Although it has been some time since I walked the campus and hallways as an undergrad at Loyola, today, I still walk with the same determination and stride that I carried back then.  I wanted to be someone.  I wanted to impact the people that I met in positive ways, both personally and professionally.  It was not a ‘save the world’ feeling.  Rather, the educational and spiritual traditions that serve as the foundation of Loyola’s liberal arts curriculum taught me that I could seize more opportunities and overcome obstacles more easily if I tackled them with others.  My career path proves that.

When I started my studies at Loyola, I threw myself into the world of political science, thinking that this would be the natural place for me to invest my times and efforts.  I had always wanted to become a lawyer and what better place to start down that path than by focusing on the systematic study of government and politics.  However, by second semester freshman year, I found myself driven by a desire to learn more about business and finance.  My father was an entrepreneur, and that same gene was buried deep inside of me.  Loyola and The Sellinger School’s focus on the current trends and ethical dimensions of the world of business and finance drew my entrepreneurial genes out in me and widened my perspectives, and ultimately the career opportunities that would come my way.  I graduated with the BBA in Finance and subsequently graduated from law school and became an attorney.  However, that is where my linear career path and ended and a whole new world opened up for me.

Very quickly into my career as a practicing lawyer, I felt frustrated.  While other colleagues were enjoying the passion and sense of duty and accomplishment that defines the legal profession, I was feeling stifled.  I had a decision to make.  I could trudge along and stay on this path and certainly be successful or, I could embody what Loyola wanted me to be – someone who would learn, lead, and serve in a diverse and changing world.  For me, the choice was easy.  I  seized an opportunity to leave the practice of law to enter a whole new field and never looked back.  That was 18 years ago and since then, I have had the opportunity to create, build and run a number of successful organizations and teams, in a variety of different fields, including human resources, accounting, media, and law.  I never burned bridges.  More importantly, I built a community of colleagues, friends, and advocates that I brought with me and added to each time I made a career move, so that we could celebrate successes together and certainly learn from each other’s mistakes.  To me, the Jesuit’s emphasis on academic excellence, the importance of the liberal arts, and cura personalis—the education of the whole person are what set me on this path and I am enjoying the ride!

Nick Araco, Jr., Esq., President & CEO

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