Jonathan Alfano
Jim and Jean Roeber Family Scholarship
2010-2011 Recipient: Jonathan Alfano
My name is Jonathan Bryce Alfano. I am in my senior year and on track to graduate in Spring 2011. I am a Business Administration major with a concentration in Human Resources. I chose this major because in knew that it involved personal interaction, problem solving, and public speaking. I feel that one of my biggest strengths is leadership and my ability to communicate. This major allows me to not be stuck behind a desk all day, but be active with employees in all departments of a company. It calls for problem solving skills, logical thinking, and patience.
I am one course shy of earning my minor in Applied Communications. I chose this as my minor because I knew that it would help me fine tune and broaden my knowledge of communicating, whether that be verbal, nonverbal, or other avenues of mass and personal communications. This minor also allowed me to take speech courses that enable me to refine and experiment with different ways of speaking. It broadened my abilities to speak professionally, casually, as a consultant, and as a motivator, my personal favorite style.
Why I chose Gonzaga. Being that I was born and raised in sunny San Diego, I never thought I would leave the 70+ degree year-round weather. What really swayed me into going to Gonzaga was going to GEL (Gonzaga Experience Live) weekend, during which prospective students visit campus, and actually being able to experience what Gonzaga had to offer. After visiting numerous schools, none of them compared to the community and passion that is instilled in the hearts of the Gonzaga faithful. I loved the fact that Spokane is quiet, and gets all four seasons, something I’ve never experienced or had the chance to live in. I also loved the idea that the entire city backs the school and our athletics. And the final kicker was the Jesuit style of education and community they built. I am a practicing Catholic, urged by a few Jesuits back home to try the private school thing, and see what the Jesuit order has to offer to the world. Not only does Gonzaga love the students and the community, but the values and love the University shares with world made me want to be a part of its mission. The experience has opened my eyes to acceptance and service. And after four years at Gonzaga, I can honestly say that that is the very reason I chose to be a Zag!
Like I said, I was born and raised in San Diego, CA. I never expected to be in Spokane, let alone out of the state of California. Since being here, I have met people from all over the Northwest, West Coast, Hawaii, and even Saudi Arabia. Before 2007 I had never been to Washington or Oregon. I can say now, that after four years I have been to various parts of Washington; the west, central, eastern, and the peninsula. I have been to at least 10 colleges between Spokane and Oregon, and even a few in Idaho and Montana. I have been to central, eastern, and western Oregon, parts of northern California I had never been to, and even to Canada, Creston and a few smaller cities in British Columbia. Spring semester my junior year I studied abroad in Florence, Italy, the most spiritual and maturing experience of my life thus far. I traveled to over 12 countries all across Europe, and after the school session ended, backpacked three weeks with two of my other friends. These four years at Gonzaga have been a growing experience. I have met people of all different backgrounds, learned from them, and even adopted a few of their ideals and values. It has opened my eyes to the world, and because of that there is a bug inside me that wants to travel the globe, trying new things, being challenged, and delving into personal reflection that will change the person I will become for the better.
I am the first and only person in my family to attend Gonzaga. My mother attended a few semesters at a community college, my father played baseball and graduated from USC, and my sister is set to graduate from San Diego State University in the spring.
As a freshman I tried to remain involved in the Gonzaga Community. I pledged and was accepted into the Alpha Kappa Psi business fraternity as a sophomore. I was invited and accepted as the first class of the newly formed Gonzaga University’s MultiCultural Honor Society as a sophomore that required a GPA above a 3.0. After playing intramural sports for two years, my junior year I tried out and made the Gonzaga Men’s Club Soccer team, a very memorable and exciting experience. I was also involved in the start-up of Gonzaga’s first Student Alumni club that involved newly graduated students from GU who helped mentor and guide students of all years. Sadly, the club fell through, but it was a good effort and great idea. I have formed bonds all over campus with many people of different majors and walks of life. I have formed lifelong friends here at Gonzaga and have met many people who I will remain in contact with for years to come.
I plan to move to Seattle after I graduate and start my own life in an unfamiliar city, with high expectations for my growth, accomplishments, and appreciation of the world around me. I now know that my family and friends are the most important things in my life, but my growth as an individual will help me to take care and continue loving those around me. I hope to work for a nonprofit or sports organization after graduation. I like the idea that my work directly benefits a cause bigger than me. Working for a big conglomerate would be an amazing experience, but as a young and active graduate, I would like to focus on directly changing the world, without being consumed by large salaries and compensation packages. I want to be involved in something I love, whether that is sports or working at the Zoo, something that allows me to use my skills and work for my heart not my checkbook.
The message I would most like to convey to the Roebers is that I greatly appreciate them rewarding students for trying something new. This means a lot to me and my parents. My sister tried moving away for college, only to return because she was homesick. I can honestly say that homesickness does not affect me anymore. Sure, sometimes I get anxious to go home near the end of each semester, but I have learned to love and accept where I chose to go to school. Earning this scholarship has given me the recognition that I never credited to myself. It was a tough experience moving away from things that were second nature to me. The unfamiliar faces, landscape, weather, and lifestyle of the people in Washington, have really allowed me to grow spiritually and emotionally. I greatly appreciate and respect the Roebers for challenging and rewarding students to “be on their own.” This scholarship means the world to me, because it has made me realize moving away from the familiarities isn’t a bad thing, but a learning experience. This scholarship inspires me to continue traveling and exploring the city I’m in, the states, the nation, the continent, and the world. This scholarship showed me that the bubble you build around yourself is only as big or small as you make it.