Citizen Alum
Growing Wagner with Doers, not Just Donors
The Citizen Alum project at Wagner College seeks to collect and share the stories of exceptional alumni who are civically engaged in their personal and professional communities. These alumni are living out the Wagner Plan well beyond their years at Wagner. We hope this will inspire strong connections between students and alumni, strengthen mentoring programs, and demonstrate the good work of Wagner graduates around the world.
Alumni Stories
Citizen Alum: Kellie Griffith '14
"My hope is that when my students come into my classroom they know, no matter where you come from, no matter what language you speak-- you're valuable, and you're a part of our world and our society. I know that my students are going to succeed and that's what keeps me going." Watch Citizen Alum: Kellie Griffith '14
Citizen Alum: Bruce Buchanan '73
"We're looking at transforming this part of town. Looking at this Encore park as an oasis for resourcing the children, youth, and families that are a part of our program and those who are experiencing homelessness." Watch Citizen Alum: Bruce Buchanan '73
Citizen Alum: Neal Bennington '05
"Everyone is put here to do something good. I wanted to get people's voices heard. You never know unless you go out there and try it." Watch Citizen Alum: Neal Bennington '05
Citizen Alum: Gretchen Jacobs '09
"Get in touch with your passions and see what it is that strikes you as being a worthy cause. There's something for everyone at Wagner… just try to find that thing that is exciting for you." Watch Citizen Alum: Gretchen Jacobs '09
Citizen Alum: Robert Perretta MBA ’12
Robert Perretta, MBA ’12, created the non-profit "Rise Above Cancer" while also continuing his finance career with Citi. "Don't feel there's something that's too little that you can do… It doesn't matter how little of an impact you make, you're still making an impact. A small impact can turn into a big impact." Watch Citizen Alum: Robert Perretta MBA ’12
Citizen Alum at Wagner College
Learn about exceptional alumni who are civically engaged in their personal and professional communities. Watch Citizen Alum at Wagner College
Citizen Alum: Richard Negrin '88
Richard Negrin '88 is the Deputy Mayor of Philadelphia. "To me, success doesn't mean anything, unless you're improving someone else's life." Watch Citizen Alum: Richard Negrin '88
Citizen Alum: Nadia Lopez ’99
"You have to be selfless… It's not about the money, it's about the children." Watch Citizen Alum: Nadia Lopez ’99
Citizen Alum: Edward Nitkewicz ’86
"Wagner professors told me, "you're going to change the world, you're going to make a difference in this world"… Wagner equipped me to do that... my son has given me my direction." Watch Citizen Alum: Edward Nitkewicz ’86
Citizen Alum: Jessica Lee ’09 MBA’13
"Find whatever you're most interested in, and whatever your passion is. I do just that." Watch Citizen Alum: Jessica Lee ’09 MBA’13
Citizen Alum: Aaron Winik ’05 MSEd ’09
"I've been able to embody the Wagner Plan. I know it's so important for us to be members of our local community and support the growth of those communities. I love the people here." Watch Citizen Alum: Aaron Winik ’05 MSEd ’09
Citizen Alum: Kevin Ferreira ’13
"Community work and what I love about it, it makes your blood boil. It gets you to the point where you're so angry about something that's going on... but at the same time it's that you get to struggle with other people to figure out how to turn it into something beautiful." Watch Citizen Alum: Kevin Ferreira ’13
Citizen Alum: Kellie Griffith '14
Citizen Alum: Bruce Buchanan '73
Citizen Alum: Neal Bennington '05
Citizen Alum: Gretchen Jacobs '09
Citizen Alum: Robert Perretta MBA ’12
Citizen Alum at Wagner College
Citizen Alum: Richard Negrin '88
Citizen Alum: Nadia Lopez ’99
Citizen Alum: Edward Nitkewicz ’86
Citizen Alum: Jessica Lee ’09 MBA’13
Citizen Alum: Aaron Winik ’05 MSEd ’09
Citizen Alum: Kevin Ferreira ’13
Citizen Alum is more than a Wagner project. Officially launched in 2012 at a White House meeting, Citizen Alum was created to be a national network connecting alumni with leaders on college campuses to become “agents and architects of democracy.” With a group of 30 participating colleges, Citizen Alum campus teams work to deepen the institution’s public mission by inviting other offices, departments, and alumni into the network. Together, we are reframing community engagement with a focus on connecting different generations. By working together on and off campus, the Citizen Alum project enables people to hear, learn from, and act together with publicly engaged alumni and with all individuals in different stages of their lives.