When the book “Silver Linings Playbook” was turned into a major motion picture starring Bradley Cooper, Jennifer Lawrence, and Robert DeNiro, author Matthew Quick, ’95, saw his dream and hard work come full circle.  “If people keep telling you that your dream is not possible,” he said, “don’t believe them.”

Quick said he realized his desire to become a writer during his time at La Salle, where he double-majored in English and secondary education. Luckily, he never listened to all of the people who warned him that he would be unsuccessful as an English major. Instead, Quick and his wife, Alicia, whom he met at La Salle, left their teaching jobs in New Jersey and went to live with her parents in Massachusetts. For three years, Quick wrote in the basement of his in-laws’ house. The result was his first novel, which was published by Farrar, Straus and Giroux.

In 2012, Quick saw his best-selling book hit the big screen and credits La Salle with getting him there. “Things worked out for me largely because of what I did while I was at La Salle, writing every day,” he said. “I walked the red carpet at the Oscars last year, and Jennifer Lawrence won an Oscar for a character I wrote, and I did that with a La Salle English degree… I am so proud to be a part of this La Salle community, and I’ll never stop exploring.”

Quick has also written three young adult novels, “Forgive Me Leonard Peacock,” “Boy 21,” and “Sorta Like a Rock Star.” His next novel, “The Good Luck of Right Now,” was published in 2014, followed by “Love May Fail” in 2015.

Name: Trans “RJ” Olpindo Lualhati
Graduation Year: Spring 2016
Major/Minor: ISBT (Integrated Science, Business and Technology), with a Biotechnology concentration
Current Job/Company: 3D Printing Materials Engineer, Trauma | Depuy Synthes

Can you tell me about Dashbot and how it started?

Dashbot is a 3D Printing and Prototyping company that started and was founded in my dorm (St. Basil’s) my fall semester of my Junior year (2014). I started the company because at that time I was at my lowest. I was not doing well in school and I had just gotten out of long term relationship with my then girlfriend. So my mind was not focused, nor was I motivated to do anything. But one thing kept me kind of on track, and that was ISBT and 3D printing. Dr. Weaver had showed me what a 3D printer was and some of its capabilities. My mind at the time became so wrapped up and obsessed with the machine that I bought 2 printers the next day and played with them and learned the ins and outs of it. With my research I found that only so much was being done with them. So I ventured out and found helpful and necessary things that could be printed out. I got into the automotive field because I was printing knobs and dashboard items for my car that were broken and were hard to find. Business innovation solutions and consulting was already strong skill of mine, so I made that into a division. Household items became a division because I was printing out door stops, spare command hooks, toothbrush holders and so much more in my dorm and found it as another cool and fun “need” in that market and also made it convenient for people in my dorm to grab what they needed from me since it was being made in house essentially. My medical division was my strongest division since it was my main passion to get into healthcare. With the formation of my company, I researched and developed more prototypes of prosthetics and anatomical models for learning purposes and that already took off since no one in Philadelphia was doing it. Also my concentration was biotechnology and for that reason I gave my whole self to helping those in need. The spring semester of my junior year is when I made headlines in Philadelphia and on campus when I made a 3D printed prosthetic hand for Chef James who is currently still a cook in the La Salle Union building. Because of this, La Salle took notice as to how we could further technology like 3D printing to assist students through education.

But in all, Dashbot is a holding company for my 4 divisions which include automotive prototyping, innovative business solutions, medical and anatomical prototypes and household needs. These 4 divisions became the top fields that 3d printing was growing in and I wanted to impact these markets with my designs, innovation plans and printed goods. Its been 3 years now and I am still active in 3 of the 4 fields.

The medical division I no longer hold within Dashbot due to conflict of interests with Depuy Synthes which is my current employer now. Essentially they brought me into the company because of my extensive knowledge in 3D printing and medical devices so it was best that I took my talents and focus to Depuy and not with Dashbot.

What made you decide to major in the ISBT program at La Salle?

What made me go into the ISBT program was because of its unique culture and rarity of the major. It is unique and rare at the same time because there only a few integrated programs that have science and business together in the US. Instead of double majoring in a specific science and specific form of business, the ISBT program gives you all of the sciences, and the necessary business tools to make you walk the walk, and talk the talk at the same time. My ability to not only showcase my passion through science, but when it comes down to making money and talking numbers, the ISBT program really instills the balance that some people cannot achieve.

How do you think La Salle helped prepare you for your career?

La Salle prepared me for my career by being the older sibling I never had. I use that reference because growing and learning at La Salle, I became independent and empowered without the constraints of being sheltered and watched over like a hawk. La Salle was always there to catch me when I fell when trying but always helped me up but never lead me by the hand. I did things with a purpose without anyone telling me what to do. But when I made mistakes and hit barriers, La Salle as whole was there to guide me but not hand things to me. I loved that feeling so much. Academically, the professors on campus were so open and became very close to me. Because of the small size of our campus, the student to teacher ratio was low, making it very easy for me to get a hold of any professor when I needed help. Unlike other institutions where the student to teacher ratio is so high, the relationship building aspect is lost and I knew that from seeing some of my other friends fail because they couldn’t get the necessary help they desired. At La Salle, I got then when I wanted and when I needed it.

Name: Leo Manning
Major: Digital Art & Multimedia Design, Psychology
Projected Graduation/Class Year: Class of 2018 (May 2018)
Hometown: Philadelphia, PA
Sports/Clubs/Organizations: Epsilon Sigma Alpha, Late Night La Salle, Collegian, Campus Activities Center, Honors Program

What helped you decide on majoring in DArt?
I originally came in as a Psychology major, but during my first semester I began to miss all of the graphic design work I did in my high school photography class. Then I declared DArt as my second major. After taking a bunch of the Digital Art courses, I realized that I was more interested in working as a graphic designer than as a therapist.

What is your favorite digital design medium/technique?
I’m a huge fan of using Adobe Illustrator with my Wacom tablet for most of my design work.

What has your experience in La Salle’s DArt Program been like so far?
It’s been interesting. Instead of focusing on just graphic design, animation, or web coding, I’ve learn a lot in each area, making me feel like a jack-of-all-trades. However, even though the program covers a wide range, I still feel as though I’ve learned a lot from each area and could work in multiple fields.

What do you hope to do with your degree after graduating?
I would like to work as a graphic designer or a web designer, and eventually get my Master’s Degree and teach as a professor.

Who are some people who you look up to and help keep you inspired?
A lot of my inspiration actually comes from other students in my major and seeing all of the work that they do. Seeing everyone else’s projects and hearing their thoughts helps me strive to work harder and get better.

What has been your favorite class in or out of the program so far?
My top two classes have been HON 374: Global London and CSD 340: Web Scripting. Global London was a travel study to London where we learned the history and the literature of the city and then traveled there to explore the city itself. Web Scripting was a coding class that was different because aside from creating useful code, it also allowed me to use the code to create something more artistic.

Who has been the most influential member of the La Salle community on your life?
I believe that the most influential member of the La Salle community on my life would be Mina Koller, the Assistant Director for Campus Activities. From my time working in the Campus Activities Center and for Late Night La Salle, I have developed so much as a designer, an artist, and a leader. Her constructive criticism on my flyer designs pushed me to create more original designs and try harder on any designs I create.

If you could have dinner with any three people at La Salle, who would they be?
Mina Koller (Assistant Director for Campus Activities), Prof. Sandy Camomile (Digital Art & Multimedia Design), and Dr. David Falcone (Psychology).

How do you think La Salle is helping to prepare you for the future beyond college?
Primarily, La Salle is helping me develop my design skills. The different classes that I have taken have provided me different opportunities to practice different skills and to experiment with different ideas. In addition, my time working on-campus have given me invaluable experience about working with clients and working in a real-world setting.

What is your advice to any high school students thinking about entering the DArt program at La Salle?
When entering the DArt program at La Salle, the main things that you need are passion and patience. The passion is what drives you to try your hardest on every project, while the patience helps you achieve what seems unachievable.

Rosemary Barbera, Ph.D., ’83
Associate Professor, Social Work
La Salle University

Years at La Salle: 16 years, on and off

Degree/Education: BA in Religion, 1983; MA in Pastoral Theology, 1986; Master of Social Work, Bryn Mawr College, 1996; Ph.D. in Social Work, Bryn Mawr College, 2003

Can you tell me about your human rights work across the U.S. and Latin America?

I have been involved in human rights work since the 1980’s when I began to work in solidarity with Central American refugees fleeing the US-sponsored wars.  I participated in the Sanctuary Movement, keeping refugees safe so they would not be deported. I then moved to Bolivia where I worked in poor neighborhoods around access to water and food.  And then I moved to Chile where I was an human rights organizer during the military dictatorship. I also participated in the Sebastian Acevedo Movement against Torture and was a co-founder of CAPCI – Pastoral Workers against Impunity. I went to Chile as a Maryknoll Lay Missioner. When I returned to the US I continued solidarity work with Chile in the US and began to work on issues of human rights in the United States with a focus on immigrants and economic human rights. I also continue my human rights work in Chile around issues of the disappeared and with a women’s health group.

How did your path lead you to La Salle?

I began coming to La Salle in elementary school when I would attend Basket Camp with Lefty Ervin and Angie Scarangelli.  I then came as an undergrad because I liked the openness of La Salle’s Religion and Theology Department.

How do you view your role as a teacher and what do you hope to instill or inspire in your students?

I consider the educational enterprise to be one of mutual engagement and relationship and I try to approach each and every class session, and out-of-class session, with that frame of reference. I take seriously the philosophy of the earliest Brothers to “be ‘brothers to one another’ in their community, and ‘older brothers’ to the young people whom they saw ‘confided in their care’” (Brother Gerard Rummery as quoted in La Salle University and its Catholic Lasallian Mission, p 26). What I find most rewarding is the opportunity to engage in serious dialogue, discussion, and discourse with students about profound topics that affect our lives as active and responsible members of society. I enjoy being challenged and challenging the students to become better social workers and community members. I also enjoy those “Aha” moments when a student begins to understand a complicated concept, and, most especially, when a student begins to integrate the knowledge into their personal and professional lives.

I strive to challenge students to see the world from different perspectives and to expand their own worldview.

What is your ideal way to spend free time?

I love riding my bike, hiking, reading, and listening to music.

What is a book that has inspired you most?

It is so very difficult to choose just one. There are three that are tie:

Paulo Freire’s Pedagogy of the Oppressed

Eduardo Galeano’s Open Veins of Latin America

John Sobrino and Juan Hernández-Pico’s Theology of Christian Solidarity

Who are three people, dead or alive, you would invite to dinner if you knew they would attend?

Paulo Freire

Arundhati Roy

Silvio Rodríguez

Name: Julia Sproch
Major: Biology
Minor: Nutrition
Projected Graduation/Class Year: May 2018
Hometown: Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Sports/Clubs/Organizations: Honors Program, Epsilon Sigma Alpha Service Organization- primary philanthropy is St. Jude Children’s Hospital, La Salle Explorer’s Advocating Nutrition- nutrition club; I am on the executive board, National Eating Disorder Awareness Week Committee, La Salle Field Hockey, Yellow Ribbon Club

What helped you decide on majoring in Biology?
I was always interested in science growing up. I remember writing a letter to NASA, having a science computer game, and asking my parents for experiments kits for my birthday. That being said, I didn’t know I wanted to major in biology until high school, when I read an article about researchers creating artificial organs. I just thought it was really cool!

What do you hope to do with your degree after graduating?
I am currently applying to biomedical science Ph.D. programs with a focus on microbiology and hope to attend next fall. Future career plans are simply to go into research; I’m not sure if I want to stay in academia or go into industry when I finish grad school.

What has been your favorite class in or out of the program so far?
As an honors student, I’ve had the opportunity to take a wide variety of classes, most of which stimulate outside-the-box thinking. One of my favorites was Love in Asian Religion, Literature, and Film… I have also greatly enjoyed almost all of my higher level biology classes. I especially loved microbiology (big surprise), as well as biochemistry and molecular biology.

Who has been the most influential member of the La Salle community on your life?
Dr. Ballough has been extremely supportive over the past four years. He believed in me and encouraged me as soon as I first came to La Salle as a scared, little freshman.

If you could have dinner with any three people at La Salle, who would they be?
I would have dinner with Brother Mike because he will go out of his way to help anyone and I find that very admirable. I would also include Dr. Ballough because he is so interesting and has so much knowledge. Finally, I would invite President Hanycz because she is a role model to everyone at La Salle.

How do you think La Salle is helping to prepare you for the future beyond college?
The best thing La Salle has done to prepare me for the future is introduce me to many incredible people. From professors to security guards to my best friends and roommates, I can’t begin to explain how much the people here have enabled me to grow as a person.