If there were only one word, which I could use to describe myself, it would be determined. I cannot take all the credit for this, as I hail from a long line of stubborn and resolute kinfolk. Most notably, my grandmother who raised me on stories of our descendancy from the ancient Celtic Kings of Irish mythology. It was through these stories that I first developed the sense of pride and strength that would guide me through the various challenges of my life.
My parents arrived in New York City in the early sixties, with sixty dollars in their pockets. They bravely came in pursuit of the American dream without knowing a soul in this brave new world. Having no college education and expecting their first child made their job prospects very slim. However, they were determined and eventually found success. Working as a bartender in the Bronx, my father toiled from dusk till dawn until the opportunity of a job with Aer Lingus opened up to him. Hauling cargo into the belly of a plane may not be the most glamorous of jobs, but it gave us all the opportunity to travel back to Ireland every summer free of cost. This was one of the saving graces of my life. It was through these magical summers spent on the Emerald Isle that I further developed my passion for Celtic studies. Ignited by the stories of my grandmother, I began to explore the artwork and folklore of the ancient Irish and found myself in an enchanted world of endless possibilities. It was then that I determined to go to school for art and set my sights on Parsons School of Design back home in New York. As a student at Parsons, I struggled financially. My parents could not afford the tuition and I failed to qualify for financial aid as fell into that neat little classification of working-class. Not rich enough, not poor enough. Nevertheless, as determined as ever, I put my nose to the grindstone and alternated between working full-time and going to school part-time and vice-versa for six years until I finished the coursework relevant to my major. It was at this point that I was forced to leave school and work full-time without completing my degree. I was broken hearted, but vowed to not give up on my dreams of studying art, and finally returned six years later to finish up the liberal arts requirements and receive my degree. While working through my enforced hiatus from school, I landed a job as a graphic designer. To have the opportunity to work in any field of art was a dream come true. I put my heart and soul into my new position and quickly excelled. Having no experience in the corporate world, I stumbled my way through some valuable lessons in humility, patience and tact. One of the most valuable experiences was having the opportunity to design and present the first annual State of the Firm presentation for the managing partner. This gave me a chance to prove myself to the head honcho while working closely with him. Although initially intimidated by his affluent lifestyle and Ivy League education, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that we had more in common than not. He taught me that the key to success has more to do with character than simply having an impressive resume. Reliability, accountability, putting in the extra time and above all determination were the traits he valued most, and I had endless supplies of all. After the success of this endeavor, I was given a lead role in the firm’s re-branding …show more content…
During this trip I had the pleasure of speaking with Jim Fitzpatrick, a renowned Irish illustrator famous for his Celtic inspired artwork depicting the heroes of Irish folklore and mythology. Jim’s extensive knowledge of Ireland’s ancient history proved to be an invaluable resource that both supported and advanced my own research. I was also awakened to the struggle of many cultural organizations, to both protect and preserve Irish heritage sites and artifacts, in the wake of expanded infrastructure brought on by the economic boom of the Celtic Tiger. This further fueled my fire to bring more global awareness to these beautiful creations in order to safeguard them and the original monasteries where they were
My parents arrived in New York City in the early sixties, with sixty dollars in their pockets. They bravely came in pursuit of the American dream without knowing a soul in this brave new world. Having no college education and expecting their first child made their job prospects very slim. However, they were determined and eventually found success. Working as a bartender in the Bronx, my father toiled from dusk till dawn until the opportunity of a job with Aer Lingus opened up to him. Hauling cargo into the belly of a plane may not be the most glamorous of jobs, but it gave us all the opportunity to travel back to Ireland every summer free of cost. This was one of the saving graces of my life. It was through these magical summers spent on the Emerald Isle that I further developed my passion for Celtic studies. Ignited by the stories of my grandmother, I began to explore the artwork and folklore of the ancient Irish and found myself in an enchanted world of endless possibilities. It was then that I determined to go to school for art and set my sights on Parsons School of Design back home in New York. As a student at Parsons, I struggled financially. My parents could not afford the tuition and I failed to qualify for financial aid as fell into that neat little classification of working-class. Not rich enough, not poor enough. Nevertheless, as determined as ever, I put my nose to the grindstone and alternated between working full-time and going to school part-time and vice-versa for six years until I finished the coursework relevant to my major. It was at this point that I was forced to leave school and work full-time without completing my degree. I was broken hearted, but vowed to not give up on my dreams of studying art, and finally returned six years later to finish up the liberal arts requirements and receive my degree. While working through my enforced hiatus from school, I landed a job as a graphic designer. To have the opportunity to work in any field of art was a dream come true. I put my heart and soul into my new position and quickly excelled. Having no experience in the corporate world, I stumbled my way through some valuable lessons in humility, patience and tact. One of the most valuable experiences was having the opportunity to design and present the first annual State of the Firm presentation for the managing partner. This gave me a chance to prove myself to the head honcho while working closely with him. Although initially intimidated by his affluent lifestyle and Ivy League education, I was pleasantly surprised to discover that we had more in common than not. He taught me that the key to success has more to do with character than simply having an impressive resume. Reliability, accountability, putting in the extra time and above all determination were the traits he valued most, and I had endless supplies of all. After the success of this endeavor, I was given a lead role in the firm’s re-branding …show more content…
During this trip I had the pleasure of speaking with Jim Fitzpatrick, a renowned Irish illustrator famous for his Celtic inspired artwork depicting the heroes of Irish folklore and mythology. Jim’s extensive knowledge of Ireland’s ancient history proved to be an invaluable resource that both supported and advanced my own research. I was also awakened to the struggle of many cultural organizations, to both protect and preserve Irish heritage sites and artifacts, in the wake of expanded infrastructure brought on by the economic boom of the Celtic Tiger. This further fueled my fire to bring more global awareness to these beautiful creations in order to safeguard them and the original monasteries where they were