Hailing from Chelmsford, MA, Jared graduated from Trinity in 2011 with a double major in Public Policy & Law and Political Science. He was four year letter winner for the Bantam basketball team, serving as captain his junior and senior years and winning the sportsmanship award both of those years. He currently lives in the North End of Boston and works as an associate at Richards Barry Joyce & Partners, a full-service commercial real estate firm in downtown Boston.
Policy Voice: What drew you to the PBPL major and how did PBPL prepare you for your current position?
Jared: Originally, I was drawn to the Public Policy Department because I intended to go to law school. I felt that this major – given its rigor and comprehensiveness – would best prepare me for the challenges and material encountered in law school. That being said, I decided not to go to law school immediately following Trinity. Instead, I decided to follow my interest in commercial real estate. I use the skills that I was forced to hone while majoring in PBPL. In particular, the ability to articulate thoughts/opinions in a sophisticated manner is something I forced to do every day with both colleagues and clients. I work in a highly collaborative environment, which is much like the projects in the PBPL department.
PV: What was your favorite class in the major?
J: My favorite class was Law, Argument, and Public Policy. Oral Argument is, to this day, by far the most challenging academic experience I have ever had. That said, the skill set learned and honed while doing oral argument are the skills that I continue to carry with me even into my career outside of academia and law.
PV: What advice would you give future Trinity graduates looking for career opportunities?
J: Three pieces of advice: network, network, network. Yes, your GPA and your ability to present yourself matters, but without networking you will never have an opportunity to present either of these things.
PV: How do you feel about the direction Trinity is taking with the new social policies adopted by the Board?
J: To be completely honest, I am somewhat disengaged from the new policy. While I have heard murmurs from other alums, I have not taken the time to completely run through each new change and policy. Although it will be different than the Trinity that I graduated from, I trust that the administration is doing what it thinks is best to create the best and most productive academic environment possible.
PV: Is there anything that you recommend Trinity students experience before they graduate?
J: I feel like this is a loaded question…
PV: Do you think young people are apathetic and/or misinformed about politics these days? If so, why and how might that change?
J: I think people are apathetic because they don’t know what sources of news to trust. Unfortunately, we live in a world where news entities are owned or run by private enterprises. Therefore, the news that is reported is likely slanted to appease those who are fronting the capital to keep the news sources afloat. I don’t think this trend applies only to young people, I think this is uqiquitous across all age groups on both the right and left side of the aisle. I think the only way to be informed in today’s world is to make sure that you read a variety of news sources. That said, you must also be discerning in which pieces of news you take as fact and which you take as opinion.
PV: Where might we see you in five years?
J: I would love to continue what I am doing. I am passionate about commercial real estate and I am lucky to be at a firm where I have mentors and colleagues who genuinely care about my development as a young professional.
PV: So…Fox, CNN or MSNBC?
J: I do not religiously subscribe to any particular news source. In the morning, I begin reading the Wall Street Journal, I then move to Boston.com and I typically conclude my day with reading the Times and then MarketWatch. I agree more with Fox News’ slant and take on politics, however, I find CNN’s coverage to be more comprehensive so I actually flipped back and forth during the election.