What Great Minds Can Do: Selene Presseller
"A business school professor heard I was preparing for an important contest. He emailed, saying he wanted to help me — and he did. Later, he wrote me a recommendation for law school, and I hadn't even asked him to. This is why I love Seton Hall."
When Selene Presseller graduates from Seton Hall, she will face an enviable challenge: she must choose to attend just one of the seven law schools she applied to. She was admitted to them all — including a top-25 ranked school — and was offered several substantial scholarships. "It's hard to think about leaving Seton Hall," Selene says. "It has become my home and my family. I know I wouldn't have the amazing choices I have ahead of me without everything this University has done for me."
She knows Seton Hall's reputation and connections have helped her, along with the University's personal attention and small class sizes. "My sister went to a large state school. When I compare my experience to my hers, I see a big difference. I got much more guidance and mentorship — in addition to so many opportunities."
During her freshman year, Selene used the University's Career Center, and she now has completed five internships. "My favorite one included doing product testing for Microsoft. I got to conduct my own focus groups, do survey research and provide feedback that Microsoft used to improve its laptops. The internship really helped me better understand the concepts I was learning in my courses."
Selene is impressed by how deeply the faculty and community at Seton Hall care and how easy it is to reach out to them. "One day when I was a freshman, school was closed because of a snow storm. My friend and I were walking around campus, saying we wished we had some hot chocolate. A voice behind us said, 'I have some in my office.' It was Seton Hall's president, Dr. Esteban. He brought us into his office and gave us hot chocolate and cookies. He got to know us; it was amazing."
Selene had other valuable encounters at Seton Hall. "The professors really go out of their way to help. Dr. Ladik, a business school professor, heard I was preparing for an important contest. He emailed saying he wanted to help me — and he did. Later, he wrote me a recommendation for law school, and I hadn't even asked him to. This is why I love Seton Hall. Everyone is supporting you, helping you to succeed."
Selene has also had fun. "Studying abroad in Seville, Spain, was one of the most exciting and rewarding things I did. I improved my language skills and gained a more international perspective on business. Plus, I made friends and memories that I will cherish forever." And in keeping with Seton Hall's mission to develop socially conscientious students, Selene raised money and awareness for autism.
"There is so much to do at Seton Hall, either on campus or in New York. But one thing I love about the University is that while it's fun, it's not a party school. The students here are serious about their studies and their careers. That creates a nice environment where you can have fun but still be serious about your studies."
Seton Hall Career Highlights
- Five internships
- Study Abroad in Seville, Spain
- Pirates Pitch entrepreneurial competition
- President of the Entrepreneurship/Enactus club
- Alpha Kappa Psi business fraternity
- Chair of "Win a Date with a Pirate Athlete" autism fundraiser
- Marketing Club