Written by Dwight Bachman
Eastern President Elsa Nunez, second from right, poses for a picture with 2011 Eastern Fellows Rob Nieto, left, Carol Pandiscia and Paul Provost.
Willimantic, Conn.--On March 30, Eastern inducted its third class of Alumni Fellows, a group selected from the field of media and communication. Inductees included Paul Provost '97, president and publisher of the Norwich Bulletin; Carol Pandiscia '89, senior vice president for technology program management and business planning at ESPN; and Rob Nieto'96, senior open producer for the nightly CBS-TV show, "Inside Edition with Deborah Norville."
"Colleges and universities ultimately are defined by the success of their graduates," said Eastern President Elsa Núñez. "For a liberal arts institution, it is especially important to showcase the rich diversity of career success that our graduates achieve. Each of the three new inductees into the Eastern Fellows program -- Carol Pandiscia, Rob Nieto, and Paul Provost -- demonstrates the transformational impact of an Eastern degree. As a group, they bring great honor and pride to our University for what they have done in their professional careers."
The three alumni visited classes taught by Communication Professor Terri Toles-Patkin and Business Administration Professor Kevin Synott to share their career experiences with students. In addition, during a panel discussion in the Paul E. Johnson Sr. Community Conference Room, all three members of the Eastern Class of 2011 credited Eastern with success in their careers, saying they received a top flight education at Eastern. "Two words will ensure a successful future for you," said Provost. "Work ethic. You only get out of life what you put into it. Find something that excites you; something for which you have passion, and bring a solid work ethic to it."
Neito encouraged students to make the most of internships. "When I first began working, I could always reach back to something I learned at Eastern because John Zatowski had me doing so many different things in the radio station." Pandiscia also encouraged students to immerse themselves once they find a job. "I became a sponge when I first started at ESPN 21 years ago. I soaked up everything and became a generalist, something I learned from my liberal arts education at Eastern. I ran tapes; worked nights and weekends, you name it, I did it."
The Fellows encouraged the students to stay current; develop the ability to be agile in a fast-changing work place; be true to themselves; and most important, be ethical and proud of the way they treat other people. "Be inclusive so everyone can be a part of the process," concluded Pandiscia. Take obstacles out of their way, and share as much as you can."
