Colin Gallagher, ’20

LinkedIn's Business Leadership Program is a highly competitive 18mo rotational program designed to foster the next generation of LinkedIn executives through mastering a variety of key components of the company. The program has opportunities in their San Francisco, Chicago, and Dublin offices.

I found my current positions along with my other experiences after graduation from SJU via personal research and a variety of indirect connections from SJU or elsewhere that helped me get my foot in the door.

SJU gave me the education necessary to qualify for these positions but also the character and understanding of what is important to me early in my career, such as a company with a supportive and thriving culture. It was an understanding from my well rounded education at SJU, that wherever I plan to work can and should function as something greater than a business and means to an income. Because of this I focused on finding opportunities with companies that cared deeply for their employees and their interests and desires.

While at SJU I was a Student-Athlete on the Men's XC/Track & Field team. Upon graduation I interned at The White House within the Executive Office of the President before starting my graduate degree studies at Clemson University where I obtained my MBA.

Clemson University - MBA Program

While at Clemson University I was a student athlete on the outdoor track and field team due to my remaining eligibility from COVID-19 postponement during my senior year at SJU. While at Clemson the mens XC/Track & Field team was terminated, no longer to be sponsored by the university effective 2021-2022. This was a largely minority demographic team, this decision would cut 3% of the African American student body at Clemson University and 67% of non-revenue generating student athletes at the university, a result we as athletes were not willing to accept.

Taking action immediately, I found myself spearheading the efforts to save the program. My team and I generated millions of social media engagements, fundraised a quarter a million dollars, and eventually filed lawsuit as athletes against the university. This lawsuit finally reached settlement after a 6mo battle, this was the nations first ever successful mens Title IX lawsuit.

My efforts later went on to be recognized for 3rd place in the MBA programs EnterPrize Awards for business startups as I built the company #SaveClemsonXCTF 501(c)(3) non-profit in order to have the ability to file lawsuit against the school without jeopardizing my own NCAA eligibility or my teammates. This company, having now completed its mission, serves as advocated for further change at Clemson University to ensure avenues to higher education for minorities, as well as continued fundraising the the XC/Track & Field program. Due to Title IX and our lawsuit, the school was forced to add a women's lacrosse and gymnastics program. Our efforts saved 55 mens xc/track and field opportunities, largely being minorities, as well as created about 55 more for women with the addition of those two women's programs.

Throughout this process I leaned on my education as a Leadership Ethics major at SJU as well as my Marketing major studies all in all serving as a backbone to my success today.