Take Your Desk to Washington

Bob Bell '94
Accounting Major
Attorney, U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission
Washington, D.C.

Learning through Adversity

"Due to my injury, my initial thought on responding to this question is not, hopefully, an experience that other college students will have. However, because I believe it taught me a lot about how to approach other situations throughout life, the most important/lasting learning experience I had in college came about as a result of receiving a spinal cord injury during the end of November of my first year. I was injured from a 'Full-Nelson' wrestling hold while roughhousing in my dorm.

"The severity of the injury required me to leave CSB and SJU and spend many months in various hospitals before returning home to live with my mom and sister in Pensacola, Fla. It was a devastating time for me. I had chosen to attend CSB and SJU because of what a special place I believed it was. And after experiencing several months there, my reasons for choosing CSB and SJU were confirmed. I had met wonderful people. I had developed several fantastic friendships. I had been challenged academically. I had tons of fun. And I was a part of an environment where spirituality and faith were present but not forced. It was perfect for me.

"However, due to my injury, I now required nursing-related assistance both in the morning and at night. And I required a wheelchair for my mobility. My mom and sister were willing to help me in any way they could and I started taking classes at a local college where the State of Florida paid for my tuition. The campus was very wheelchair accessible and of course cold and snow were never an issue. So I guess in many ways, it seemed like the logical thing to do was to stay in Florida--it would definitely be easier on me and less expensive.

"On the other hand, I had not forgotten why I had chosen to attend CSB and SJU and what I had experienced from going there. And I knew that when I started at CSB and SJU, I intended to graduate. I decided to not let the increased challenge of graduating from CSB and SJU dictate my decision. I wanted to finish what I started; I wanted to return to CSB and SJU and graduate.

"I returned to CSB and SJU and graduated one year later than the rest of my first-year class. This experience taught me a tremendous amount about overcoming adversity. It taught me about the much higher rewards that often come with not taking the easy road. It taught me about the extraordinary depth, compassion, strength and character of the CSB/SJU community--without whom my return would not have been possible. It taught me about trusting good people. And it taught me about faith."

Learning in Washington, D.C.

"Currently, I am an attorney for the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in Washington, D.C. I work in the Division of Corporation Finance and a large part of my job consists of reviewing the documents that publicly traded companies are required to file on an annual and quarterly basis as well as the documents they file when they want to sell their securities. We also review the documents filed by private companies that wish to sell their securities publicly. A major part of these documents relates to describing the financial health of the company.

"The foundation in accounting I attained by majoring in accounting at CSB and SJU, as well as working in public accounting for close to four years after college, prepared me well for understanding the financial aspects of these reports. And attending law school at the University of Minnesota further positioned me for obtaining my job at the SEC."

Learning from Others

"A reality of working is that people like working with people they like. No matter what you do, you will be more successful if people enjoy working with you. I believe the liberal arts education provided at a unique place like CSB and SJU provides for an excellent foundation for appreciating the vast and diverse world we live in. Whether it's speaking with someone at a cocktail party about history, or appreciating that while science may not be your thing, it is immensely important in so many ways--people like it when you're genuinely interested in things that interest them--I've learned that you need to try to learn from almost every person you meet."

Want to know when new profiles are added? Just complete the simple reply form.

Office of Admission
College of Saint Benedict
Saint John's University
PO Box 7155
Collegeville, MN 56321
(800) 544-1489
(320) 363-2196
(320) 363-2750 (fax)

E-mail admissions@csbsju.edu