John Stevens: Class of '74

“It’s easier to get forgiveness than it is to get permission.”

John Stevens

Class of ’74

John Stevens is the type of person who goes after what he wants. This quality has served him well in his life and career. St. Bonaventure University was an important stepping stone on John’s path to a long and fulfilling career and life.  John grew up in Olean and was always aware of the existence of the university. But it wasn’t until it came time to make a college choice several years later that he realized what a great fit St. Bonaventure was for him. John started at St. Bonaventure University as a freshman in the fall of 1970. Some of his favorite memories from his undergraduate years had to do with the people he met during his four-year good journey:  

            “As a journalism student, I was fortunate enough to have Dr. Jandoli as my professor for a feature writing course. He taught me a lot about the art of writing and what it takes to be a good writer. I also had Professor Jim Martini for American Literature.  Dr. Martini was another professor that I admired a great deal.  He was a tremendous classroom teacher. I was always excited for his class to start, because he always created such a great learning environment for the all the students. Jim was actually a great influence on me as I developed my own teaching style and technique.”

            John not only enjoyed St. Bonaventure because of his classroom experience, but because of the extracurricular activities he was involved in as well.

            “Since I was a commuter student, I met most of my new friends through campus clubs that I belonged to.  I was part of the college radio station for all four years and wrote for the St. Bonaventure newspaper. I remember during my freshman year I came in second place for a national college newspaper contest for a feature piece that I had written.  It was a very exciting and rewarding time for me in my college career.”

            John graduated from St. Bonaventure in 1974 with a Bachelor’s degree in Journalism. During his senior year, John worked at WHDL radio station in Olean and then, after graduation, moved to a full-time position at the station.

            “The radio station was a really cool first out of college job for me because I was able to interview interesting people like Miss. New York State, who ended up receiving the title of Miss. America and I covered interesting stories like the 1974 sniper shooting at the Olean high school.”

            After spending about a year at the radio station John decided to pursue a job with the city of Olean. He worked in the Urban Renewal Agency for 2 years. Then in 1977, John decided to move back into radio for about 3-4 months, working for WESB Bradford radio station.  John then decided to pursue a job with BOCES where he took on the role of educational TV production coordinator.

            “With this job, I wrote, produced, and broadcasted different educational TV programs that were used by teachers for their students to watch in class. That job doesn’t even exist anymore, but it was a wonderful learning experience. However, I knew at that point that I didn’t want to do on-air work forever.”

            While still working at the BOCES job, John received a call from a friend saying that there was a Human Resources job open in Friendship, New York with a company called Macler Industries. Since John knew he didn’t want to do TV forever and it was a higher paying job, he decided to give the job a try.

During this time, John also started to work on his Masters of Business Administration (MBA) degree at St. Bonaventure University. John worked at Macler Industries until 1982 when he was offered a position in the Human Resources department at Dresser Rand as an administrator for training and development. John worked at Dresser Rand for 2 years.

            “I really enjoyed my job at Dresser Rand, but the company was going through some tough times with lots of layoffs.”

            In 1984, John took a job with AVX Corporations in the Human Resources department with the same job title that he had at Dresser Rand.

            “I did a lot of traveling and training during my time at AVX. The job was a great experience for me, especially because I got to learn more about how human resources really worked. During this time I also taught evening classes about training and development at Jamestown Community College (JCC). It was neat because it was onetime open enrollment classes and anyone around the area could pay a small fee to come in and learn. ”

            After John left AVX Corporation in 1989 he started working at Alcas Corporation (now Cutco) as the Director of Training and Organizational Development, where he worked until 1999. 

            “Working at Alcas was a great learning experience for me because I was there for a long period of time and it allowed me to learn about the human resources world.”

            In 1992, while working at Alcas, John received his Masters from SUNY Empire State College.

            “I was originally working towards a Masters at St. Bonaventure, but I started my degree at a very busy time in my life. I saw that Empire State College’s Masters Program would work better with my schedule. I also found that Empire State’s Masters Program had more of the specific coursework I wanted for my degree, coursework that St. Bonaventure just didn’t offer at that time.” 

            While at Alcas, he received a call from St. Bonaventure regarding the school’s plan to open an Achievement Center and they wanted to know if he would like to be a part of it. So, in 1999, John came back to St. Bonaventure and was certified to teach training and development courses, which he did from 1999-2004. He also gained more experience teaching at St. Bonaventure beginning in 1992 as an adjunct.

            While at the Achievement Center, he accepted the job of Vice President of Human Resources at the Rehabilitation Center in Olean, where he worked from 2004-2007. During this time, John also started his own consulting firm that he still does to this day.

            “While I was at the rehabilitation center, I received a call from Dr. John Watson, the Dean of the business school.  Dr. Watson asked me if I would like to return to St. Bonaventure as a full-time teacher in the school of business.  I instantly accepted. I have always loved teaching and have been doing it ever since.”

            One of John’s favorite memories as a professor is working with his friend and mentor, Dr. John Watson.

            “John had asked me to come back to teach.  Without him, I wouldn’t be doing what I am doing now. He was so kind to me and such a great support system throughout my teaching career. But most importantly, he was also a great friend.”

Now that John is back teaching at the school where it all started for him he feels truly blessed and honored to be a bonnie forever.

            “To be honest, I never really left the school. I have done statistics for the men’s, and later on ladies, basketball games since 1977 and am still doing it. It’s nice because the community here at St.  Bonaventure hasn’t really changed all that much to me. The Franciscan spirit is still here and I believe that I, as teacher, need to show my students the true Franciscan spirit, the spirit that I have grown to know so well throughout my relationship with this university.”

             

Carol Fischer: Class of '80

"Blessed to be a Bonnie" 

      

Carol Fischer

Class of ’80 

Carol Fischer has always been someone who enjoys reading a good book and grabbing any type of opportunity to learn something new. Her drive and love for education and learning are what made her so successful and proud of her career. She relates so much of her success back to her years as a student at St. Bonaventure University.

Carol first came across St. Bonaventure University on three separate occasions. The first visit was with her high school when Carol and a group of students came for Press Day. The second visit was for Modern Languages Day and the third was when she and four other friends (including Lauren Matz from a previous blog) did an overnight visit to the college. During her three visits to the university, Carol really enjoyed the school activities, busy events, and beautiful campus. Carol also grew up outside Buffalo in Kenmore, NY so she thought that the campus was a perfect distance away from home.

“The true clincher was what others were saying about the campus. I received letters and phone calls from current students asking me about my decision and really giving me good details of the programs. Hearing that from people my age confirmed that St. Bonaventure was the school for me.”

Carol Fischer started her freshman year at St. Bonaventure in the fall of 1976 as a psychology major but in her sophomore year switched to accounting. As Carol reminisces about her favorite moments spent as an undergraduate, a few memories came to mind.

“My favorite memory would have to be going to basketball games with my floor. Basketball games were the thing to do and each floor would have their own shirts with nicknames printed on them. All the students would fill the wooden bleachers down by the court in the Reilly Center. It was a mad house but always a great bonding experience. Along with our floors, we would also do a lot of fun events like cocktail parties which were my personal favorite.”

Coming from a household of seven siblings, Carol has always had a big place in her heart for family. Being away from them at school was difficult for her at times but she found peace with her home sick feelings by attending mass on campus.

“Since I am one of seven, it was hard for me at first to be living away from my family. I found, however, that when I attended the masses on campus, people from town would bring their children. This always made me feel better because it eased the feeling of missing my family. I was able to surround myself with kids who were close to my siblings’ ages and it gave me a sense of comfort.”

  Carol graduated from St. Bonaventure University in 1980 with a bachelor’s degree in Accounting.

 Carol moved to Buffalo after graduation and started working for the accounting firm Price Waterhouse. She later left what was then one of the big eight accounting firms to go work for a client of the company called Merchants Insurance Group. During this time she also applied for, and got accepted into MBA at SUNY Buffalo.  

Carol received her Certified Public Accountant license (CPA) and her Master of Business Administration (MBA). At this point, Carol was interested in the teaching aspect of accounting and wanted to pursue that type of career.

“What appealed to me about teaching was the flexibility. I had already done my time in the office setting and I was ready to experience a new aspect of accounting.”

Carol taught as an adjunct at Damon College until her five-year reunion when she shared with her old professors that she wanted to be a teacher.

“I was sitting with old professors of mine and discussing how I had just accepted a position at Daemon College and really wanted to pursue the field of teaching. As soon as I said those words, my professors were eager to say how there was an opening here at the university for me to teach. So by the fall of 1985, I was teaching in accounting and finance.”

 By the fall of 1988, Carol and her husband came to the realization that they wanted to pursue their PhDs. Both she and her husband, who was also teaching at Bonaventure, took a leave of absence and moved to Pennsylvania to attend Pennsylvania State University.

“We chose Penn State because it was a practical distance away and we believed that the PhD program could be completed in a reasonable amount of time. My husband received his PhD in four years and I received mine in four and a half. During this period, we also had our first two children so it was a very busy time for us.”

After being involved with the program for awhile Carol and her husband returned to Bonaventure where she finished her dissertation and began teaching again and still is to this day.

Now that Carol is back teaching at the school where it all started for her, and has taken on the role as Dr. Fisher, she does view the university differently.

“I have more of a balanced view. I see St. Bonaventure’s strength and weaknesses. There will always be a place in my heart for this university. One of the main things that I learned from being a teacher is the sacrifice professors give for their students.”

Looking back on her teaching career, Carol says that the favorite aspect of her career always comes back to her students.

“The biggest reward for me is when I have students come up and tell me that I have made a difference in their lives. This feeling of reward has evolved over time with years of experience and age as a teacher. We teachers are here for the students and when you are told that you are doing it right, it’s the most humbling feeling. I will never get over that type of emotion.” 

Carl Case: Class of '80

“Carpe diem”

        

Carl Case

Class of ’80

Carl Case is the type of man who goes after life and his passions with a positive attitude and a full sense of adventure. Not only has Carl tackled obstacles that have come his way, but he has proved to himself and others that he can do anything that he sets his mind to.

            Carl had long known about St. Bonaventure University because he grew up about 20 miles away. When it came to deciding what school suited him best, his decision came down to the University of Buffalo or St. Bonaventure University.

            “Bonaventure had the degree program I was interested in and the college also gave me the best scholarship. In the end it was a no brainer. I was close to home so I really got the best of both worlds. I was able to live on campus and have the full college experience yet I was able to go home when I wanted to with an easy drive.”

            Carl says that he has many fond memories of being an undergraduate student at St. Bonaventure. A favorite memory was during his senior year when the floor that he lived on won the intramural championship cup.

“It was a very competitive road to receiving that cup.”

Another favorite memory was attending basketball games with his floor mates.

“The bottom of the court would be filled with students. As soon as that first buzzer went off, there was toilet paper flying everywhere. It was the main source of entertainment for us back in the day. My floor mates and I would walk into the arena to our seats with our floor shirts on so everyone would know who we were.”

Carl graduated with a major in Marketing in 1980 and then received his Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Bonaventure in 1982.

“Throughout college, I held a work-study job in the financial aid office. When I graduated, they offered me a full-time job. So while I was receiving my MBA, I was also working full time: work during the day and classes at night.”

After graduation, Carl began teaching at Olean Business Institute. He worked there from 1983–1990 and then decided to go for his doctoral degree at the University of North Texas for Business Computer Information Systems with a supporting field in Computer Education Cognitive Systems. During his time at North Texas, he was a teaching fellow from 1990–1993.

After finishing his coursework at the University of North Texas, Carl returned closer to home to teach at the University of Pittsburgh’s Bradford Campus from 1993–1999. During this time, Carl finished his dissertation and received his doctorate in 1996. Carl also developed several database programs for companies and the colleges where he taught.

By 1999, Carl received word of a job opening at his alma mater and he jumped on the opportunity very quickly.

“My goal was always to come back to St. Bonaventure University to teach. I wanted to give back to the community that gave so much to me in my life. I thought it was only fair, and I enjoy giving back. I always have.”

Carl’s favorite experience as a professor at Bonaventure has been as the advisor for the Business Information Systems Club (BIS).

“My most memorable time is when the club goes to New York City to install computers at homeless shelters. I have always been a man who enjoys giving back. So it warms my heart to see my students wanting to do the very same thing. It takes students out of our ‘Bona’s bubble’ that we create and puts them in a real life situation. It’s an all-around wonderful learning experience.”

Now that Carl is back at Bonaventure, his favorite part is being able to experience what it’s like to be a Bonaventure student all over again. This time, however, he has more knowledge of the campus and how it all works.

            “I know history about the school. Times have changed since I was a student here so I feel that it is very important to let this new generation of students know this school’s history so it won’t be lost over time.”

            In Carl’s spare time, he enjoys the adventures that life gives him. The motto that he lives by is “carpe diem,” seize the day. He has traveled to a total of 12 different countries and doesn’t plan on stopping, is a certified coach, runs every single day and hasn’t missed a day since February 1997.

            “I enjoy living life on the edge. I have skydived, gone scuba diving, zip lined, traveled in a hot air balloon, and have done so many other adventurous activities. I figure, why stop now? I still have my whole life ahead of me.”