Students (and Tulips) Blossom with Bloomberg

Throughout Commencement Weekend, students, parents, families and friends posed with blooming tulips along the pathways leading to the Hall of Languages. What they may not have known was the beautiful backdrop was the result of a philanthropic and recruitment effort led by Bloomberg.

Bloomberg recent hires present a check to the executive director of the Ronald McDonald House. From left to right: Logan Margolis ’17, Ryan Dudash ’17, Beth Trunfio (executive director of CNY Ronald McDonald House), Jean Degraphe ’17, and Elizabeth Casserino ’17. (Photo by Kathryn Terasaka ’20)

With efforts led by Joe DeMartino, a 2000 Syracuse University graduate and analytics manager at Bloomberg, the Bloomberg recruiting team sought to bring an element of their company culture—a strong commitment to philanthropy—to Syracuse University.

“I was looking for a way to demonstrate to students some things that make Bloomberg a special place to work. Philanthropy and giving back is part of the Bloomberg culture and I wanted to bring that to SU,” says DeMartino.

And so, in October, seven Syracuse University alumni who work at Bloomberg, including DeMartino, returned to campus to plant tulip bulbs as a philanthropy project during Bloomberg Giveback Day. Together with 30 current students, the group planted 1,500 bulbs, with support, design and coordination by Physical Plant. For each tulip planted, Bloomberg Philanthropies donated $1 to the Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central New York.

After all their hard work, the Bloomberg team and students enjoyed pizza in Bird Library and had an opportunity to network, learn more about Bloomberg and share their student experiences.

“The generosity of Bloomberg Philanthropies, the continuous support from Bloomberg and the alumni commitment to mentoring our current students serves as a model for building a well-known and respected brand on campus. Bloomberg continues to go above and beyond in their involvement, ranging from traditional on-campus recruiting functions like career fairs, to New York City immersion site visits, to alumni networking events. We are grateful for their partnership in helping our students develop in their careers,” says Susan Call, associate director of employer relations in Syracuse University Career Services.

For more information, visit Bloomberg Philanthropy and Engagement and Bloomberg Careers.