bellarmine.

Clauda Mort shares an inspiring story of her motivation and determination to go to college. She will take the MCAT (the entrance examination for medical school) one week after graduating from Bellarmine University (Class of 2018) and then begin applying to medical schools. In this interview with The Slice, Claudia talks about her international study in London while attending Bellarmine and what it was about getting involved at Bellarmine that enhanced her college experience.

Shelby Sullivan is an Admissions Counselor and part of the Bellarmine University graduating class of 2015. She shares her story and salutes the Bellarmine University Class of 2018. She also tells us about Bellarmine Bound and Knights U.

We are kicking the Graduation Season Class of 2018 with a very special and informative conversation with a university favorite, Shelby Sullivan. For the past two years, Shelby has served as an Admissions Counselor at Bellarmine University. We invited Shelby to the mike to shed some light on that transition from high school to college and to talk about her experience at Bellarmine University. She talks about the academic side of Bellarmine, the need to get involved in clubs and where she felt supported while studying at Bellarmine. Shelby is currently a graduate student at Bellarmine.

Dr. Sue Davis came to Bellarmine in the late 70s as a part time faculty member, but became a full time faculty member by 1985 and for more than 20 years she served as Dean of the Lansing School of Nursing and Health Sciences. She retires this spring (2018) after serving most recently in the Student Success Center as an advisor to freshmen who are interested in careers in the health sciences.

Meet the new Director of Career and Development at Bellarmine University. Dr. Lilly Massa McKinley offers advice on when to pay a visit to her office and what to expect. She delivers an updated and fresh list of "things to know" before the job interview and how to prepare and sharpen your skills. Dr. McKinley says Bellarmine University students should visit her office "early" and "often". In other words the Career and Development at Bellarmine University is charged to assist in professional planning for internships as well as full time post graduate employment.