Episode 8: Featuring Bridey Lawler!

Bulldogs in the Buggy continues with President Father Jim and our newest guest, Bridey Lawler ’26. Bridey is a Pharmaceutical Marketing major from Macungie, PA, and she shares what drew her to DeSales, how she’s grown here, and what it has meant to find a true sense of community on campus.

Filmed on campus in the DeSales Virtual Production Studio.

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:17

Hello, Bulldog Nation. This is Father Jim, and I'm delighted to have another episode of Bulldogs in the Buggy. You're going to love our guest today. Her name is Bridey Lawler. She is a senior, and we're picking her up at her favor or one of her favorite spots on campus, the gym. It's Bolero Hall. So pulling in there right now. And I know you're going to really enjoy this conversation. So thanks for tuning in. And I'll get back to you in just a second. And here we see Brighty. Hey Brighty, how are you?

SPEAKER_01 0:55

Hey, Father Jim. Good to see you.

SPEAKER_00 0:56

It's great to see you on this beautiful April afternoon, huh? Thank you for joining me.

SPEAKER_01 1:01

Of course. Thanks for having me.

SPEAKER_00 1:02

Absolutely. Hugh, you can put your little um what is that, a awalla?

SPEAKER_01 1:07

My awalla. Awala, they're from the giveaway in the fall.

SPEAKER_00 1:10

Oh, that's right. I remember that. For the Career Fest or something?

SPEAKER_01 1:13

Something like that.

SPEAKER_00 1:14

Thank you for reminding me to put this on here. Well, Brighty, I'm really excited to have this interview with you. And thank you for saying yes.

SPEAKER_01 1:21

Of course.

SPEAKER_00 1:21

We have a lot of ground to cover. But why did you want me to pick you up here at Bolero Hall? What's so special about it?

SPEAKER_01 1:28

So, this is where I spend most of my time, I find.

SPEAKER_00 1:30

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 1:31

Um, especially my last semester of senior year, I only have a few more credits to finish up.

SPEAKER_00 1:35

And if so, more days, right?

SPEAKER_01 1:38

A few more days, don't remind me. Um But we're in the middle of lacrosse season right now, so I spent a lot of my time at Bolero with my team. And we had a game last night, which went well, and we have one more regular conference game on Saturday, which we're looking forward to.

SPEAKER_00 1:52

And then are you guys definitely, no matter what happens Saturday, of course you're gonna win, but you're definitely in the champs, right?

SPEAKER_01 1:58

Um, we've secured home field advantage, so we're either gonna be the first or second seed based on how Saturday goes.

SPEAKER_00 2:04

Okay, good. That's great. And what was the score last night?

SPEAKER_01 2:07

Twenty to five.

SPEAKER_00 2:08

Twenty to five. So well, we'll talk more about that. Um but we're heading to a place that you said is your favorite spot on the campus.

SPEAKER_01 2:17

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 2:17

Um, and that is to Connolly Chapel.

SPEAKER_01 2:20

We I I do love the chapel. We just had our Easter worship night performance, which you were a part of. Yes. Um, but along with Sunday Mass, I kind of think the Christmas worship night and the Easter worship night were two of my favorite events that I've been part of, especially this year. Um, so that'll be cool for everybody to get a look inside there.

SPEAKER_00 2:39

That's right. And I was very surprised. I mean, I shouldn't say surprise, like because you're so talented. But uh when you did your solo parts for all this praise and worship music, I love that. In fact, um the the one worship, is that what it's called? One voice, one voice, one worship. Um, that's led by Joyce Hannah, one of our and she and um one of her classmates, Justin DeSasso, are gonna be in the Bulldogs and the Buggy on the next one.

SPEAKER_01 3:06

Oh, cool little segue into that then. That's awesome.

SPEAKER_00 3:10

Absolutely. So here we are, we're pulling up, we're on Gambit Drive here, right, you know, behind us is the Gambit Center. We're pulling up to the chapel, and we're gonna get out and take a tour. How's that sound?

SPEAKER_01 3:20

Sounds great.

SPEAKER_00 3:21

And then maybe we can um sing a tune if you want to while we're in.

SPEAKER_01 3:24

I can sing a tune.

SPEAKER_00 3:25

If you know you're in good space for that, and we will get it going. Okay. Here we have our institutional advancement staff. So they're getting ready for a night for the sales.

SPEAKER_01 3:37

I was just in there earlier. I had to pick up a graduation chord from Brennan Graham. Oh, that's Ryan Leadership.

SPEAKER_00 3:43

For Ryan Leadership. Okay, well, let's take a look in the chapel.

SPEAKER_01 3:45

All right.

SPEAKER_00 3:51

Okay, Bridey, so here we are at Connolly Chapel.

SPEAKER_01 3:54

Here we are.

SPEAKER_00 3:55

Um, and I kind of recall you seem to come to the evening mass on Sundays.

SPEAKER_01 4:00

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 4:01

The five o'clock, okay. And uh, is that a good time for you?

SPEAKER_01 4:04

Great time for you.

SPEAKER_00 4:05

Yeah, I love it too. Uh there's such a different experience with um the 10:30 and the five, you know. Let me grab some Holywood or two, thank you. Um, but anyhow, this chapel is so dear to me too, because when I was a student, this was Brisan Seminary. Okay. And they had all these pews in here. We've really kind of updated it. But I love the stained glass windows all around because it's all the majors that when we started this college in '65, we hoped. So theology, machinery, botany, astronomy, we're not necessarily there for all of them, but um, but we've added new ones that are not into stained glass windows.

SPEAKER_01 4:42

I didn't know that. Yeah, that's so cool.

SPEAKER_00 4:43

And you can see the beautiful um pipes for the new um organ that we have in here. Yeah. So it's really as a touch of the new and a touch of the old. So, what's special about this place for you?

SPEAKER_01 4:56

So, obviously coming to mass on Sunday, but two weeks ago, um, you were a part of that as well. We did the one voice for the sales, and we were all set up right here.

SPEAKER_00 5:04

Yeah, right over here at the piano, and you sang.

SPEAKER_01 5:07

I did, I did, along with a couple of my friends, but I think the praise and worship went beautifully. Yes, it did. And just the the space and being in here and filling it. It was cool. All the students, all these seats were filled, which I had a really good turnout, which is exciting to see, and I'm excited to see where those performances go in the future as well.

SPEAKER_00 5:25

And what I love about them, they're all student-led, which is beautiful. Yeah. So yeah. Well, look, um, thanks for bringing us to the chapel. Let's get to the studio and we can get our conversation going. All right. Thank you. Okay, Bridey. Um, here we are in this beautiful April day, and campus is always so alive. What are some of the fun things you like doing on a beautiful spring day since we don't have many warm days like this?

SPEAKER_01 5:52

I know. The beginning of this week was kind of dreary, but I'm glad it's looking up. We're doing our senior grad photos tonight all over campus, my roommates and I. So we're looking forward to that.

SPEAKER_00 6:02

So do you dress up in your cap and gown?

SPEAKER_01 6:03

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 6:04

Oh, tell me where are you gonna be?

SPEAKER_01 6:06

Um, we're gonna be up at Gambit.

SPEAKER_00 6:08

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 6:08

Because we have business and healthcare measures. And then over by the library and the statue over there.

SPEAKER_00 6:13

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 6:14

Um, on the green a little bit, and then over by the big DeSales University on the side of Bolera.

SPEAKER_00 6:19

I'll try to look look for you.

SPEAKER_01 6:21

I mean we're going around 6 p.m.

SPEAKER_00 6:23

About 6 p.m. That sounds good. Are you doing a centaur walk? Have you heard of those?

SPEAKER_01 6:28

I have. Okay. We are looking to do ours. Um, I think at the end of finals week we're hoping to do it.

SPEAKER_00 6:34

All right.

SPEAKER_01 6:34

Uh, we were on campus freshman year and then have been off campus since then. So it's um really only one stop, but we'll go over to Bolera, I'm sure, and do that over there as well.

SPEAKER_00 6:43

That sounds great. Well, let me know when that happens. I love those.

SPEAKER_01 6:45

We'll stop by and say hello for sure.

SPEAKER_00 6:48

Okay, well, we're on our way up to the um studio, and I know we have a lot to discuss, so these are just like little preludes of what we're about to get into. Yeah. But you um had been here obviously since your freshman year. You haven't lived on campus the whole time. Why did you make the decision and move off campus?

SPEAKER_01 7:06

Um, just while I live with girls on my team. So it was easier for us. We have college housing that each has our own room and we have our kitchen and stuff. With our lacrosse schedule, it's easier to we're all coming and going together at the same time.

SPEAKER_00 7:19

Do you have like a is it called like the lacrosse house or something like that?

SPEAKER_01 7:22

You could call it the lacrosse house.

SPEAKER_00 7:24

Okay. Well, as you know, um I'm a big fan of your team, so I've gotten to know um many of the players and many of your parents uh who are quite rowdy, I think.

SPEAKER_01 7:34

Our team is a big fan of yours as well. It's always a good day when you stop by our games or our tailgates.

SPEAKER_00 7:39

I I love coming, and I'll be there next Wednesday.

SPEAKER_01 7:41

I know that's awesome.

SPEAKER_00 7:44

Yes. And hopefully this Saturday, but there's a few things I need to work out. Um but here we are at the studio, so let's hold our conversation until we get in there and we can really get a nice flow of all the wonderful things that you're going to share with our audience. So alrighty. So we're off film now. Voila. Okay. Brighty, welcome to the virtual production studio. Please make yourself comfortable. And I'm looking forward to spending these next few minutes with you. Me as well. Before we get into the crux of our conversation, how do you feel? There's basically a week and two days left of classes and then exam week and then graduation. What's going on inside of you?

SPEAKER_01 8:31

That's crazy to think about. It's bittersweet because this has been the best four years, and this is all I've really known um since coming in here as a freshman. But I'm excited for the future. I'm ready. I'm ready for whatever's next.

SPEAKER_00 8:43

Well, that's great. So um you're from McConji, Pennsylvania?

SPEAKER_01 8:48

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 8:48

Which is basically like a suburb of Allentown.

SPEAKER_01 8:51

Allentown area. It's like 25 minutes from here.

SPEAKER_00 8:53

Why did you pick the sales university?

SPEAKER_01 8:55

Um, when I first toured to sales, I wasn't sure I wanted to be super close to home. So that was a question mark for me. But after being on campus and seeing the vibe around here and understanding it's really relationship-based, which is my favorite thing. I love people and meeting new people and not just being a face in the crowd, um, which is what I was worried about at some of the other schools I was looking to. So ultimately I decided on to sales because of the balance between school and life and gave me the opportunity to play sports as well.

SPEAKER_00 9:23

And speaking of sports, um, let's throw this photo up here. This is your, this is your clan, your lacrosse, okay? It is. Why lacrosse? Well, how's it going? How did you start playing that sport?

SPEAKER_01 9:36

I played lacrosse since first grade. I played soccer my whole life as well, up until college. Yeah. But lacrosse is always what I love to do. This picture is actually from senior day, which was on this past Saturday, the 19th. Just a few days. It was a great day.

SPEAKER_00 9:53

Well, um, and this was a good day because you got this photo of me. I didn't know I was being set up. Can you describe what's going on here, please?

SPEAKER_01 10:01

So essentially, whenever we score a goal, yes, one of the moms on our team runs back and forth with the disails flag. And I guess you I was on the field, so I don't know what happened, but I guess you stepped in.

SPEAKER_00 10:12

I was standing next to Danielle's mom, Melissa, I think. So she set me up, but it was a lot of fun. And there's my lacrosse shirt. I got one for senior day.

SPEAKER_01 10:20

It was awesome. Everybody had matching shirts at that time. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 10:23

Tell us about your coat, Sam. I hear she just had a baby and she's back on the field coaching.

SPEAKER_01 10:28

Yes, that woman is phenomenal. She was worried about missing part of season, but she was able to make it back for conference play. Okay. She's done phenomenal for the program. Um, if you look at where we started a couple years ago when she first got here and where we're where we are now or where we're headed essentially as well, is it's it's really cool to look at how much she cares about the program, how much she's put into supporting us as well.

SPEAKER_00 10:51

That's that's great to hear. And something I want to ask you, you know, you hear so much about transfer portals and NIL, and I know that a lot of that's division one, but it's trickling down to division three. And I'm wondering, what is your sense of being an athlete and a scholar here at DeSales University, D3 Sports? What has it done for you as a well-rounded person?

SPEAKER_01 11:14

So I think being an athlete has made me a better student. And we say you hear the term student athlete, and there's a running joke that they put the word student before athlete because that's what we're at school for. Okay. Um, but I think I perform better in the classroom and in my studies and stuff because I know I have to get my work done. I have practice after that. I have a game leader this week. Um, and I think it keeps you more focused and more motivated, honestly.

SPEAKER_00 11:37

Absolutely. Well, you're certainly well poised on the field. One would say that you're almost a beast out there the way you play. And um, I think that is just great because like sitting here with you now, I would never picture you somehow when I see you on that field the way you are really into it. So that's great. So moving on, um, here is a photo of the chapel. I know we were just up there. Yeah. So tell us what's going on here with this group of people.

SPEAKER_01 12:01

So this was one voice, and there you are as well. Yes. But Joyce, who is on your left, if you're looking at the picture, she set this up. She's first year in the PT program. Um, so she coordinated it's kind of a mix between Protestant and Catholic. She brought both faiths together to celebrate with worship night, and it's just And is that where one voice comes from? That's one voice. We're all singing one voice.

SPEAKER_00 12:25

Yeah, no, I love that. And I'm delighted to be a cameo sometimes on the piano. But some of those um really like kind of rock Christian praise worship, uh, they're not as easy for me to play because you know, it's not so much what's written there on the page, it's you know, from the heart, and you are really good at improvisation, you really put your soul into it, so that's a beautiful thing.

SPEAKER_01 12:50

So I give the musicians a lot of credit. We a lot of us should show up and sing, but you should see the work that they put in behind the scenes with um transposing and switching keys and stuff. That's that's really cool to watch happen as well.

SPEAKER_00 13:01

Yeah, and that's something that I can't do on the spot. And I love the fact that Father Burns is so enthralled with it. He actually now has volunteered to coordinate the music for the campus mass on Sunday nights at 5 p.m.

SPEAKER_01 13:15

Yes, I think Joyce and Braden are working with a lot of.

SPEAKER_00 13:17

And I know you've been in that group too, sometimes. So thank you for doing that. I think it's a beautiful thing. So here is you um with that song, and um, that was so touching. And I think that even Braden sang something in Arabic.

SPEAKER_01 13:33

He did.

SPEAKER_00 13:34

He did. So what was the song they did in Arabic? Do you remember?

SPEAKER_01 13:37

I think How Great Thou Art.

SPEAKER_00 13:38

How Great Thou Art. Yeah, beautiful. So great. So because Joyce grew up, she was born in Egypt, but grew up in Qatar. So yeah, I I love so it's one voice, one language, and beautiful. So this is Best Buddies.

SPEAKER_01 13:52

Best Buddies.

SPEAKER_00 13:53

Okay, tell us about Best Buddies.

SPEAKER_01 13:54

So Best Buddies is a national organization, and we work with adults in the community with mental and intellectual disabilities. Okay. So a lot of high school programs have best buddy clubs and such, but when these individuals reach a certain age, they phase out of those programs, and there's not really any sort of like community club or something like that. So colleges have started to host them as well. So we do the buddy ball every February, which was a lot of fun. It's kind of like a prom almost.

SPEAKER_00 14:23

Yeah. Well, here's another speaking of proms.

SPEAKER_01 14:26

Yes, that was from from the same event as well. But is that Alex, that young man you're That's Matt.

SPEAKER_00 14:32

That's Matt. Okay. Yeah. All right, that's Matt. So what what dance move are you doing there?

SPEAKER_01 14:38

Um, I think some sort of some sort of shimmy. But he loves Wicked. So we were definitely dancing to a Wicked song.

SPEAKER_00 14:44

Okay, I love it. And that's Bobby Dingle, um Jack there too, and Emily. And Emily, okay. Yeah, I actually went, I think it was a year ago I went there for this dance, and I it was so touching. And the reason I said Alex is because he came to the best buddy pickleball game we had, and he remembered me. So I thought that that was so beautiful and touching.

SPEAKER_01 15:06

I think there's a picture of you from two years ago with your father Jim glasses on. That's right.

SPEAKER_00 15:10

Yeah, that was great. So now you are uh incredibly well poised as a speaker. Thank you. And uh no one would ever think that you are a college student when you get behind a microphone speaking to a large crowd. Here you are at the Christmas concert dinner uh with all of our major donors in the room. Um, a, how were you selected? And B, what was the message you shared?

SPEAKER_01 15:36

I think my name was brought up in the Institutional Advancement Office just because I know a couple of the folks over there from uh Ryan Leadership. Oh, okay. Um but I was asked to speak, yes, to all the donors, all the people that make the scholarships possible for the sales students. Uh that was a a big deciding factor for me as well in coming here. So it means something to me. But it was it was really cool to have the opportunity to tell my story and as well as a little bit of other people's stories and why we're so grateful for the donations that make this place what it is.

SPEAKER_00 16:08

That's right. I mean, I always like to share with people that minus faculty and staff salary and benefits, the next largest expenditure of the annual budget is financial aid. And it's really important. And most students here are on financial aid. And I I I know that you share with me that you received a great package uh to make it really possible and worthwhile for you to come here. Yes. So, and I'm glad because there's a lot of students that fit into that category, and um, that's a good use of of the resources that we have here. Absolutely, obviously. So, okay, you are blessed to have a wonderful family. So tell us about your mom and dad. Your brothers aren't there, but I want to hear about them anyway, okay?

SPEAKER_01 16:51

I'm the oldest of four kids. Okay. So my mom and dad are both from Bucks County area, but we've been in Lehigh Valley for years now since I was little.

SPEAKER_00 16:58

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 16:59

Um, my sister is a freshman at Catholic University. Oh, okay. She's in the nursing program there.

SPEAKER_00 17:05

Okay. And my brother Connor. Can I interrupt one second? Sure. Why isn't she in the nursing program at the Sales University?

SPEAKER_01 17:11

She fell in love with Washington, D.C.

SPEAKER_00 17:12

She fell in love with Washington.

SPEAKER_01 17:13

She did like it here, but ultimately decided she likes thinning. We do a pretty good job with the monuments and shrines here, but I guess so.

SPEAKER_00 17:24

All right. Um, and tell us about your two brothers.

SPEAKER_01 17:28

Connor is a junior junior at Central Catholic in Allentown, and he plays across. He's looking to make his college decision soon. I I know you're pushing heavily for the Bulldogs, but we'll see where he goes with that.

SPEAKER_00 17:40

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 17:40

And then Cullen is in sixth grade at St. Thomas More.

SPEAKER_00 17:43

We have a few years. And your mom's all as a teacher at St. Thomas More.

SPEAKER_01 17:46

She teaches first grade.

SPEAKER_00 17:47

She teaches first grade. That's a vocation. I know your dad works at Lutron.

SPEAKER_01 17:51

He used to. He did to work at Lutron.

SPEAKER_00 17:53

Okay, where is he now?

SPEAKER_01 17:54

Barry Isit and I said, that's right.

SPEAKER_00 17:56

And and we've been partners with Isit and Lutron for many years. So I'm glad he's keeping it in the DeSales University family with our partnerships. Um, so we have a photo here. Tell us about this. This is very touching.

SPEAKER_01 18:10

Yeah, so this is my team at the Travis Mannion 9-11 Heroes Run. Travis Mannion was a Marine and he lost his life in combat. Uh, but there's a foundation established in his name, and they work with veterans in the community. But their goal is to reach the young people and teach them to be leaders of their own futures and stuff like that. So they host a heroes run in a bunch of different um areas all over the country. And my team got to be a part of it this year, which I was really excited about. We did it last year as well.

SPEAKER_00 18:39

What's going on with the ladders, the fire ladders there?

SPEAKER_01 18:42

The local fire companies um bring their engines down and hang the big flag up.

SPEAKER_00 18:47

Okay. I love that. Now we talked about the scholar and the athlete, um, and we've spent a lot of time on the athlete, but let's switch a little bit to scholar. Uh, what's your major? What do you plan to do after you graduate? Who have been some of your most influential professors? Love to hear about.

SPEAKER_01 19:05

So I'm a pharmaceutical marketing major. Okay. But I'm looking to go into medical device sales instead of pharma sales. Okay. Um, I'm type 1 diabetic, so I wear medical devices and it Oh. So I'm walking test of it to um a career in that, hopefully.

SPEAKER_00 19:20

Wow.

SPEAKER_01 19:20

And some of my what's most of my professors.

SPEAKER_00 19:24

Like t can you tell us maybe some influential professors? Sure.

SPEAKER_01 19:28

So Dr. Kent comes to mind, Dr. Karen. Dr.

SPEAKER_00 19:30

Karen Kent. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 19:31

I started my MBA in the fall just got just because I had a little extra room in my schedule. And she has played a huge role in helping me figure out the classes I'm taking with that and how I'm gonna finish that up in the future moving forward. Okay. Um, but she has been she's been great overall, and Dr. Magori was my advisor for the past couple of years, but I have her for class as well. She's like she's helping me figure out a career path moving forward.

SPEAKER_00 19:54

Well, I like Dr. Kent and Dr. Magori. They're great colleagues. Uh Dr. Magori is celebrating her 30th year here at DeSales University this year.

SPEAKER_01 20:03

We'll have to throw her a party or something.

SPEAKER_00 20:05

She said that she joined the faculty after second grade. So, but um tell us more about uh pharmaceutical marketing and your own experience from having to wear a device, which I don't see any device anywhere. Oh wow, okay.

SPEAKER_01 20:19

And I have my insulin pump as well.

SPEAKER_00 20:20

An insulin pump there, okay. So, and you want to be able to, you know, share and market these kind of devices for others.

SPEAKER_01 20:28

I do. I think the research in healthcare is gonna go crazy places. Okay. And I'd love to be a part of that. There's always gonna be something new developed or something new to be doing. And I think they help improve quality of life for people everywhere instead of simply medications. Um and I think it gives uh more like a kind of a positive outlook on life. It helps improve quality of life.

SPEAKER_00 20:54

And I can't think of a better person to help others be positive than to be in your company for five minutes. Oh, thank you. You're infectious with joy. Uh, but you also said you had a little space in your schedule. How? Like to start an MBA graduate program, you're an athlete, you're involved in all these activities. Where did you find the time to begin an MBA as an undergraduate senior?

SPEAKER_01 21:18

So I went to Central Catholic in Alectown and they have a dual enrollment program, I'm sure you know, with the sales. So a bunch of my credits.

SPEAKER_00 21:25

And I know about it, but for those listening, can you tell us about that?

SPEAKER_01 21:29

Sure. Okay. So a bunch of my high school classes, if I took honors or AP, counted as credit under de sales because of the curriculum.

SPEAKER_00 21:38

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 21:38

Uh, which was a great opportunity. I I came into freshman year, I think about a semester ahead just because of classes I had taken in high school. Um, and DeSales is really great. They let you start your sure master's. You can take up to three classes in towards a master's degree as an undergrad. So that's been really helpful to me. So far, I'll graduate with four classes done in uh About a 15 class program to get my MBA. So that's a pretty good head start.

SPEAKER_00 22:05

It is a great head start. And I hope everyone's listening takes advantage of those sorts of programs. Yeah. And that's what's happening across the higher ed industry today, you know, having those partnerships with high schools. So it really is great that you took advantage of that. Before we move on to the next photo, um, how is AI going to be a help to you in your future in pharmaceutical marketing?

SPEAKER_01 22:30

I think that comes from the research perspective and trends and data and looking at stuff like that for what I want to do. People are really important. The face-to-face aspect is super important as well. So I think the question becomes how can we use AI to help that? Okay. Because relationships, I believe, have to be human-based, have to be face-to-face in order to create anything sustainable like that. Um but in terms of looking at the data and who needs what and how can we make this better for people or what areas are we lacking, I think are going to be huge moving forward.

SPEAKER_00 23:04

Oh, absolutely. And I love how you emphasize relationship is always going to be the key uh to success and to human flourishing. But AI is here to help that, right? So that's good. So here is a group of people, and I think this is the Ryan Leadership Institute. So can you tell us about Ryan Leadership Institute and you know, Carolyn and her husband, and I see Father Burns? Let us know about this special group.

SPEAKER_01 23:33

So I'm involved in a in a bunch of stuff here, but this has got to be one of my favorites.

SPEAKER_00 23:36

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 23:37

Ryan, the Ryan Leadership Founder Institute was founded by the Ryan family.

SPEAKER_00 23:42

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 23:42

To help young people, college students, uh pave their way as a leader. So you're nominated by people around campus, faculty, coaches, other staff, and we form this group. So your junior year is titled Be It. You learn what a leader is, how to become a better leader, um, how to help other people become leaders in their own, in their own sense. And then senior year is titled Do It. So you've learned how to be it. And now this year we actually go do it. So we have the whole year to do any sort of service project, and a bunch of us have helped each other out with the service projects we were working on, but everything we've learned as to how to be a leader and go do it into the real world.

SPEAKER_00 24:22

With a television paradigm. Yep. So what was your project this year?

SPEAKER_01 24:27

I haven't done mine yet.

SPEAKER_00 24:28

You haven't done it yet.

SPEAKER_01 24:29

My idea was to do a campus-wide clothing drive. Oh. Um, kind of structured around the end of the semester. So especially with move out, people are going throw their stuff. They got to go home for summer and they find the shirt that they haven't touched since since September. Why not give it to somebody else who could use it? It's kind of my idea.

SPEAKER_00 24:49

Well, I will be looking forward to find out when I can drop off many of the t-shirts I haven't used. I I love the de sales t-shirts and I love my de sales swag, but I have a ton of it and I wouldn't mind sharing it with others. That'd be awesome. Yeah. Um, you are in this Rhine Leadership Institute, and I know you have some great um colleagues there. Uh, last week some of the members were at the Miracle League of the Lehigh Valley. Yes. Um, and Father Gambit, the second president, was one of the founders of the Miracle League. Do you know anything about what they did out there that day for their volunteer project?

SPEAKER_01 25:25

They helped coordinate a lot of the volunteers to work the event. Okay. Is what they were working with. Okay. Um, I volunteered with Miracle League growing up because it they operate around here in the Lehigh Valley. But a couple other uh Adam, Maggie, and Mary ran their service project at a Mercy School for special learning in Allentown. Okay. So I got to be a part of that last week, which was a lot of fun. They did a motion is medicine.

SPEAKER_00 25:48

Motion is medicine. I love that.

SPEAKER_01 25:50

Which was great.

SPEAKER_00 25:51

Well, Braddy, we're coming to the end of our conversation. Um, one of the things that strikes me about our Catholic Salesian mission at the Sales University is that, you know, it helps us live out the truth of the spiritual St. Francis de Sales, to be who you are and to be that well. How has that mission uh helped you flourish and blossom as uh a human being?

SPEAKER_01 26:19

So I think DeSales gave me the opportunity to be not just a college student, but to be involved. Okay. And I don't think you see that everywhere. I don't think you see that at every university or every college that's out there because sometimes the curriculum is too hard or whatnot. But the balance that I've learned being here in the classroom and in activities and in sports and leadership opportunities has really helped me figure out who it is that I want to be. And now that I'm about to graduate, I get to go be that well, as you would say.

SPEAKER_00 26:51

Be that well. So you're graduating and you're gonna go be it well in the MBA program. Will most of that be in person on campus or because I know a lot of our graduate programs, you can do them online. What will your experience be with that uh graduate program?

SPEAKER_01 27:08

Well, I'm hoping to start working as well. So it kind of depends on that schedule and if it's gonna be asynchronous classes or if I'll have the opportunity to take classes in person. Um, but a lot of our professors in the business program also teach MBA classes. So it's nice to have already established a relationship with a lot of those professors.

SPEAKER_00 27:26

That's great. Now, as we continue this um this Bulldogs in the Buggy series, you know, I think this is our seventh or eighth, you know, uh episode. Our producer, Eric Bartos, um, he's an MBA professor. Uh have you had him in class yet? I have not. You have well, you'll have to take one of his courses. Um, I noticed that he put on the um questions for you to think about in advance of the interview, uh, whether or not you had anything to ask me. Yes. So would you like to ask me anything? We'll switch roles.

SPEAKER_01 27:55

So I've heard it from multiple people.

SPEAKER_00 27:57

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 27:58

But how do you drive around in your little buggy on campus and know exactly who every single person is and know what they did two weeks ago and remember to ask them about it? How do you maintain those relationships?

SPEAKER_00 28:10

Well, thank you for thinking that I'm able to do that. I I I work hard at remembering people's names. I really do. Like when I first meet somebody here, um, it's just a you know, hi bridey, I'm Father Jen, right? So and then we talk. When when I leave, I'll say bridey, bridey. I'll say it in my mind so it gets stored up there. And then it just helps me. Like, so the next time I see you, bridey comes out. Doesn't always work. Um, and I just try to pay attention. Um, one of my mantras here as president um is something called loiter with intent. So that means when I'm on campus, um I will always like because I'm on the road a lot, but when I'm on campus, I take at least an hour or an hour and a half every day to do nothing. And what I mean by that is to loiter, to hang out in the dock while people are having lunch, to go to a lacrosse game, um, to do just a little walk around campus, because I get to know people. And that really helps because I think that the the president of a university is kind of like a little mayor of a of the village called DeSales University. So I feel like I need to know everyone. So that's how that's why I do that.

SPEAKER_01 29:21

And we're grateful for that as well. So we get to see your face every day. Well, you kind of already alluded to it, but what's your favorite part of your day to day?

SPEAKER_00 29:28

My favorite part of my day today, um, that's a tough question because I just love every day. I really do. Um, but my favorite part is getting up here and like Center Valley, so beautiful. Um, I try to start every day with morning prayer and some cardio. So in the spring weather, I'm out doing the hills, working out. Um, I love that. So when I when I balance and center in the morning, I'm more effective during the day. Um because I think that as president, I need to often hold tension um wherever that happens, because there's a lot of little brush fires all the time. And to be a non-defensive person so that I can just hear people and listen. Um, and if I don't feed myself in the morning with prayer and taking care of myself, uh, then I will re I won't transform life, but I'll transmit my anxiety onto people. So that's my favorite part is that the beginning it.

SPEAKER_01 30:26

Cool. Have you been over to the rail trail across the DeSales Bridge?

SPEAKER_00 30:29

I have been on the Gray Trail. Right now. It's beautiful and we love that bridge too. Yes. Well, we'll have to take a workout at some point soon. Braddy, um, just anything else you want to share with our um listening audience.

SPEAKER_01 30:42

I think that was it. I'm just I'm grateful for my time here. I'm sad to see it end, but I think this place has done a wonderful job preparing myself and my classmates for the future.

SPEAKER_00 30:52

Well, I'm sad to see it then too. Now, president should never say this, but I hate when people graduate because then you leave, but then you become part of our alumni community. Yeah. So um, we look forward to seeing you at many different activities, homecoming, and um just remember this I'm a moderate will always be your home. God bless you, Bridey Lawler. Thank you. Thanks. Okay.