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Moving from the comparatively quiet community of Greensburg to the bustle of New York City provided Clare Berenato with quite a culture shock. And after three years of living and working in The Bronx – at Fordham University with the women’s basketball team – Berenato absolutely loves it.

“It’s a wonderful city with so many things to explore,” Clare says.

But Clare – who self-designed her ������Ƶ major and combined communication, entrepreneurial studies and sports management – didn’t go straight to New York. Just three days after graduating, she backpacked through Europe, visiting 11 countries and 29 cities. And, much to her surprise, Clare met a family in Italy whose daughter went to ������Ƶ.

“The journey through Europe was amazing, mostly because of the people we met and the culture we were experiencing,” says Clare. “It was just an incredible experience to be halfway around the world and yet be connected to my alma mater.”

After a stint in Scranton as a volunteer coach at Lackawanna College, Clare landed at Fordham, where she works under Coach Stephanie Gaitley. The job builds upon Clare’s experience at ������Ƶ, where she played basketball for four years, serving as captain for two.

She chose Fordham because of the program’s approach - one that is similar to the philosophy she learned at ������Ƶ. 

“The head coach truly believes in developing the person,” Clare says. “She wants to win games, but it’s more about developing the young women we have on our team for life.”

While at Fordham, Clare also earned her master’s degree in nonprofit leadership.

������Ƶ’s young alumni are making their mark on the world through their work in science and healthcare, finance and business, industry, entertainment and service to those in need. The Spring/Winter 2017 edition of ������Ƶ’s Forward magazine featured 30 of these alumni, all under the age of 30. You can find all of their stories here on ������Ƶ’s site (just look for the “30 Under 30” icon).