Recent graduates have proven that life after Bowdoin can lead to many paths, from designing cutting-edge fly-fishing technology to sports writing, to talking about sex.
Scott Caras '08, a Government and Legal Studies and Anthropology double major, always had an avid interest in fly-fishing. While at Bowdoin, Caras and fellow students Ted Upton '07 and Max Key '08 would seek out fishing spots along the Androscoggin River and around Casco Bay and Popham Beach.
While all three took corporate jobs after Bowdoin, they maintained a strong interest in fly-fishing. After gaining experience in business, the fishing buddies joined with Providence alumnus Peter Crommett in December 2009 to found Cheeky Fly Fishing, a manufacturing company targeted at what the website describes as "progressive fly fishermen."
Caras noted that fly-fishing has largely been regarded as a "unique, old, stuffy sport, for grandparents." While fly-fishers have traditionally gone after trout and salmon, they are now branching out to bigger salt-water species and to new species in fresh water. "People are pushing [the] limits [of the sport both] culturally and technologically," he said.
Caras and his friends saw and capitalized on this opportunity, hoping to manufacture a different type of gear with a new aesthetic, something "less boring than traditional fly-fishing gear," he said. The team is set to release its first two sets of reels by late spring. They took a development and testing period of one-and-a-half years in hopes of developing a "truly top-tier product." Thus far, they have received "a lot of interest and demand."
Currently based in Boston with an office in Denver, the team is considering future relocation to Maine. Caras credited Bowdoin with preparing him for experiences that made his current endeavor possible. Further information about their company is available on their website, cheekyflyfishing.com.
Kaitee Daley '09 was able to apply her experiences at Bowdoin to her current job as assistant editor for ESPN.com.
Daley first met ESPN personalities as a national finalist for the Wendy's High School Heisman award back in 2004.
"I was hoping to keep in touch with them throughout college but, feeling that a job at ESPN was a little unrealistic, kept my focus on law school and the prospect of working in sports law as an agent," she wrote in an email to the Orient.
A government and legal studies major, Daley played basketball her freshman year and softball for the following three, worked with BCN on sports-related series and coverage, and also worked for the sports information department.
"I basically tried to do as much as I could in my spare time to fulfill my passion for sports and media," she said.
While working on the redesign of the Bowdoin athletics webpage on campus the summer before her senior year, Daley ran into an elderly couple whose son was employed at ESPN. "We didn't exchange numbers that day, but they encouraged me to keep doing all the extracurricular things I had been doing at Bowdoin," Daley said.
She did and, one thing lead to another. "Before I knew it, I was handing him my resume, applying for jobs at ESPN and fielding a number of rigorous interviews."
"I [also] had one government professor tell me quite candidly at one of our department barbecues that I should pursue sports journalism over law school and I'll never forget the confidence that instilled in me," Daley said.
While not as sports-driven a school as others, Bowdoin allowed Daley a multiplicity of experiences which she credits to her success. "I work on a variety of different projects (Sport Science, Year of the Quarterback, Jimmy V Week, Rick Reilly's page, etc.) and also do some writing on the side," Daley said. "I'm essentially a 'utility player' for ESPN.com and that role fits nicely with everything I did at Bowdoin."
Shana Natelson '10 decided to take a powerful Bowdoin experience and continue it post-graduation. A Government and Legal Studies major with a Spanish minor, captain of the women's ice hockey team, Peer Health member and tour guide, Natelson also took part in the inaugural performance of "Speak About It" and remained involved for the rest of her time at Bowdoin.
The play—originally written by Linzee Troubh '09, Jeremy Bernfield '09, Health Education Coordinator for Health Services Emily Skinner '08 and Associate Director of the office of the Dean of Student Affairs Meadow Davis—employs contributed stories to foster dialogue about sex and relationships at Bowdoin. The production focuses on "issues of consent, sexual assault, and bystander intervention," and debuted during Orientation in 2009. According to Natelson, the play was greeted "with much better feedback than we anticipated" and the "positive buzz" continued, inspiring additional performances.
Natelson, conferring last spring with Davis, Skinner and Dean Foster, was inspired to adapt the play and bring it to other schools. "I knew I didn't want to go to [graduate] school, and I didn't want to work at a desk," she said.
Natelson instead spent the past summer revising the play's script for travel, creating contacts and developing a webpage (speakaboutitonline.com) for the project.
Natelson has served as producer, actor, writer, and director, working alongside fellow alum Nick Smith '09.
"Nick has been my partner as we move forward," she said.
Natelson and Smith performed at the University of Southern Maine in February, and will be joined by Laura Armstrong '12 and Branden Asemeh '12 for a performance at Colby this Wednesday, directed in part by Anna Ausubel '10.
"We rag on Bowdoin once or twice," said Natelson of the Colby performance.
While structurally the same, Natelson explained that each performance is adapted to its audience. "If we can tell jokes and make people laugh, they feel more interested, more connected," she said. "The [ultimate] goal is to create dialogue."
Having experienced the play's success at Bowdoin, Natelson reflected, "It has been a lot of fun to see these results as we move to other schools. Natelson described the experience thus far as "an adventure" and hopes to continue her involvement. She and Smith are set to perform at Williams for Orientation 2011 and are looking to hold an open casting call in order to secure a full-time cast for a string of shows in the fall.