Jennifer Sacks, president of the Syracuse University Philadelphia Alumni Club, doesn’t just embody Orange enthusiasm. She works hard to maintain it within her city.

SUccess in the City networking gatherings; the Send Off for each freshman class; and the Welcome Home Party for each graduating class are among the events that Sacks organizes.

“This past year has been a busy year for us,” said Sacks, a 2008 alumnus. “We are planning the SU vs. Temple football game on Nov. 23, game watching events and the SU vs. Villanova basketball game on Jan. 26.”

SU’s sporting spirit is maintained far beyond the walls of the Carrier Dome as a result of Sacks’ work.

Even with all of these fun events in the works, the Philadelphia Alumni Club maintains a balance between work and play.

“It is especially important to increase our efforts in helping young alum finding employment,” Sacks said. “Attending college is not cheap and, therefore, I think that a school has a responsibility to provide sources that will not only help their students find employment after graduation, but will keep them engaged and informed.”

Sacks and her husband Jonathan weren’t aware of how difficult job searching would be when they graduated. Only graduating a few years ago with a double major in sociology and psychology, Sacks is no recipient of the privilege of job security.

“I don’t think it is fair to tell people to give up on their dreams,” Sacks said. “But I think the younger generation has to be creative to get there without accumulating the debt.”

Eventually navigating through the job market, Sacks found her direction and became a practicing couple and family therapist. She grew well versed in the treatments of different age groups and the diverse problems they face. At the Freire Charter School in Philadelphia, she worked with adolescents in recognizing and developing their strengths, thus preparing them for positive futures.

Sacks also worked with families “who were in a different stage of life than that of adolescents” in the family therapy treatment program, also in Philadelphia. She and a co-therapist conducted sessions side by side, which was a new experience for Sacks. Despite the language differences that existed between them, Sacks said they “were able to work together and join with our clients, which ultimately helped them during difficult times.”

Her working environments challenged her, but also broadened her perspective.

Said Sacks: “When you see a client find their own answer and way through a challenging situation, it is a wonderful feeling to know that you were a part of that process of change.”

Published on October 7, 2012 at 11:20 pm

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