玛丽·韦尔奇说，当她决定从哪里开始人生的下一个篇章，追求梦想和抱负时，她很容易就能决定.
Welch, 目前正在攻读工商管理硕士学位，毕业后获得工商管理学士学位，辅修心理学, was born into a St. Bonaventure family. Her mother, 父亲和姐姐都是大学毕业的，姐姐于2016年秋季入学.
Her father, Dan Welch, 他1992年毕业于博纳商学院，获得金融工商管理学士学位, went on to co-found CaterTrax, a software company in Rochester. He currently is the owner of Oak Knolls Exit Planning, LLC是一家认证的商业咨询公司，也位于罗切斯特.
He, clearly, was his daughter’s biggest influence.
“他的人生道路和轨迹促使我想在博纳文蒂尔攻读商学学位,” Welch said.
而韦尔奇一直都知道自己的主要职业兴趣是什么, 这并不是说她从一开始就把一切都想清楚了. 如果非要用一个词来形容她在博纳学院的学生生涯，那就是成长.
“When you’re a senior in high school, you think you know your plans, where your life is going to go and all,” she said. “But in reality, you don’t. 对我来说，成长是我在博纳文蒂尔工作期间最重要的事情. It has challenged me to become an independent thinker, 学习和即将成为商业世界的专业人士.”
韦尔奇将于5月开始她的职业生涯，担任Oak Knolls Exit Planning部门的顾问, of course, alongside her father. But before she arrived at this point, she met the challenge of growth, constantly learning, leading and challenging herself.
Welch took a few classes with Dr. 托德·帕尔默，商学院副教授. But Palmer made the biggest impact on Welch through C4, 这是一个咨询俱乐部，学生们通过与奥利安商业发展公司等发展团体的合作，与企业和非营利组织合作. and Southern Tier West Regional Planning & Development Board. 韦尔奇说，通过她在该组织的经历，帕尔默引导了她的想象力.
“我们与许多当地企业合作，提供咨询服务, such as website development, marketing assistance and even some accounting work,” Welch said. “有时候，这些约定会遇到一些障碍. That is where Dr. 帕默教我运用自己的知识，发挥创意，让约定重回正轨.
“...在咨询界，你必须准备好应对意外情况. 帕默为我提供了实现这一目标所需的所有工具.”
帕尔默注意到韦尔奇的职业道德和适应能力，无论是在课堂上还是课堂外. He tabbed her a “double threat.” Welch is an outstanding student in the classroom, he said, but she is especially sharp outside of it.
帕尔默说:“在课堂之外，玛丽才是真正的亮点。. “For several years, Mary was a member of our C4 Consulting group, 从顾问开始，到大四，她成为了“高级校长”.’ She is meticulous and an incredibly hard worker. 她总是关心我们的客户所获得的价值.”
Although Welch has plans for her immediate future, 去年秋天，她对自己的一门研究生课程——商业的法律环境——产生了新的兴趣. 托马斯·黑尔(Thomas Hare)是该大学商业法助理教授.
对韦尔奇来说，野兔是一个吃饭、睡觉、呼吸都遵守法律的人. 她认为是他激发了她对法学院的兴趣——她仍然希望将来能实现这一点.
“He was very real with me about all of the time, effort, 攻读法学博士学位所需要的精力和金钱,” Welch said. “我有机会听到了他的故事，以及他获得法学博士学位的过程. Right around the time I was studying for the LSAT, 他给了我建议和智慧的话语，使我在考试中取得了好成绩.”
Welch also pointed out something that St. 每个人都有一个真正相信自己的人. 当然，对她来说，黑尔就是其中一个人.
“When it’s someone who is not related to you, like a coach or teacher, and they go out of their way to help you, that speaks volumes to me. 我可以肯定地说，正是在过去的这个学期，我开始相信自己，相信自己的能力.”
反过来，海尔说，韦尔奇在他的课堂上是一种荣誉. So much so, 他说，自从他2020年春天来到这所大学以来，她一直是他最喜欢教的学生之一.
“She has all of the knowledge, skills, 你希望所有学生都具备的能力和个人特质，通常在最好的学生身上也能找到,” Hare said. “She is highly organized and always prepared for class, she always attends class and arrives on time, she participates voluntarily and when called upon, 她有出色的逻辑分析推理能力. 除了这些品质之外，她很容易相处，在课堂上也很快乐.”
在大学期间，韦尔奇在课堂之外也有很多雄心壮志. She has been involved in a plethora of clubs, 但没有什么经历比她在大学期间(2016-2020年)在啦啦队度过的时光更令人兴奋了。.
韦尔奇随球队在全国各地观看了许多场男子篮球比赛. 她参加了三次大西洋10国男子篮球锦标赛，并前往代顿, Ohio, and Dallas, Texas, 在2018年邦尼出现在NCAA锦标赛时.
“我为30秒的暂停和中场表演组织和编排了许多舞蹈动作,” Welch, who was one of the leaders on the team, said. “我还和其他队长一起制定和运行锻炼计划.
“Cheerleading has definitely helped shape who I am.”
As Welch prepares to complete her time at St. 五月的博纳旺蒂尔，当然有很多情绪. But the most prominent one for her is gratitude. 她说，她不知道其他大学的理念是什么，也不知道其他学生是如何准备的. But she does know what St. 博纳旺蒂尔大学及其商学院为她做了一切. That is laying the seed for a successful future.
She wouldn’t have wanted it any other way.
“我知道如何在所有的经历中成长，以及如何以谦逊和坚韧的态度处理它们,” she said. “All thanks to my alma mater, SBU.”
By Mike Hogan, '21
February 2021