In the few spare moments he finds between studying concepts like Options, Futures and Other Derivatives to fulfill the requirements of his finance major, senior Michael Greenwald manages to keep himself occupied with a variety of campus activities. He plays rugby for the Hawks’ squad, sits on the Student Advisory Board to the dean of the business school, serves as vice president of the Entrepreneurial Association and is an active member of business fraternity Delta Sigma Pi. That’s all a far cry from his initial bout with college, in which Greenwald was quickly underwhelmed with the lack of individual attention at a large university in his native state. “I felt alienated in Colorado, so I vowed to be more social when I got to Roger Williams and get myself out there.”
LEARNING CURVE: Greenwald’s arrival at RWU came fresh off the heels as an enlisted specialist in the U.S. Army Reserve for Operation Iraqi Freedom. Stationed near the Turkish border in Kurdistan, Greenwald worked in a support unit, running convoys to and from Mosul. The Kurds welcomed America’s presence, he says – his unit passed out food, clothes and hygiene supplies and even built desks for the local schools. “I was proud to serve my country but it was stressful to be stuck in the same place for a year. It was like being trapped inside of a box.” Undoubtedly, however, the experience proved valuable. “I needed a little more structure and organization in my life, and the Army gave me just that.”
FOCUS ON HILLEL: At Roger Williams, Greenwald has been a leading voice for the University’s chapter of Hillel, the foundation for Jewish campus life. Since he joined as a sophomore transfer in 2006, Hillel has quadrupled its roster to more than 30 members. “Hillel has become a club where students actually enjoy coming to the meetings. I think that says a lot about a club.”
WHAT’S NEXT: Greenwald plans to work in Bristol this summer before heading back to Colorado, where he’s landed a job with Amica Insurance. He also hopes to attend graduate school. “I am always continuing to learn and grow as an individual,” he says. “I try to keep an open mind with everything I do.”