Playwright/Director
Name: Mark Saylor
Hometown: Northampton, Pa.
Education: Seton Hall University, BS in Business Administration, Class of 2008
Plan A: Marketing
Plan B: Directing his own play
At the end of college, it was looking pretty bright. I had a job with Linens 'n Things and was excited for what seemed to be a promising career at an international company with a household name, so it was a little bit of a blow when the company went defunct. I moved back home for a few months and worked for a bank, but I was getting worried about how to pay my bills. I found a job back at Seton Hall University, my alma mater, as an administrative assistant for one of the deans in the business school.
This new position has worked out well for me, even though it's not something I want to do long-term. I'm starting work on a part-time MBA at Seton Hall later this month. And since I'm considered a student at Seton Hall now, this position has given me permission to pursue one of my greatest passions: theater. I submitted a play to an on-campus group and it was accepted, so I'm directing it in December.
I'm very excited that I can work a full-time job, work on my degree, and pursue my passion. This job has let me keep as many opportunities open as possible; I'm grateful that these doors into theater, that I thought had closed upon graduation, are now open again. If Linens 'n Things had survived the recession, I wouldn't have been able to balance all three. It's weird to think of it this way, but the company closing was a phenomenal opportunity for me.
