Mark Sovyn, Class of 2013, used his time at Mount Saint Mary College to build a rock-solid foundation for a career in leadership and development.
Today, Mark serves as the Director of Development for the Health Sciences at Stony Brook University on Long Island, a role that requires a sophisticated understanding of both business and human connection.
A Business Management and Administration major during his time at the Mount, Mark credits the college with supporting his professional growth and his subsequent graduate studies.
When reflecting on how the college prepared him for his current success, Mark pointed to the long-term value of his undergraduate coursework: “It laid the groundwork for my business courses,” he explained. “Having that kind of base of business knowledge helped me not only in earning my MBA later on, but in the role I do now. I’m using all different types of courses that I took at the Mount.”
For Mark, the transition from student to professional was guided by faculty members who were not only educators, but mentors. He specifically highlighted the influence of his advisor, Moira Tolan, professor of Business, as well as his accounting courses with Louis Fortunato, professor emeritus of Accounting.
“Dr. Tolan guided me through the college process while I was a student here, and her courses were great. And Dr. Fortunato’s accounting courses were great too. They both stuck out to me as very positive parts of my time at the Mount.”
Mark’s advice for incoming freshmen emphasizes the real-world value of the expertise found within the Mount’s faculty. He encourages students to look beyond the syllabus and realize the depth of experience their professors bring to the table.
“The professors here have a world of knowledge to use,” he explained. “Apply it to your real life. The professors have been in their industry for a lot of years at this point, so...they have a finger on the pulse of their areas of experience.”