My Lafayette Experience
MAURICE BENNETT ’06
I remember getting a call from Donna Holden, the secretary of the football office, during the first week of the semester. On the phone she mentioned that she got a call from some lady named Kim something, from somewhere in development, and she wanted me to give a speech. At that point my first reaction was heck no! “Donna, you can tell Kim whoever from wherever she is in development that I am thankful for the offer, but not interested.” Donna’s reaction was, “Maurice I don’t blame you, because I would be nervous in front of all those people, but she wanted you to talk about how your financial aid and scholarships have helped you here at Lafayette.”
And when she said that, my reaction immediately went from no way to when, where, and how much time do I have to talk.
When I hung up the phone with Donna, I began to reflect about where I’ve been, where I am, and where I’m going in the future. Furthermore, as a part of this reflection process, I began to chronicle my life from day 1, year 1 through day 100, year 22. At that point, I realized almost every step that I’ve taken throughout life has been in conjunction with someone else.
I grew up in a project or what most have deemed a housing development, in inner city Philadelphia. Most people would consider where I grew up, the community that I was raised in, and much of the surrounding area as a hole in the wall! I’ve had conversations with professors who have asked me, “Maurice, how did you make it from where you were in Philadelphia to one of the most prestigious institutions of higher learning not only in the U.S. but in the entire world?” My answer to that is simple. In fact, it can be broken down into three words.
I had help!
First of all, I was fortunate enough to have a great family that provided me with the groundwork and discipline needed in order to take advantage of opportunities as they arise. However, it didn’t stop there. I remember when I was back in the second grade I had a teacher named Ms. Cook, who, for some reason, saw some intellectual potential in this young black male. Therefore, she encouraged me to take tests to get into Masterman, one of the top middle schools in the country. When I was in eighth grade my history teacher, Mr. Hagen, helped me get into George Washington, which is one of the better high schools in Philadelphia. In twelfth grade
my high school football coach, along with Head Coach Tavani and
Coach Hefner, helped me get into Lafayette and while here at Lafayette, Mr. Simon and the Class of 1942 have made it financially feasible for
me to continue.
And what a career it’s been for me here at Lafayette College! This has no doubt been the best four years of my life. I have been a part of two consecutive Patriot League Football Championships, I’ve been named a first team All-American by the Associated Press and Sportsnetwork.com, made a 1-AA and ESPN academic All-Star team, been named a William E. Simon Scholar and the first-ever Paul Robeson Scholar, have had the opportunity to be a peer mentor, and last summer experienced life in the big city with an internship with Credit Suisse First Boston, which led to a job offer at the end of the summer. Therefore, upon graduating from Lafayette I will be one of the few (and I do mean few) highly (and I do mean highly) overpaid analysts working on Wall Street. All of which would not have been possible without the help of not one, but many, people along the way.
My Lafayette Experience has included everything I could have asked
for and 100 times more. From the very first moment I stepped onto Lafayette’s campus as a fulltime student athlete, I knew that history was in the making. The football team prior to the entry of the 2006 class only managed a lackluster four victories in a two-year span. However, under the direction of Head Coach Frank Tavani, the classes of 2005, 2006, and 2007 managed to defeat Lehigh on our way to two consecutive Patriot League championships.
Academically, my Lafayette Experience has been both challenging and rewarding, while stretching my imagination to the limit and beyond. My academic curriculum has included a variety of writing courses, independent studies, labs, and economic courses, all of which have culminated into a senior thesis. Professors at Lafayette are highly qualified and capable educators that make their students' best interest their number one priority. Under the direction of Susan Averett and Sheila Handy, I am currently preparing my senior thesis titled Racial Wealth in America: Why Whites Build It and Blacks Don’t. Upon concluding my research I hope to add
to the field of wealth discrimination and poverty in America.
Off the field and out of the classroom, my experiences at Lafayette have
been just as rewarding. I have had the opportunity to serve as a peer mentor, spend time at the Boys and Girls Club of Easton, including this spring when Dean Young of the Boys and Girls Club and the Brothers
of Lafayette will unveil a program titled Money Matters: Make it Count, which promotes financial literacy to underprivileged neighborhoods.
I’ve also had the liberty of serving as a volunteer tax preparer at the Easton library. Lafayette’s career services department has also played a vital role in shaping my future, because with their help I’ve been able to participate in a number of externships and internships, one of which included a summer on Wall Street and a job offer as an equity sales and trading analyst.
Looking back, Lafayette has taught me that a dream coupled with focus, persistence, and passion is never too far away from fruition.
By no means has this speech been about giving at Lafayette. Hopefully, this evening will serve as an opportunity for everyone in attendance to consider or think about where you have been in the past, where you’re going in the future, and where you’re at in the present. And while you’re examining where you are in the present, consider reaching into the past and taking someone with you to the future.
Again I would like to thank the entire Simon family, the Class of 1942, and everyone else that has contributed to the success of this wonderful institution.
Thank You
Remarks by Maurice Bennett ’06 on March 31, 2006,
at the Lafayette Scholarship Recognition Dinner.
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