Celebrating Character, Grit, and Passion

by Audrey Bourque

How did your New Hampshire College education prepare you for your career?

Many of my professors were not your typical academics. They were working and teaching, and brought real world experience to the classroom. More than anything, I remember a professor from a name-brand research institution who was working part time for NHC. During one class, we had a discussion that came right down to: is there a difference between what you teach at either institution – and the answer was ‘no.’ He taught exactly the same at both places. And what I loved about my time at NHC is that my classmates and I were truly interested in learning. Here, the students want to become successful and learn. I got my MBA early, which helped set me up for success throughout my career.

What do you love about your current job?

Well, I currently run several companies: Foxx Life Sciences, which provides engineering services, OEM, and proprietary products to biotech and pharmaceutical companies – and everything is manufactured in New Hampshire; Foxx Enterprises, a real estate business; and LabRatGifts.com, the world’s largest science-themed gift store.

LabRatGifts.com is a lot of fun. People are often afraid of getting into the online retail space because of giants like Amazon and big box stores. But we’re already calling on customers in this space for Foxx Life Sciences, and we have a big warehouse that lets us gain efficiencies in space and shipping. So we have a lot of fun creating gifts that anyone can buy – chemistry kits, engineering kits, shirts, scarves. We even have an outlet store in Salem, NH.

We try to differentiate ourselves from a lot of big companies by creating a really exciting, positive, team-based work environment. For the first nine years of running Foxx Life Sciences, about 70% of our staff was composed of millennial employees, aged 30 and younger. I learned a great deal about motivation, empowerment, dynamic roles, and multitasking – and we really saw the impact on the business. We’ve recently started a mentoring program of sorts, with seasoned professionals guiding our millennial employees in their professional experience. It’s a unique program that bridges gaps in a multigenerational workforce, and we all get to learn a lot.

Why is it important for alumni to contribute to the student experience?

When students get out beyond the classroom to take a tour of a company, or learn how a business is run, faculty can build relationships with employers, facilitating recruiting and hiring. This is an easy way for alumni to contribute, and students will really benefit from this collaboration between companies and the university. For example, I’m now in a position to take on 6-8 interns a year into really cool jobs in a rapidly growing market – and we love to hire our interns. I always tell students to make the most of their education, and make every connection they can.

What advice do you have for SNHU students?

When I look at resumes today, I don’t look for the name of the school. I look for character, for a combination of education and personality. I want a former underachiever who ended up blowing everyone away. Make the most of your education, and take every opportunity you can to build your resume and make connections.