Name: Steve Clemente ’80
Major: Government
Profession: IBM client representative
Home: Troy, NY

Steve Clemente heard about St. Lawrence from his siblings: his oldest brother was an alumnus and his sister was a student. The school wasn’t his first choice, however, until he visited campus and found a beautiful and friendly environment that was easy to get around.

The government major cites professors Bob Wells, Ansil Ramsy, Bernie Lammers and Sandy Hinchman as influential in his education. “I like the fact that many of my professors are still at SLU,” he says. “That says a lot about the sense of family and community.”

After graduation, Steve took a government job with the Disaster Preparedness Commission and helped to design off-site emergency plans for New York State nuclear power plants in the wake of the Three Mile Island disaster. He then enrolled in an evening MBA program at SUNY Albany and obtained his current job, selling high-end storage solutions to organizations in both the private and public sector.

While at St. Lawrence, Steve was a member of Phi Sigma Kappa, but he says he really didn’t get involved with the University until he was an alumnus. He and Jeff Honeywell ’80 started an alumni network chapter in Albany in an effort to link Laurentians in the Capital District. He currently serves on the Alumni Executive Council.

“You don’t really realize the value of your education until you’re in the professional world,” he says, adding that his most valuable experiences at St. Lawrence were in classrooms where debate and interaction involving different political views made a path of self-discovery.