Recipient of the 2021-2022 Dartmouth Young Alumni Award
Growing up on Long Island and in rural Washington state, Dartmouth was never really on your radar. But with sisters attending Cornell and Smith, applying to colleges back East felt like a natural choice. Having never visited campus, you were unsure about Dartmouth when you were admitted, but your father and a Dartmouth ’97 in your town convinced you enrolling was the right decision.
You’ve said that coming to Dartmouth from a small high school was a difficult transition at first, with the academic bar raised significantly. But once you realized the freedom that the College gave you to chart your own course, you began to thrive. You majored in government, with courses taught by Daryl Press and Dean Lacey standing out for the perspective they provided on international affairs and political institutions. You also particularly enjoyed courses on Native American Studies, which gave you new insights into your upbringing in Washington.
In your fraternity, Phi Delta Alpha, you found your social home on campus. You found that the rush process provided a clean slate for participants, building strong connections and erasing any differences between you and your peers. As president of the fraternity, you developed budget management and leadership skills that continue to serve you today in your career.
Your senior year, eager to serve your country, you enlisted as a member of the United States Army. However, a severe head injury suffered in an accident your senior spring closed off that path, leaving you to graduate into a recession without a clear plan. Despite those setbacks, you landed on your feet, thanks to your determination and some help from John Wilson ’07. He connected you with a job that, in a strange twist of fate, had you working as a real estate and financial consultant for the United States Army. That job was the start of a successful real estate career, and today you are a Senior Vice President of Asset Management and Finance for a significant DC development.
Despite frequent 80-hour work weeks, you’ve remained committed to Dartmouth since graduation. You served as Head Agent immediately after leaving Hanover, driven by your desire to pay forward the generosity of the alumni who made a Dartmouth education possible for you. You’ve held a wide range of volunteer roles, ranging from Young Alumni Advisory Committee member to Admissions Ambassador. As President of your class, you served as President of the Class Officers Association, a role you remember as a humbling experience that gave you the chance to interact with and learn from alumni of all ages.
You recently worked with the Class of 2020 on an initiative in which members of the Class of 2009 from various industries shared their experiences graduating in the recession, providing support and encouragement to a class that faced its own unique economic hurdles graduating during the pandemic. You’re passionate about helping fellow alumni build their careers, and you regularly connect with new entrants to the real estate field as a member of the Dartmouth Career Network.
Andrew, we salute your generosity of spirit and dedication to your fellow alumni and the College. In recognition, we are proud to present you with the Young Alumni Distinguished Service Award.