Alumni Spotlight: Emily Wallace ‘15
Last May, Emily Wallace was standing at commencement in her cap and gown ready to graduate from Saint Mary’s College. Shortly thereafter she took a job at the San Francisco Symphony serving as a development associate for the organization. Wallace graduated with a bachelor's in performing arts - music, and a bachelor's in business administration. With her educational experiences at Saint Mary’s, it’s no wonder she landed the position at one of San Francisco’s oldest and most celebrated music institutions.
Even though Wallace was juggling the course load of two majors, she was very active in the Saint Mary’s College Choirs, the Glee Club and Chamber Singers. Performing both classical and contemporary repertoires, the choirs met multiple times each week for practices. They performed at a monthly recital series held on Wednesdays during community time. Wallace also had the opportunity to travel with the choirs to Cincinnati, Ohio in 2012 and Riga, Latvia for the World Choir Games. During the spring semester of senior year, Wallace performed with the choirs at Carnegie Hall in New York City.
Wallace wanted to combine her passion for music with a business education with the ultimate goal of working in the live music industry. Knowing that she wanted to get as much as she could out of each program, she decided to keep two separate majors rather than having a split major so that she wouldn’t “miss out on any important information.” In addition to her rigorous academic plan and performing with the choirs, Wallace also served as a member of the Student Advisory Committee for the School of Economics and Business Administration (SEBA) and was on the Relay for Life committee.
The decision to apply to the Symphony and other performing arts organizations in San Francisco was influenced not only by Wallace’s majors but through experiences in SMC's liberal arts curriculum. The ability to make conversation easily with others is a valuable skill for anyone working in development. Those working in development and advancement have to be able to strike up a conversation with donors at various events, who all have varied interests and viewpoints. According to Wallace, “My ability to converse easily with others on multiple subjects was really enhanced by the Seminar program at SMC.”
Another class that helped Wallace on her path to the Symphony was Business Communication. “I use the skills I learned in that class every day to write and edit correspondence to donors. Public speaking is a large component of working in development (and interviewing), and I had great opportunities to practice and hone my public speaking skills in business communication.” Wallace’s communication skills aided her in networking; a major component of how she landed the position of development associate at the Symphony.
Reflecting on the academic programs at Saint Mary’s, Wallace says that she benefited immensely from the Lasallian tradition. “We hear the quote ‘Enter to Learn, Leave to Serve’ throughout our time at Saint Mary's, and I feel like I am really able to do that upon graduation. I get to help a fantastic cultural center in San Francisco to continue to operate as well as provide the most comprehensive music education program in the city. It is a very gratifying experience.”
Wallace’s advice for future graduates is to make a plan. “Working in the performing arts is difficult, but creating a goal, even if it changes throughout your time at school, is very important. Really think about what you want to do and make a plan to get there. Then make use of the resources available so that you don’t have to do it alone.”
The arts are a vibrant part of the Saint Mary’s experience. Support the arts at Saint Mary’s by making a gift today.