Townie Turned VP: Matt Frappier

Matt Frappier, Class of 2001, New York, New York

What are you up to? I work as a Vice President in charge of Earned Media at Edelman, a global PR firm based in New York City. To break it down, I work with consumer brands that we interact with every day (think Dove, AXE, Porsche, TJ Maxx, Marshalls, HEINEKEN, the list goes on on and on...) and develop strategies to generate coverage in the news.

How'd you get here? It's been a long road getting here! After high school I entered Iona College as a journalism major. I was going to change the world writing stories for the New York Times.. until I took a copy editing class that nearly killed me. My academic advisor suggested I switch my major to Public Relations and the rest was history. Given that my college was so close to NYC I was able to intern throughout my last year in school and kickstart my career. After graduation I looked high and low for jobs LITERALLY pounding the pavement all summer going on interview after interview until something finally came up. Sadly, what I thought would be my dream job wound up with me being laid off. So, I regrouped moved back home and figured everything out.

Little did I know that six weeks later I would get an offer that would literally change my life and actually get me on the right path. Since that fateful day in April 2006 I have done anything you can possibly imagine - plan hotel openings on New Year's Eve in Las Vegas, handle programs on behalf of people like Arianna Huffington and even take celebrities to the secret 103rd floor of the Empire State Building! I am thankful for everything I have done and where my career is headed.

What are your goals? I want to continue to evolve and grow in my career. Even though I have been doing this for over a decade now the industry is changing and to stay relevant I need to continue to grow with it.

Advice for WHS Students? NEVER GIVE UP. After I got laid off I was so disappointed and depressed, but after a couple days I got myself up and started interviewing for jobs. If I had never done that I doubt that I would be anywhere near as successful as I am today.

What do you feel grateful for today? I am grateful for everything I have achieved, it's been a long, crazy ride and I am thankful for everything that has been and that will be.

Roots Matter: Meghan Fogarty

Meghan Fogarty, Class of 2009, Watertown, CT

What are you up to? I'm currently working at Anthem Blue Cross Blue Shield as an Escalations Specialist in Customer Service. I love my job because I love helping people. Currently, I assist on-shore and off-shore vendor representatives. I teach them how to work their calls and correctly assist members with daily inquiries. This job is not something I would have ever been able to predict would fall onto my lap, but I'm so glad it has. Anthem has become a second home for me, I love the people I work with and enjoy getting to help people!

How'd you get here? I got here because I networked. I graduated from Iona College in 2013 with a degree in psychology. I was working at a family daycare (which I loved... really) but it kind-of ran it's course. Once college loans started coming in I knew I had to move onto bigger and better opportunities. It's so easy to stay in a job that's comfortable, but it's important to push yourself and continue to do so in any career path you choose. I asked around for any kind of job openings that family and friends might be able to refer me to. My uncle told me Anthem was hiring and, to be honest, at first I turned my nose up at him. A customer service job didn't seem like a job that I ever wanted to partake in. I'm so glad I did because, as I've found out, Anthem is a company of ladders to not only higher positions but to many versatile careers. It's dedication that will move me up in the company and I can't wait to see what's in store for me.

What are your goals? My ultimate goal, career-wise, is to become a Provider Contractor Specialist. I want to make connections and draw up contracts with providers and hospitals who choose Anthem. Moving from the bottom of the company to the top tier is something that can be obtained with the knowledge of every moving part in Anthem. I have worked in the Customer Service department for two years and now I am currently interviewing for an open position within Anthem, which will only get me closer to that goal. 

*Update: I got the job! :)

Advice for WHS Students? My biggest piece of advice: Never turn away from your true friends. Life after college can bring you right back home or far away from home. Either direction, always keep your true friends from high school - no matter where you or they go. I'm living in Watertown, working in Wallingford, and I still have a close-knit group of friends and family who have known me from the beginning. It's biggest sigh of relief at the end of the day, knowing they are there for me. To have people around you that are routing for you to succeed, and have never stopped, is empowering. We all need a community. So keep your friends from high school close; that is the best piece of advice I can give. I can't thank them enough for getting me where I am today, for making me who I am today.

How hungry are you right now? About to have a yogurt and a banana!