ohamed Sidibay ’21 still remembers the first time he took a hot shower. He remembers the first time he had a bed to himself. And he will never forget the first time he ate at an all-you-can eat school cafeteria in his adoptive home of Maplewood, New Jersey.

“I filled my plate with enough rice to feed an entire continent,” Sidibay recalls. “I felt like I was eating not just for that moment, but for the time since I was 5 years old and for the rest of life that awaited me. My objective was to eat for the past, the present, and the future in that one sitting.”

There is a reason Sidibay remembers all these firsts, which most 28-year-olds would take for granted: Until the age of 14, his days were characterized by uncertainty over where he would sleep, if and what he would eat, if he would receive a quality education, and, most important, whether he would live or die.

Thinking further, it hit her: There were few female action figures on the market, particularly figures that felt right for kids. “It was impossible to purchase a female action figure—including Catwoman and Batgirl—that wasn’t hypersexualized: Boobs were often bigger than waists; legs were impossibly long relative to bodies,” she says. “And their rear ends were as wide as the Grand Canyon! These were not appropriate toys to put in the hands of a child—because they weren’t being designed for them!” In fact, Kerwin notes that men make up the vast majority of comic book readers and buyers of collectibles, and they gobble up action figures just like kids do.

Reflecting on how she could come up with something that was actually meant for girls, “I realized that it wasn’t about superheroes; it was about superpowers,” says Kerwin. By superpowers, she meant the traditional kind, like superhuman strength or x-ray vision. But she was also thinking of more meaningful character traits, including bravery, ingenuity, creativity, industry, and persistence, to name a few. And thus her idea was born: to create a new, better line of action figures—which she dubbed IAmElemental—to help inspire a new generation of girls.

Grissel Seijo ’06 has dedicated her career to making the workplace more diverse and inclusive. Heartened by the national awakening around racial justice, she is cautiously optimistic about the future.

But some three decades ago, amid the usual flurry of outlines, case briefs, and practice tests came an unusual request that would help set in motion a profound shift at Fordham Law.

“Please help me make sandwiches at the soup kitchen across the street,” asked a young law student.

With finals looming, the request was met with shock and hesitation. Yet that student persisted and managed to convince a group of volunteers to leave the library, head over to the Church of St. Paul the Apostle, and prepare food at the soup kitchen.

Unbeknownst to him, with that bid for volunteers, Tom Suozzi ’89 helped unleash a wave of student interest in public service at Fordham Law, laying the groundwork for student-run social justice initiatives that would become a model for law schools around the nation.

Brian Seymour (co-chair of Gunster’s real property practice group): I actually didn’t get selected for one of those interview slots. Gunster was looking for students who had a connection with Florida, and I didn’t have that on my C.V. But I happened to be in the career planning office that day, killing some time. I was in the middle of moving from an apartment in Brooklyn to one in Manhattan, to be closer to Fordham. Everything I owned was packed up in boxes, including my suits. So I was wearing a pair of shorts, I hadn’t shaved in five days, I don’t even know if I had showered, but I was there and I happened to get into a conversation with Kathleen Brady, who was Dean of Career Services, about jobs and locations.

MM: I think he was also wearing flip-flops.

Addressing the graduates as they gathered in front of Keating Hall, Dean Matthew Diller could not suppress his excitement. “I have to say on my own behalf, I am so excited to see each and every one of you here today. You look fantastic,” said Diller. “It’s extra special to be able to gather today under these circumstances to celebrate your achievements and your accomplishments.”