Beaver Reflections:
I graduated from Beaver in 2008 and had a tremendous experience before heading off to Syracuse University. Beaver is a place that fosters, appreciates, and encourages students of all backgrounds academically and socially. During my time at Beaver, I met some of my closest friends, many of whom I am still in close contact with today. While at Beaver, I was elected Sophomore Class President, played four years of Varsity Soccer and Lacrosse, was in the Jazz Ensemble band for all four years, acted in the Senior Winter play, and was part of the Investment Club. These experiences along with the exciting classes I took, helped me foster leadership skills that I still leverage today. Looking back, many teachers had an impact on my time at BCDS. Those include Larry McKinney (my lacrosse coach, chemistry teacher, and club advisor), Dan Gould, and Rebecca Melvoin. These teachers, along with others, impacted my life in such a positive way.
What is #happeningnow in your life:
After graduating from Syracuse University where I studied Information Management and Technology, I moved to New York City for 2 years where I worked in Private Equity and Venture Capital. In 2014 I then decided to move to San Francisco, where I joined Skycatch, an Enterprise Drone Mapping, as one of the first Sales hires. I couldn’t recommend living on the West Coast more! After 5 years at Skycatch, I moved back to NYC to join a Content and Knowledge Management startup named Seva. This past July, after 2 years at Seva, I accepted an offer at Smartsheet as a Customer Development Manager and have been loving it so far. Additionally, part-time, I’m pursuing my MBA at Babson College and am in the beginning stages of developing a non-profit organization (that is 501c3 recognized) named the LN Foundation. My Co-Founder and I began the LN Foundation to assist in tackling homelessness and hunger, two issues that go hand in hand and are key to help out with, especially during the COVID era.
“Beaver will always be a safe, amazing place to experiment and try different courses and extracurriculars. I was able to partake in music, athletics, and the arts all while engaging in intellectually stimulating classes.”
– Zack Levandov ‘08
Advice to Beaver students:
Especially through tougher times, it’s important to maintain a positive attitude, to always count your blessings and to maintain perspective. Throughout my professional career, I’ve found that being a “sponge”, easily absorbing things going on around you, thus encouraging productivity is important. It’s best to try and experiment with different classes, roles, and assignments to truly understand what it is that you are passionate about. Life’s work is simply to find life’s work. If things aren’t going your way, that’s ok, we’re all works in progress and it never hurts to ask for assistance.
