For Stevens Alumni Association president Michael F. Cahill ’15 M.Eng. ’15, the Gear Society exemplifies the enduring sense of community that defines Stevens.
Cahill’s introduction to Stevens came while he was still in high school, at the Exploring Career Options in Engineering and Science (ECOES) summer program. “I made new friends and fell in love with the campus during my two weeks at ECOES,” he says. “I also confirmed my goal to study chemical engineering.”
Stevens gave Cahill something more: the opportunity to pursue his passion for the performing arts. “The economy was in a tough spot in 2009,” he says. “It was important to be prepared for a career. But I was especially excited to learn about the university’s opportunities in the arts. I had been very involved in theater and music up to that point, and it meant a lot to me to be able to keep that in my life.”
Cahill rounded out his education by serving as president of the Gear & Triangle Honor Society and as an SGA senator, and by co-founding the a cappella group, Quackapella. He is particularly proud of his involvement with the Stevens Dramatic Society (SDS), which he eventually presided over.
After graduation, Cahill’s goal to reinvigorate the SDS Alumni Affinity Club quickly gained traction. “As a result, I saw an opportunity to pay forward what I felt I gained from being part of the performing arts at Stevens,” he says. “I wanted to encourage other art-minded Stevens students.”
Cahill energized the group to support financial aid for students who were passionate about the performing arts. Within a few short years, they had enough resources to endow a scholarship. He continues to support the scholarship because of its emphasis on helping students.
Cahill, who contributes monthly, also supports the Stevens Fund, because these resources help to ensure that the Stevens experience is as good as it can be. “I believe in President Farvardin and his vision, and I want to help the university achieve it,” he says. “The education we received at Stevens is the result of the hard work and contributions of so many others.”
Cahill encourages every alum to find their own reasons for getting involved. “What’s important to you?” he asks. “Make it more than a transaction. Believe in your reasons for supporting Stevens and remind yourself of them often.”
“What each of us gives individually as a Gear Society member may not seem like a whole lot,” Cahill adds, “but taken together we have an impact that is more than the sum of our gifts. Stevens is a unique community, one where everyone can have a part.”
