Gabriel Raskas '12

Gabriel RaskasQ: Tell us about your career path and where you are today.
A: After graduating from SU, I worked in commercial real estate development. First, I worked for a startup focused on building a $50M privately funded arena. Subsequently, I worked for EDENS developing such projects as Union Market in DC and Mosaic District in VA. After working for two years, I decided to go back to law school. I am currently in my final semester at the American University Washington College of Law where I am the Managing Editor of the American University Business Law Review.

Q: How did your SU experience prepare you for your career?
A: My SU experience prepared me for my career by instilling a thirst for knowledge and facilitating the social atmosphere of working with others as well as independently to far exceed the high expectations set by the faculty, staff, and fellow students.

Q: Looking back, what SU experiences have been the most meaningful to you?
A: My most meaningful experiences at SU are too many to name. I take incredible pride in going to a world renowned institution with esteemed programs and alumni in the arts, academics, and athletics.

Q: What is your fondest memory from your time at SU?
A: My fondest memory at SU is the years on the quad watching the ivy on Bowne Hall change from lush green in the summer to vivid yellows, reds, and oranges in the fall. It reminds me of all the amazing times that I had with classmates and friends, despite the weather, in discovering who I am as a person, a member of the SU community, and a citizen of the world.

Q: What advice would you give students?
A: Show up. Go to class. I strongly believe that the majority of the knowledge you gain in undergrad happens outside the books and classes of academia. However, it is paramount that as a student you show up, go to class, make the effort to learn or you will miss out on an incredible wealth of knowledge and experience.

Q: Why is it important for young alumni to stay involved with the university after graduation?
A: Syracuse University is amazing. DC in particular has an incredibly large and diverse alumni group. In the real world, people may not talk about college that much. However, people take a lot of pride in their university and it is a great topic to chat about professionally. Further, I have become friends with some incredible people that I would have never met but for my time at Syracuse.