Reflecting on Presidential Success

Milton O’Brien, BS ’25, had one goal coming into Saint Joseph’s University: be a part of change on campus. 

“If I see an issue, I’ve always been the type of person that wants to be involved in finding a solution that will benefit everybody,” he says. 

That opportunity came when O’Brien joined the Student Senate during his first year as a representative of the Haub School of Business. Four years later, he finishes his tenure as the organization’s president with a slew of accomplishments under his belt. 

Ranking among his proudest achievements is the creation of the Council of Presidents, a group of over 90 leaders of student organizations designed to encourage collaboration and communications between all corners of campus. 

The idea first came to O’Brien in his capacity as president of the International Business Society. After low turnout at some of the club’s events, he realized that working together with other clubs could get the word out and bring new ideas to the table. 

“If we collaborated with another club, instead of having maybe two people, we’d have four, and the event would have something new and we’d bring that number up and up,” he explains. 

The council also became a way to quickly disseminate accurate and up-to-date information across the campus community. 

Additionally, O’Brien is proud of his involvement in the development of a financial literacy course — now called Personal Finance — to teach students the basics about handling their finances. 

The class has been running for the last three years. 

“This past semester, we had the most students yet, and even students outside of the business school taking the course,” O’Brien says. “I’m really glad I got to be a part of those conversations that brought about something tangible for all SJU students.” 

His position has also given O’Brien the opportunity to advocate for students on campus-wide committees such as the Strategic Planning and Laudato Si’ Initiative groups. 

“It was a unique experience to be the only student there and to be able to speak up about how we’re serving the students,” O’Brien says. “How can we bring this idea to more students so that they feel they were a part of the conversation.” 

Those around O’Brien in his time as president took notice of his leadership skills. 

“Milton strives to bring out the best of those around him to support their achievement by lifting them up,” says Ross W. Radish, JD, vice president of student life and dean of students. As dean of students, Radish acts as the advisor to the Student Senate. “He also acts with purpose to better the campus community even when it is hard.”

Working with such a variety of stakeholders has prepared the international business and marketing double major for his post-graduation role in sales management at PepsiCo. O’Brien completed an internship with the company in New Orleans, Louisiana, last summer and will move to Baltimore, Maryland, in July for the job. 

“I moved to the United States when I was 15, so working internationally has always been a priority for me and there’s a lot of opportunity there with Pepsi,” O’Brien says. “Everything about my interview there was focused on my leadership and the challenges that came with it at St. Joe’s.” 

O’Brien’s time as a member of the Student Senate affirmed one of the primary reasons he chose Saint Joseph’s: the authentic community. 

“Not many students have the opportunity to interact with the faculty and administration as much as I did, as well as all parts of the student body,” O’Brien says. “When it came to conversations with the administration, I never felt like they were pushing an issue off. I always felt like they wanted to come to a conclusion that would benefit the students.”