At a school like Cabrini, it is very easy to get overwhelmed by the various career options that are available for the student body. For Audra Hollfield, this was the case, as like many young adults, she entered collegiate life with no idea what career path was her best option.
Manufacturing, Banking, Education? Hollfield felt as if she had no direction, and that the career options of Cabrini University were overwhelming.
Seeking guidance, Hollifield sought career advice from former Cabrini professor Dr. Heiberger, who looked into Hollifield’s eyes, and asked “Have you ever thought about working in HR?”
Hollifield describes this encounter as a “life changing” experience, as she had no idea what she wanted to do professionally before this meeting, and she credits Cabrini and this very moment for changing her life.
One thing led to another, and Hollifield found herself in Florida interviewing for a job in the Orlando Magic HR department. Despite being a Sixers fan, Hollifield studied everything there was to know about the Orlando Magic, and got the job.
Today, Hollifield is in her 23rd “season” as they call it with the Orlando Magic and could not be happier.
Another Cabrini University success story comes in the form of Patricia Daily Lewis Esq. Lewis graduated from Cabrini in 1982, as she was by far the oldest guest speaker in attendance.
However, with age comes wisdom, as Lewis’s career path is one that few could dream of.
Lewis served as the Deputy Attorney General for the State of Delaware for over 30 years. During this storied career, Lewis crossed paths with many interesting characters, one of them being Beau Biden.
Biden (Son of United States President Joe Biden) served as the 44th Attorney General of Delaware for 8 years. Lewis served directly under Biden, as she was Deputy Attorney General.
After first meeting Biden in Law school, the pair came up through the ranks of the Delaware legal system together, and reached the pinnacle of their profession in being named Attorney Generals.
Lewis recalls her time working with Biden as wonderful, as she absolutely adored him as a person and everything he stood for. The former Vice President’s son was perceived as someone who genuinely cared about people and would always try and do the right thing, no matter the cost.
As Lewis and Biden continued to work closely together, Lewis became involved with the Beau Biden foundation for Protection of Abused Children.
The Foundation is an extension of Biden’s work as Attorney General as the Foundation has raised money and helped countless children in toxic and abusive family dynamics.
“The Foundation strives to protect people who do not have a voice,” Lewis said, as five children die from being abused each day.
Lewis elaborated that Biden’s Foundation has done a lot to highlight a problem that is not necessarily at the forefront of everyone’s minds.
Biden’s great and charitable work was sadly plagued by constant health problems that Biden suffered from dating back to 1988.
After multiple brain aneurysms and surgeries, Biden was diagnosed with glioblastoma, a common form of brain cancer.
Biden suffered and lived with this condition for many years, and unfortunately succumbed to his disease in 2015 shortly after resigning from Attorney General.
This event, while heartbreaking, left the Biden family with a problem: Who was to run Beau’s Foundation?
Vice President, Joe Biden, made the decision and turned to none other than Cabrini Graduate Patricia Daily Lewis.
Lewis recalls that she was chosen because the Biden family felt that that Daily’s relentless attitude towards protecting children was unrivaled, and her attitude of “Standing up and Speaking out” against child abuse was just what the foundation needed.
The Biden Family informed Lewis that her relationship with Beau meant a lot to them and that there was nobody else Beau would rather have run the foundation than her.
Patricia Daily Lewis Esquire and Audra Hollified both have different, but impressive career paths. However, there is one thing that connects the two for life, and that is being a graduate of Cabrini University.
Hopefully the story of these two impressive women will inspire Cabrini students for generations to come.
