Julianne Buynak - Class of 2000
Although I was involved in several activities at Walsh, including cheerleading and student government, what I gained the most from was my experience as an intern in the Alumni Office. That experience helped shape my whole college career. What I learned there carried with me to my internship at the Timken Company, into grad school and to this day still. Everyone in the Office of Advancement (which houses the Alumni Office) played a huge part in helping me become who I am today.
I always think of my internship in the Alumni Office as my first full-time job. Being around the administration side of the University, I learned what it means to be an employee and what it means to be a really good boss, how to develop people professionally and be invested in your employees.
My main responsibility was drafting the class notes for the Walsh Times. That was fun because it gave me an opportunity to communicate with the alumni and learn what people were doing post-Walsh. I was impressed that they wanted to keep in touch with the University community and share what was new in their lives.
The year I was graduating was the year the University really went public with the Capital Campaign. It was a lot of planning, and I got to take part in it, which was exciting. There were real expectations with serious stakes. We needed to raise the money to do the projects we had planned, so we could make the University that much better.
I chose Walsh because I sought the community aspect I had enjoyed at Central Catholic High School, and that's exactly what I got. From the moment I arrived freshman year, everyone was friendly and wanted to talk. No one was snobby or cliquey, and it made for a great four years. I had a lot of fun, but unfortunately I had to graduate. It was a great time, and I'm glad I chose Walsh.
Julianne graduated from Walsh with a bachelor's degree in accounting. She went on to join the Americorps and later earned her law degree and a master's degree in tax. She currently lives in Brecksville and works as a manager in the tax department of Bober Markey Fedorovich, a regional CPA firm in Akron.