Making a Way to Make a Difference

"Making a Way to Make a Difference" By Karisa Antonio, '09

It is early in the morning, and I am wondering, as I often do—how did I get here? This goes back to an earlier and very important question—why am I here? It is this common question that has been my guide, leading me through the twists and turns of my early career in music and social services, and one, I hope, that will not cease to bring me into a future full of the unexpected!

My identity as a musician was established at an early age. Whatever musical opportunity was presented to me, I accepted and dove in deeply. Singing and playing the piano, the flute, and the oboe were all praised and recognized by friends, teachers and family. By the time I was ready to choose a major in college, there was no doubt in my mind that I would become a musician. I considered nothing else! A Bachelors Degree in music led to a Masters Degree, and the Masters Degree then led to a Doctoral Degree.

About two years into my DMA at Stony Brook, I started to notice a nagging feeling. The feeling said to me that maybe I didn’t really want to be an orchestra musician and teach at a college, like I had been telling myself and everyone else for the last eight years. It pointed out that what I really cared about was people. And what was I going to do about it? I felt helpless. What was I supposed to do—start all over with a new major in Social Work? That was not going to happen. I was ready to be done with school. Besides, I still loved playing music. I didn’t want to give it up! The problem was this feeling, intruding on my carefully thought-out plans.

I made a new plan. I would do more music teaching, which I loved, but I would also volunteer once a week with New York Cares. I thought that would satisfy my urge to serve others and help me focus on my performance career. Not so. The more I worked with people, the more I wanted to do it. I increased my volunteering and started to think about getting involved in a non-profit social service organization. I decided that the best way for a person with a doctorate in music to gain practical experience in a non-profit was to join Americorps, the national and community service organization. It was easier said than done. For months, I applied to positions on the Americorps website and didn’t hear a word. Although I had faced rejection before, I still wondered if everything would work out in the end. [AB1]  

Eventually I was accepted into the New York City Civic Corps and spent a great year working for the Department of Parks and Recreation for the program Shape Up NYC, coordinating free exercise classes in low-income neighborhoods New York City. When my term was over, I had gained valuable management, administrative, and organizational skills, and I felt I was finally ready to realize my dream of working in a non-profit social service organization. Even with all the working, teaching, and volunteering experience I had accumulated, it still took four months of steady searching to find a position that was the right fit.

As Assistant Director of Arts and Education for the Center at Lenox Hill Neighborhood House, I design and manage 60-70 weekly arts and education programs for older adults, while working with a great team of co-directors to run the daily operations of the Center. I teach, manage conflicts, supervise interns, submit reports, and essentially do whatever needs to be done to keep the Center running in the best possible way. My job is an incredible combination of teamwork, independence, creativity, teaching, and direct service.

I achieved my dream! Or did I? Certainly I have work that I consider very meaningful—each day I help people have better, more fulfilling lives. Artistically, I have some great projects going, so I haven’t given up the music that I love either. But I’ve also learned that when you have a dream, you never ever get to the bottom of that dream. There’s always another challenge in front of you, always something more you can learn, always some way you could improve or build on what you’ve begun. Not getting to the bottom of it is the greatest challenge and the greatest promise of a life-focused career.

Maybe you want to make a difference but don’t know how.

I offer these simple suggestions for use wherever you are, whatever you’re working on.

• Make a Plan. What can you do today to move toward your goal?

• Never Give Up.Rejection and failure are important parts of the growth process!

• Be Flexible, and Keep Growing.Adapt to your circumstances—opportunities wait in unexpected places.        

• Enjoy Today.
  Nothing will ever be perfect, including your dream job, so practice positive thinking for the here and now.

Karisa Antonio is an oboist, teacher, program manager, and career development specialist. Her education includes a Doctorate of Musical Arts degree from Stony Brook University, a Master of Music degree from Yale University, a Bachelor of Music degree from Grand Valley State University, and Career Development training from the National Career Development Association and the American Management Association. Her current position as Assistant Director, Arts and Education, at Lenox Hill Neighborhood House is a culmination of her experience thus far; she teaches music and exercise courses, programs arts and education activities, and manages teaching staff, interns, and volunteers. Karisa also performs with orchestras and chamber music groups in the New York Metro Area as well as offers workshops and individual career consultations.

Linking Your Liberal Arts Degree to the Real World

"Linking Your Liberal Arts Degree to the Real World" By Rocco Sabino, '84 

When I attended SUNY Stony Brook, I majored in French Literature and participated in Stony Brook’s first study abroad Philosophy program at La Sorbonne University in Paris, France. It was one of the greatest experiences of my life. So what did I end up doing in the real world? I became a Certified Public Accountant working in various management roles throughout my career, most recently as a Chief Financial Officer of a Long Island financial institution. You are probably wondering how I went from being a French major to becoming an Accountant. Many of my engineering, math, and science friends at Stony Brook would poke fun at me asking what I was going to do with a Bachelor of Arts degree in French. 

One thing I should mention is that I was also a Business Administration minor, as I knew that I wanted to pursue a business career, preferably in the international accounting and finance field. Yet at the time, Stony Brook did not have an accounting program, and I was only able to take one accounting class. When I graduated, I admittedly had a difficult time landing a full time position in the corporate world because I was labeled a “liberal arts person.” By networking, I was able to complete a summer internship at a major Manhattan bank, but I was out-competed for full time accounting, finance, and business positions from graduates who had more coursework in those disciplines. Notice, I did not say they all necessarily majored in those disciplines. So the first lesson I learned was you need to ensure you have, at a minimum, some specific coursework in your academic experience that matches your employment goals. For example, if you are looking to be a financial analyst, you should demonstrate that you have taken some finance and or analytical classes and did well. I was looking for banking and finance positions but did not have enough specific coursework.   

So after my summer internship ended, I decided to attend graduate school and earn my MBA degree in Finance. It turned out to be a good decision, as it made me more employable, and I was able to land my first job as a Program Administrator for a major aerospace manufacturing firm. Suddenly, I was viewed as a liberal arts guy with a technical background. I firmly believe that business employers love liberal arts majors because they tend to be good communicators, they can read and write well, and they are overall well rounded, a must if you are to succeed in the business world. Employers just also need to see that you have the capacity to learn and perform a technical function. I later decided to become even more technically proficient by obtaining my CPA certification, which included working at a public accounting firm for several years.  

Once certified, I was really able to put it all together. I worked at an international aerospace company where I was in charge of a Turkish joint venture; I had the opportunity to travel to Turkey several times. I later landed an international finance management position at American Express in their New York City Headquarters. The combination of being a CPA/MBA and demonstrating a love of foreign culture as a French major at Stony Brook helped me land the position. After almost eight wonderful years working in Manhattan and periodically traveling abroad, I decided to find work on Long Island in order to help raise my family. Once again, proving that I could be a critical thinker, flexible, and well rounded, I landed a senior finance position at a major credit union on Long Island without having any prior banking experience. I later became the Chief Financial Officer of a mid-size credit union on Long Island.

The critical traits and skill sets I developed over time started with majoring in French and studying abroad while attending Stony Brook. Keep in mind, the liberal arts background I obtained at Stony Brook provided me with a foundation I could not otherwise get later on in life. Learning a language and studying abroad is a once in a lifetime opportunity. You don’t have to be an Accounting major in college, get an MBA in accounting, and think nothing but accounting to land quality senior financial jobs later in your career. You can be a liberal arts major and combine it with some technical coursework and experience to help you become a well rounded professional with a capacity to do technical work. That’s what employers look for, and that’s what I always look for when I hire financial professionals.

Professor Sabino is a member of the Business Department here at Stony Brook, teaching ACC 596: Financial Accounting Theory and Analysis. He has over 25 years of domestic and international accounting and financial management experience in the manufacturing, financial services, and community banking industries. Sabino has held the positions of Chief Financial Officer at several credit unions on Long Island. In addition, he’s held various senior level finance positions at American Express, which included Director of an international reporting and analysis team responsible for 50 overseas markets, addressing local economic and currency fluctuation issues. Previous to American Express, he was the financial manager of a foreign joint venture of Loral Corporation, a global aerospace manufacturer. He is a CPA and holds an MBA in Finance from Hofstra University, and a BA from SUNY Stony Brook in Foreign Language and Business Administration. He also earned a Post Masters certificate at NYU Stern School of Business in Accounting with a focus on International Business. Professor Sabino lives on Long Island with his wife, son, and daughter.