Network Building
Alumnus Built Relationships for a Bright Future
David A. Abraham ’08, ’09 decided to attend Shenandoah because he believes the student-faculty relationship is integral to student success. The small classes made him feel like an individual — not just a name and number. He was also on the football team while at Shenandoah.
When Abraham graduated, he realized that Shenandoah provided the tools he needed to accomplish his career goals.
My experience at SU taught me how to become a professional with experience delivering program management, organizational change, strategic direction and customer experience solutions.”
One moment Abraham will never forget is when Maya Angelou spoke at President Tracy Fitzsimmons’ inauguration. He said he will always remember the extraordinary eloquence of Angelou’s speech, in which she employed striking imagery. Another memorable moment for Abraham was when he was asked to speak at the 25th anniversary of the naming of the Harry F. Byrd, Jr. School of Business. He was selected by Dean Emeritus Randy Boxx to speak on behalf of the student body. He spoke about what it meant to be a student in the business school and all that it helped him accomplish.
Abraham is currently the project manager for GCubed Enterprises, Inc. and a Department of Defense (DoD) IT project manager at the Pentagon.
Previously, Abraham served as the senior project manager at DRT Strategies in Arlington, Virginia. His client was the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). He worked for the Farm Service Agency (FSA) on the Acreage Crop Reporting Streamlining Initiative (ACRSI) project. He provided program development, management and oversight to support the ACRSI.
In his career, Abraham has had many rewarding experiences. Most recently, he received the 2016 Government Information and Technology Executive Council Award. Abraham has also received awards such as the Triumph Enterprises Synergy Award, Triumph Core Value Award and Triumph New Employee of the Year Award during his time at Triumph Enterprises in McLean, Virginia.
The advice that Abraham has for future students is:
Build a network and build your own personal brand. Attend career fairs and get your name out there. Use resources such as career services, career fairs and business symposiums. You have the benefit of going to a small school where you are not just a name and number. Take full advantage of that and get to know your professors and classmates.”
