A group of students and teachers ventured from Saint Louis all the way to New York City. Students got to see once in a lifetime opportunity tours. Steve Valentino, ‘84, was one of these tours. He graduated from Rockhurst in ‘88, slowly rose the ranks of Deutsche Bank, a multinational investment bank, and is now Managing Director in New York. His job takes him all over the world from Sydney to London, even to Japan. The students were able to go up to his office which resides on the 47th Floor on 61st Wall Street. The skyscraper overlooks the East and Hudson Rivers which tout not only the Manhattan and Brooklyn Bridges but also the Statue of Liberty. Students awed at the spectacle, but there was more planned. Steve gave the students looking at college, insider advice from his own life of choosing careers, rising the ranks, and what it takes to be a businessman anywhere in the World.

“Saint Louis is a great city,” senior Seth Roggencamp said. “New York is just a totally different place and it’s good to open your eyes to different places and cultures like that.”

Students met with alumni who have set up their lives in New York. These alumni spoke to the students about what it is like to live and work in New York and how each of their own businesses’ operates.

“We got to meet with a bunch of alumni that were really outgoing and interested in meeting us and seeing us and getting to know us,” Business Teacher Andrew Lange said. “It was a great opportunity for guys to network and learn and push themselves and be open to new opportunities and be open to growth.”

These alumni showed the students around different parts of the city and gave advice to these seniors about colleges and how to get jobs right out of college, even in a competitive market such as New York.

“The messages we heard were all very similar, working hard and finding something that you really enjoy, going from dreading Monday to loving it, it’s all about finding your passion and dedicating yourself to it,” Lange said. “We also heard that money isn’t everything and that if you are not happy then do something different.”

These alumni work many different kinds of jobs and offered many different perspectives. Nick Guntli, ‘05, who works for the Horticultural Society of New York, gives jobs to the marginalized and previously incarcerated as gardeners.

“We are here to be strict while also being compassionate,” Guntli said. “The ultimate goal is to get people employed with a steady income and a good job.”

Dan Kramer, ‘80, Managing Director at Kramer Financial Group LLC, talked about how greed for money can make the money control you. He stressed faith in God and putting God first is what truly makes you happy, not money.
“No matter what you end up doing do it all for God’s glory and you will be happy,” Kreamer said. “The number one skill we have is adapting to God’s plan.”

The students also visited landmarks such as the Rockefeller Center, Times Square, RadioCity, Stock Exchange, and the 9/11 museum.

“I am a social butterfly and seeing everything going on,” Roggenkamp said, “like in Times Square or Rockafeller Center, no matter where you are you can always find something to do which is cool”

The trip ended on Saturday night as students got back to Saint Louis around 6:30. Those looking to participate next year need to take one of Mr. Lange’s business classes and be above average in interest and skill in the class.

“The trip was amazing, absolutely amazing,” Senior Roger Melton said. “Going to New York was a life-changing experience. It gave me a new perspective on what business is like and what I want to go into.”