Student Profile: Logan Silver '15

'Holy Cross teaches you more than any one subject. You learn that the greatest skill of a good leader is self-awareness'

NAME Logan Silver '15

HOMETOWN Eugene, Ore.

ACADEMICS Spanish major

HOME ON THE HILL Discovering Holy Cross early on in the football recruitment process, Logan traveled across the country to visit the campus, and while being hosted by recently named New York Giants cornerback, Chandler Fenner '12, noticed there was "something different about the people here."  He explains, "They were well spoken and inviting, and I realized that these were the types of people that I wanted to be around."

CULTURAL PERSPECTIVE Along with knowing he wanted to continue his passion for football, Logan also knew he wanted to study Spanish at Holy Cross. While Spanish was not spoken in his household, Logan attended a Spanish immersion school in Eugene, Ore., where half of the school day was entirely in Spanish. "I was constantly exposed to cultural norms of the Hispanic world and that is why I am so connected to Spanish and Latin American culture. Bilingualism and cross-cultural understanding are as much a part of me as anything else." At Holy Cross, he continues his involvement beyond  the classroom  by participating in cultural nights and various programs run by Caribbean African Student Assemblage (CASA) and Latin American Student Organization (LASO).

ON THE FIELD & IN THE CLASSROOM A safety for the varsity football team, Logan is usually awake and on the field before the campus stirs and is up after his classmates have gone to bed, devoting an average of 35 hours to the sport during the season in addition to his academics. "We work hard as a team every single day. I've experienced a huge learning curve through our wins and losses. You either quit or go all out—it's a character thing. You learn life lessons playing this game." But the effects of football are far-reaching—and crucial to his success at the College, he says. "Being short on time means you must learn how to prioritize and manage your activities and school work."  Logan also credits campus-wide support and a sense of community for his success.  "Everyone is pushing each other; it's an environment where you have all the help you need, where every professor is open to sit down with you. There is an automatic support system, from students to coaches to alumni who come to visit."

BEYOND THE HILL Entering his final year at the College, Logan is starting to think about life after Holy Cross: "I have contemplated everything from teaching English in Spain to sales or marketing." Logan participated in the College's Summer Business Program—a four-week program where students work directly with Holy Cross alumni who are at the top of their business careers to learn about running and launching a business, research/analysis, marketing, and financial accounting—in order to further explore his interest in the business world.  "I'm not sure which doors will be opened but I do know that Holy Cross has prepared me to succeed no matter what I do. The College teaches you more than any one subject. You learn that the greatest skill of a good leader is self-awareness. It helps you find the unique qualities that make you an asset."