Full of Spirit: Elizabeth Saraceno

Elizabeth Saraceno, Class of 2009, Brooklyn NY

What are you up to? I manage sales for a liquor brand in Brooklyn.

How'd you get here? I moved to New York at age 18 for college at Pace University and I spent a year in Westchester, New York, about an hour north from midtown NYC. I quickly decided it wasn't for me. I ended up transferring to the city campus and moved into an apartment. I bartended throughout college to make extra money and ended up really falling in love with spirits and the cocktail scene. I spent my free time studying liquor and flavor profiles and traveled to distilleries and breweries to learn more. I got my first job working for a distributor selling small craft liquor in the lower east part of Manhattan. It was tough, my rent was $1,350 a month and I made $400 a week.. do the math. However, being surrounded by so many successful and progressive people only made me work harder. I was the youngest and one of the few females in the industry.. I had the odds against me but it only pushed me harder. I eventually moved into a different job, working directly for a supplier. I went from managing an area in Manhattan to managing a brand in all 5 boroughs. It was great for a while but soon I left to go back to a different, yet bigger liquor distributor, which is where I am now.

What are your goals? To become a manager for an entire division at a large liquor distributor, to live alone in Brooklyn, and to have a washer/dryer/dishwasher in my apartment.

What has been your biggest challenge? Moving to NYC at age 19, completely by yourself, is a struggle in itself. I see a lot of people I went to high school with that live in New York City stick together and that’s great, but I pride myself in moving somewhere and making new friends, a NYC family, my life. I feel like when you’re a kid and you’re growing up you adapt to the life your parents chose and you know nothing else; but to move to a place when you’re so young unafraid, I think that’s a challenge in itself. I love the life that I created, but the biggest challenge was doing everything alone; finding an apartment, moving in with strangers, starting new jobs, walking into new bars and restaurants to form relationships for work, and even something as simple as making friends. I’m grateful, a lot of people give up on NYC after the first couple years but I’m going on my 9th year here.

What has been your happiest moment? My happiest moments are always when I walk out of a bar (an account for work) and feel that I nailed the meeting. The account may have placed a large order and given me a cocktail placement on their menu, and I swear there’s no better feeling than feeling like you’re exactly where you’re supposed to be.

Advice for WHS Students? You don’t have to do what you go to college for. Your major is just a guide to get your degree and if you’re passionate about something off the beaten path, there’s a job for it. Also, move out of Watertown. Get out of your comfort zone. Be friends with people who are different than you. Have conversations with people of different races, cultures, religions, upbringings. People have some crazy stories and you learn so much when you just listen. Also, nobody cares about who you were in high school. The real world doesn’t care. You don’t put prom queen on your resume.

If you could tell your high school self one thing, what would it be? I would tell myself to spend more time caring about people that matter. I spent a lot of time caring about all of the wrong things. I also stressed myself out over minuscule things.. things that I can’t even remember now because they’re so irrelevant. I would also tell myself that I’m really proud of you, for having the courage to move to NYC, because I truly love my life.

Accepting the Unexpected: Nathaniel Habegger

Nathaniel Habegger, Class of 2009, Manhattan, New York

What are you up to? I currently work as a Creative Coordinator for a marketing firm in downtown Manhattan. I manage social media and in-house photography. I also help with ideation of events/marketing plans and I contract talent. In addition to my full-time job, I run my own menswear blog and manage social media channels daily. On top of it all, I shoot photos professionally for clients and for my own blog.

How'd you get here? Well, before moving to New York, I wanted to be an actor. I acted in all of the high school shows, loved music, and was incredibly passionate about that career path. Six terrible auditions and college rejection letters later, I realized that acting was too much rejection for me to handle. At this point in my life, I had put all of my eggs in one basket and assured myself that being on Broadway was the ultimate goal. Also, at this point in my life, I had taken advantage of a teacher-student relationship to change my grades in the school computer system. This act of tom-foolery lead me into an emotional downward spiral (as I was almost expelled months before graduating high school.. terrifying). I fell from the pedestal I had put myself on and didn't know who I was anymore or what I was going to do. I felt like a delinquent and that I would never recover from this mistake. So after graduating in 2009, I took the summer to figure out what I wanted to do. I always loved fashion and I loved art. I went to Western Connecticut State University for a year to gain credits before transferring to a private school in Manhattan called The Laboratory Institute of Merchandising. I wish someone had told me that none of my credits from Western would transfer to LIM, but that’s ok. What’s another loan to pay off right? 

I moved to New York and thought I was the best. Come to find out, everyone in New York is the best and I was the worst of the best (or maybe a little better than the worst, but still.. small fish big pond situation). I worked for Coach as a Visual Merchandiser for about 4 years. A Visual Merchandiser is a term used in the fashion/retail industry for someone who creates window displays. I left that job to start working as a Creative Coordinator, which is what I do now. In the process of all of this, I started my own menswear blog and made insane connections with people all over the city through Instagram.

What are your goals? I want to write a book, open a restaurant, take beautiful photographs, open a ceramics studio and start a fashion company. It’d be really cool if I could do all of that, but we’ll see.

What has been your biggest challenge? Self acceptance. I think the hardest part of this journey (which by the way is still JUST starting) has been accepting myself for who I am and not who I think people want me to be. After high school, I left the comfort of home, family, and friends. I had such a strong sense of self and was incredibly confident. Moving to New York really knocked me down a few pegs. It made me see life on a much larger scale. Figuring out who you are is an ever going project that seems endless, and it kind of is. Figuring out how to love the part of yourself that has flaws and that part of yourself that you don’t like is the biggest challenge. It’s the most rewarding when you overcome all of that; when you can sit with yourself and appreciate who you are through and through. By the way - I’m still working on that…it ain’t easy kids.

What has been your happiest moment? There are a couple happy moments I've had recently. One being the day I started my current job. Another would be being featured in a digital campaign for Uniqlo. Both really made me feel like I had made it even though I’m still fighting to make it!

Advice for WHS Students? Start to look outside yourself. Start to be curious about what else is out there in the world. Watertown is an amazing town to grow up in, but I think it’s incredibly beneficial to look beyond the horizon to see what other opportunities are out there. How can you appreciate something if you never lose it? Another tidbit of advice: If your dreams don’t come true immediately, that doesn’t mean they never will. Some dreams don’t come true (like me being on Broadway because I’m not a knock out actor, but was passionate about it!) but your dreams can morph. Allow yourself to accept the ebb and flow that is life. You won’t win them all, but if you do something that makes you feel fulfilled, you’ll be happy. You can reinvent yourself everyday, and should. ALSO: You’ll realize how lovely being in high school is the second you step into the real world.. so enjoy it while it lasts.

If you could tell your high school self one thing, what would it be? I would tell my high school self to shut up and sit down. I was so cocky in high school. I thought no one could touch me and that I was the best. Turns out, I was really lazy and kind of a jerk. Don’t get me wrong, I think most people who knew me would agree I was a good kid, but I was definitely not interested in working hard in class. I’d also tell my high school self that I can do anything I put my mind to and then to actually put my mind to it instead of sitting waiting for life to happen.

Food for Thought: Chelsea Kyle

Chelsea Kyle, 2009, Manhattan, NY

What are you up to? I work as Senior Visual Editor, Photographer for Condé Nast, specifically working with sister brands Epicurious and Bon Appetit. I direct, shoot, and produce all the photography for www.epicurious.com. Basically, a food story or recipe idea gets pitched to me from our Food Editors and I help facilitate how that gets represented visually. When we are working on big projects that require a larger team, I’m helping organize a team of freelance artists including additional Photographers, Food Stylists and Prop stylists. My time is split between being in the studio shooting and desk work editing, retouching, coordinating, etc. I occasionally shoot professional freelance gigs on my time off photographing restaurants, architecture, interiors design, and fashion.

I’m constantly surrounded by a lot of very passionate people who love food. Naturally, I have developed a deep love for the food world and I’ve picked up cooking myself. I live with one of my childhood friends (and fellow WHS alumni) who is also a photographer. My third roommate is a food stylist and a chef. My boyfriend is a pastry chef and food stylist. We love what we do so much that most of the time you’ll catch us on weekends in the kitchen with cameras.

How'd you get here? I was raised by my very old fashioned grandmother and my very forward thinking, modern mother. Both passionate as hell, especially when it came to me. I’d like to think I had a nice balance of both their ideals but the reality of it made it very difficult to choose between a traditional path pursuing a “reliable” career in science or break the norm and go to a trade school for photography.

After getting accepted to my dream school, Savannah College of Art and Design, I declined and chose to attend University of New Hampshire to study Nutrition. It didn’t take long for the little voice in my head to start screaming, “You’re in the wrong place.” So I went home to Connecticut and attended classes at Central Connecticut State University until I figured out my next step. I was accepted to University of Hartford for photography but the summer before my first fall semester, I was sitting in my mom’s kitchen expressing how I didn’t want to spend 2 of 4 years taking general art classes before I could focus solely on photography. I wanted a trade school that got me hands on experience with photo equipment and shooting right away. She encouraged me to follow my heart and we started looking at trade schools.

I finally found a home at New England School of Photography (NESOP) in Boston where I graduated with a focus in Advertising and Commercial photography and minored in Creative Imaging. During my studies at NESOP, I was interning at Boston Magazine and tutoring students in classes below me. Soon I started getting freelance photography gigs. By the time I graduated, I was shooting freelance full-time. I had clients all over Boston, small businesses, publications, etc. Three years later, through connections and recommendations, I got a call from Condé Nast and a month later I dropped everything to move to New York to start my current job.

What are your goals? I want to inspire people to follow their dreams like I have. I want to continue to bring people joy through the world of art, showing people a different side of life, and filling people up with beautiful representations of other people’s thoughts and ideas. I want to encourage people to fight for themselves and what they love.

My grandmother grew up in a time when she wasn’t allowed to pursue her dreams. She was a woman held back by society and an abusive father. She didn't stop; even when her mother killed herself, her sister died from a poorly treated infection and her marriage failed leaving her with 4 kids. She set out on her own and successfully raised four children and then three grandchildren (me!). She was a Girl Scout Leader growing up and countlessly told us girls that we could be whoever we wanted to be. She and my mother gave me a childhood of wonderful experiences and taught me to always say yes to opportunity. 

Sadly, my mother battled with a vicious eating disorder, depression, and addiction and died as a result little over three years ago. She was an incredible person; she tried so hard to be her best and it took a toll on her mentally. My mom studied many religions seeking solace. She could recite scripture, religious readings, and spiritual anecdotes that she had memorized but through her many pursuits she couldn’t find faith in herself. It was difficult to comprehend how someone so smart, beautiful, and strong could be so saddened by their own mind. I wanted desperately to give her courage and support the way she did for me. 

Both of these wonderful women in my life gave me the strength and confidence to achieve whatever I set my mind to when they couldn’t do it themselves. I hope to encourage others to do the same.

Advice for WHS Students? Success means more than just employment and executing your job well. Understand and appreciate the jobs of those who work around you and be inspiring and present. Small acts of consideration and kindness go a long way to making your work and personal life better for you, as well as for those around you. Your work ethic is important, but the attitude you bring to work and the way you treat others is just as important, if not more.

If you could tell your high school self one thing, what would it be? You'll change your mind a lot. That's okay. Nobody except you can tell you what makes you happy.

Behind the scenes: Rick Mastroianni

Rick Mastroianni, Class of 2009, New York City, NY

Where do you live? In October, my fiancée and I left everything behind in Chicago to start a new life in New York City. It's great to be back on the East Coast, but life has never been so busy.

What are you up to? We decided to move to New York City with no job or even apartment, just big dreams, a little money, and a lot of love. Admittedly, we got lucky. Within our first month, I landed a professional career as a studio manager of the top acting studio in the country. A short time later, my fiancée got an awesome position overseeing sales for a company that offers conferencing solutions for clients like the United Nations and Bank of America. We stay busy, to say the least. I'm very proud of what I do, but I've never worked so hard in my life. When you advance professionally, the responsibilities add up quickly. Right now, I'm in charge of the entire admissions department at the studio (which is a lot of work), but in addition to that, I oversee all day to day activities including the company's accounting, classes, and even group workshops. Essentially, we develop beginner actors for work on major networks like Disney, Fox, Nickelodeon, and even Netflix. Sometimes I work six days a week, ten to twelve hour days - but it's worth it to see these people get picked up by major agencies and management companies throughout the city.

Work is work, though - and just one part of life. I'm thrilled to say that In February, I proposed to the love of my life in the middle of Grand Central Station. It was an amazing experience! We were surrounded by hundreds of random people, cheering for and congratulating us. The wedding is at the end of August. We're getting married in Central Park and our reception is across the East River overlooking the Manhattan skyline. It's truly a dream come true. Oh and I can't forget - we have two beautiful dogs and the coolest cat in the world. We're taking our love and our family to the next level and I can't wait to spend the rest of my life with him!

How'd you get here? Immediately after high school, I moved to Chicago to attend film school at Columbia College.

"I had no idea what to expect and seriously took a huge risk by moving half way across the country with zero life experience. I was eighteen years old and had just come out to my parents a few months prior. Life was a whirlwind of change; I was so hungry for something new and really went out there on a whim. Fortunately, it paid off."

A few months in I met my future husband on a dating website and we hit it off almost immediately. We moved in together rather quickly because I couldn't stand living on campus and he knew it. Yuck - the thought of living so boxed in with so many rules still gives me the chills! Anyway, to pay the rent and make ends meet I held several jobs throughout college - all full time. Essentially, forty hours a week working, twenty five hours in class - plus homework, scripts, essays, and term papers...I still don't know how, but I made it work. College was good, but definitely not amazing. I feel like I learned more about making deadlines, cramming for exams, and manipulating my grades than I did about the actual film industry. I always envied the fact that many of the people I went to school with only had classes to worry about - they'd spend all of their additional time on set filming, writing, or just being creative instead of needing to make money. But, life is about getting done what you need to. Long story short, I graduated college while I was working at a massive high end salon in Lincoln Park. I became the Assistant Manager there, but life became so routine for both of us. We decided to quit our jobs, drop everything and move to New York... Crazy!

What are your goals? We have a five year plan that's pretty in depth - but one of the biggest goal for us is to have kids. There's a bit that needs to happen before that's a reality for us, but I'm so excited to build a family.

Advice for WHS Students? Growing up as a gay boy at WHS was terrifying. Even in the last ten years, society has changed tremendously - but I know there are definitely kids and teens out there going through what I (and many others) did. It's true that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, but that's easier said and understood now than it would have been then. Even early on in grade school, I knew I was different. I grew up thinking if I said or did one "wrong" thing, I'd be outed, humiliated, and shamed. I suffered terrible anxiety because I was born different than a lot of the other kids I knew. When it came to these feelings, high school was the worst! I know how hard it is and if you're like me and reading this, I just want to you to know you're not alone. There's so much to life after high school and college...it will all come together if you let it. Gay or straight - life in general is confusing. I still have to constantly remind myself to just let it all happen. I struggle with this every day, but I'm slowly learning to go with the flow, control the controllable, and appreciate everything.

What is something that bugged you today? Slow walkers make my morning commute extremely annoying.