After Amherst

Sean Elliott studies enzymes that act as catalysts for change, and lately he has been living through plenty of change himself. He chairs Boston University’s chemistry department at a hard moment for higher education, while also navigating imperfect health, a newly empty nest, and the question so many of us are asking: when is it time to pivot to a career second act?

We talk about why a good education is inherently useful, no matter the employment outcome, the Amherst professors whose generosity set him on his path, and the trilogy he has written and is figuring out how best to launch into the world.

Sean would love to hear from you. You can reach him at [email protected], or look him up on LinkedIn.

It’s fitting that my 94th classmate conversation is with Suzanne Schindler. That’s because she has brought so many of us together through the years. She orchestrated our 20th, 25th, and 30th reunions, and if you were under the tent and never felt far from the action, that was by design.

Suzanne calls herself a professional worrier: she gets paid to anticipate everything that could go sideways and stop it before it does. Though in retrospect she recognizes having been drawn to events and event planning for much of her life, she didn’t make it her professional calling until the age of 34. We talk about the day she called her shot, why she loves to look behind doors marked “authorized personnel only,” and what she received and hopes to give as a result of her Amherst College education.

Email Suzanne at [email protected].

Rich Kwon was the best man at my wedding, and my kids have called him Uncle Rich their whole lives. Still, this conversation crystalized something I had only sensed all these years: Rich notices details that matter, details that I often don’t even notice.

The kid who studied Calvin and Hobbes panel by panel and applied it to his own doodles became a physician who refines his technique the same way: a relentless focus on the details. He’s also a friend I’ve always felt could read my mood before I said a word. We talk about the Amherst chemistry professors who lit his fire for science, a mentor’s challenge that still guides him, his work catching pancreatic cancer early, and how a commitment to doing things well shapes the way he parents. Plus, we recount two bets he won against me, one of which nearly took him down the morning of graduation.

You can find Rich on LinkedIn or email him at [email protected].

Donnis Glover has never fit neatly into one lane. A researcher at heart with a vivid creative streak, I see her as a polymath. She co-founded the Harlem International Film Festival and built a family of digital platforms that give overlooked stories a place to be seen. She really lights up, though, talking about her four children and her commitment to seeing and nurturing them as whole people, even at an early age.

We talk about how 9/11 reset her life, her decision to be deeply present for her kids, and why late-night conversations with Amherst College classmates who saw the world differently shaped her as much as any class.

Get in touch with Donnis at [email protected], visit https://donnisglover.com/, and explore her platforms: OnyxTee, DopaVee, The Onyx Circle, and Taalo.

Jordan Edelstein’s resume reads like several different careers: video games, blockchain, and now fractional leadership. Curiosity and the confidence to take on something new unites it all. When the learning curve flattens, Jordan knows it’s time to look for the next thing to tackle, and he traces that instinct straight back to Amherst. We talk about how he knows when it’s time for a change, how he talks his way into jobs in industries he’s never worked in, and a senior-year dinner conversation with Dean Ron Rosbottom that solidified his appreciation of the liberal arts, even if it took a couple of years to sink in.

Itamar Har-Even admits he was a late bloomer, but boy has he had a remarkable run. Like so many of us, he’s had a winding path, post-Amherst College. It ran through Hollywood, then film school, the first internet boom, Wall Street, and a company he built and sold to Alibaba founder Jack Ma. Now co-CEO of global investment firm Ion Pacific, he recognizes his success benefited a lot from timing and tailwinds, specifically globalization. We talk about the discipline he learned making films, the enormous value he places on thoughtfulness, toughness, and resilience, why he has grown wary of hiring graduates from elite American schools, and the documentary he longs to make in honor of a classmate and dear friend.

You can get in touch with Itamar via LinkedIn.

Leo Bernstein arrived at Amherst with a fear of failure that shaped his academic choices and early career. A layoff at the age of 40, however, forced him to reset. He made a big bet on himself, starting a commercial real estate business that invested in properties the market had overlooked or undervalued. He then founded LineSlip, a software-as-a-service (SaaS) platform born from his frustration with the opaque world of commercial insurance. In the process, he learned to see risk not as something to avoid, but as a necessary ingredient for growth and resilience.

We also talk about Networking as a Skill, the workshop he created with our classmate Rob Bernstein to help younger people build stronger professional connections, and the rooftop apiary he built with his son, a project that’s become a surprisingly rich source of metaphor and reflection.

Contact Leo at [email protected].

Greg Grunberg’s story is a study in self‑determination.

From Amherst College onward, he’s developed what I call a quiet rebel streak that I admire. He possesses an instinct to question rules and identify paths that might not be apparent to most of us.

Greg talks about discovering academic and personal freedom at Amherst, rejecting academic and career options he could have pursued but that didn’t feel right, and building an unconventional career defined by a willingness to change course when the moment demands it.

He also shares how his family history and Jewish faith shape the way he moves through the world, grounding him, guiding him, and giving his children a sense of connection to a past defined by overcoming persecution and not just surviving, but thriving.

Suzette Duncan is a study in resilience and purpose. She graduated from Amherst College and entered a PhD program. But 9/11 happened, and the things she wanted to talk about among her peers and instructors weren’t welcome, so she left the program to teach. She was really good at teaching, too, helping young people see themselves more fully.

In 2018, everything changed. A cascade of health crises forced her to step away from her career. What followed were years of uncertainty, discomfort, and rebuilding her health. Only recently has she reached a place where she can imagine working again.

Today, Suzette is figuring out what’s next. She’s tutoring, making art, writing, hosting a radio show, and considering an after‑school program that blends creativity with community. She reminds me that reinvention is possible at any age, and that the experiences we would never choose for ourselves can throw off unexpected silver linings.

Look up her radio show on KFJC.org under her alias, S.A.D. Cat.

Geoff Swift — California‑born, New England‑made, and now the vice president for finance and administration, as well as treasurer at Bates College — reflects on a life shaped by small institutions and the enduring value of the liberal arts. He traces his path from Amherst as an econ major to economic consulting, Harvard Business School, and ultimately a two‑decade career in higher education, where he now spends every day advocating for the kind of intimate, residential learning that shaped him back in the day.

He talks candidly about the business realities of higher ed, the rising anxiety around ROI considerations, and why he believes the core experience at places like Amherst and Bates, including small classes, close faculty relationships, and rigorous thinking, is more essential than ever.