Xavier Gordon ’23: President’s Medal Winner
Looking back, Xavier Gordon ’23 isn’t afraid to admit that his first year on campus was confusing. He wasn’t sure what he wanted to do or which program he wanted to pursue. Then, a weekend trip changed everything.
Gordon participated in the First-Year Leadership Summit in Stone Harbor, New Jersey. The office of student engagement and leadership and the career development center host the weekend retreat, which teaches first years about leadership and the type of impact they want to make on the campus community.
“After going on that trip, I learned a lot about myself, what I wanted to do, and the directions I needed to take to achieve those goals.”
Fast forward several years later: Gordon is the recipient of the President’s Medal, which is presented by Father James Greenfield, OSFS ’84, Ed.D., at Commencement to the graduate who has attained intellectual maturity consistent with his or her talents.
Gordon says he was shocked to hear his name called, but that the medal means that he was able to make a change on campus through his involvement in different organizations, including the Black Student Union, Campus Activities Board, and Character U.
Even though he’s earned his degree in business administration, Gordon will still be a familiar face around campus. He’s accepted a position as a graduate assistant with the office for student engagement and leadership and he’s enrolled in the accelerated MBA program.
Gordon’s biggest takeaway from his time as an undergrad: life is a journey, not a race.
“There will be a lot of ups and downs and things that will scare you away from what you want to achieve. But as long as you have the right people around you and the right programs to support you, you’ll get to your goal.”
