Alum of the Month

December 2010

December 2010
Alexa Silverman

Q & A:

  • Who was your favorite professor, and what is your fondest memory of Hofstra?
    My favorite professor was Professor Geyer.  She helped me secure my first job out of college, and was the most engaging professor I have ever met.  My fondest memory is my first day at Hofstra in September 2005.  As a transfer student, I expected my needs to be swept under the rug.  I quickly realized that Hofstra was the type of school that would help me to assimilate and reach my goals. 
  • What was your first job after graduating from Hofstra, and what was the most valuable thing you learned there?
    After graduation I worked at Publicis Consultants PR.  This is a large PR firm in Manhattan with which Professor Geyer had helped me find an internship the summer before.  I learned the inner workings of an office and office politics, something they could never teach you in school. 
  • What is your field of specialty, and how did you come to work in the industry?
    I am currently a law school student.  I always knew I wanted to attend law school; I majored in public relations and minored in history to help me refine my writing and speech communication skills. 
  • What at Hofstra gave you your edge?
    The personalized, one-on-one attention, and the drive of the faculty and administration to help me succeed. 
  • What advice would you give current Hofstra students?
    Utilize Hofstra to its fullest.  Reach out to professors, go to lectures, join a club, meet an alumnus.  Every step and connection you make will impact your experience in a positive way. 
  • In one word, how would you describe Hofstra?
    Engaging. 
  • What made you start a nonprofit organization that is meant to inspire young New Yorkers to give back to the community?
    I was very involved in my sorority, Alpha Epsilon Phi, The Chronicle and WRHU-88.7FM, where I was able to gain a great deal of experience and have opportunities to give back to the community.  My friends and I found a lack of that in the workplace, and founded Fresh Connections as a response to that deficit.  We wanted to give young adults “fresh” connections in their new neighborhoods, through community, personal, and professional connections.  With Fresh Connections, young New Yorkers can provide meaningful community service while sharpening their professional skills and expanding their network. 
  • Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
    In 10 years I hope to be a lawyer serving the community in a significant way. 
Alexa Silverman

Alexa Silverman '08 grew up in Merrick, New York, and, as a transfer student, never could have imagined how involved she would become with the Hofstra community or how much she would benefit from it.

While at Hofstra, Alexa was active in Alpha Epsilon Phi, The Chronicle, WRHU-88.7FM, and the Pride Guide program. After graduation, she worked as the account associate on a team of 10 people at Publicis Consultants PR.

In summer 2009, along with a close friend and fellow Long Island resident, Alexa created and founded a 501(c3) nonprofit organization, NY Fresh Connections, whose mission is to engage young adults in meaningful service through leadership, professional development, and hands-on events. Their organization hopes to empower young adults with the opportunity to develop a connection with their community through personal, community, and professional connections. Fresh Connections has worked with The Red Bull Space, mizuNYC, and Catherine Malandrino as a branding mechanism to create events that motivate young professionals to "Get Up & Give Back!" Their work has benefitted the Stephen Siller Children's Foundation, AFYA, Habitat for Humanity, and God's Love We Deliver, among many others.

Currently, Alexa is a second-year law student at New York Law School. She recently competed in the Charles W. Froessel Moot Court Competition, which led to a seat on the New York Law School Moot Court Association. She is involved in the pilot program of the New York Law School POWER Mentor Program and is a candidate for the New York Law School Public Service Certificate. Last year Alexa became an associate at the Institute for Information Law & Policy at New York Law School. She held various internships while at Hofstra and New York Law School with prestigious companies such as NBC; the New York Islanders Hockey Club; Publicis Consultants PR; Ira K. Miller, Esq.; and the Queen's County District Attorney's Office. Alexa lives in Manhattan, New York.