The College of Arts and Sciences is very fortunate to have alumni who continually give back and help the current students flourish and prepare for success in their own careers. One alum is Craig McGraw who serves as the Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Trans American Trucking in South Plainfield, NJ. He manages the sales team, maintains the company's website and social media, and travels throughout the United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia to maintain current customer relationships and obtain new business.

Mr. McGraw graduated from Seton Hall University in 2005 with a degree in criminal justice. After college, a position opened in his family's business, Trans American Trucking, that he couldn't refuse. He filled this position and hasn't looked back. Although this wasn't the field he was expecting to enter, he still feels as if Seton Hall prepared him for his job. Some things he didn't anticipate were the volume of sales calls and having to meet with as many as 10 clients per day, including both day meetings and business dinners. With his high work ethic and great time management, Mr. McGraw easily navigated this transition. When asked how Seton Hall has prepared him for life after college and his career, Mr. McGraw responded, "Seton Hall, in addition to providing a quality education, also provided me with an outstanding business and social networking circle, many of whom have helped me with giving back to the students of Seton Hall as well as to the other nonprofits I serve on."

During the interview, Mr. McGraw offered some valuable advice to current students at Seton Hall. His biggest tip is to take as many communication classes as possible in order to get out of your comfort zone. Being observed and critiqued by a professor will help you become a successful communicator. As said by Mr. McGraw, "When it's time for you to take a job in the real world, you can have the best ideas, but if you're unable to communicate them to your boss, team, or entire corporation you will be left behind."

Mr. McGraw offers this advice and more to the students he mentors. One program he partakes in to help mentor students is the Business and Civic Engagement Boot Camps offered by the College of Arts and Sciences each year. As a contributor to Forbes with his piece "15 Tips to Ace Job Interviews," Mr. McGraw uses this knowledge along with his experience to sit down with students and help them one on one. The opportunity to serve as a mentor and guest lecturer motivates Mr. McGraw to stay involved year after year with the University. He states, "I really enjoy helping the students in any way I can to succeed in their careers. Whether it be conducting a mock job interview, passing their information on to a connection I have in their potential industry, or even just letting them know not to stress so much about their future plans and that things will fall into place and to enjoy the moment having fun in college, it's really so rewarding to have a former student come back and thank me for the guidance I provided that helped them archive their career goal."

Students can meet Mr. McGraw at this year's boot camps where they will see first hand how he positively impacts the Seton Hall community. In terms of alumni, if you have the drive and passion like Mr. McGraw to help students and give back to your alma mater, please reach out to the College of Arts and Sciences. The College extends its sincere thanks to Mr. McGraw and alumni alike for their constant dedication.