Contents
12
STARTUP 101 BY PHILIP JONES
A passion for entrepreurship has taken Mital Patel L’09 beyond his law practice in Raleigh, N.C., to conference rooms around the world—including the White House.
14
HISTORY REVEALED
Professor Emeritus of History and University Historian George Troxler shares a sneak preview of From a Grove of Oaks: The Story of Elon University, a new book detailing the university’s history.
Cover Story
18
INVISIBLE ENEMY
BY ROSELEE PAPANDREA
I AM ELON BY KIM WALKER Jason Waterman ‘15 still remembers the Jason was introduced to new cultures at an youth soccer camp coach who told him he would early age. When he was in fifth grade, his family never succeed in the sport. Fast-forward to last fall, adopted Patrick, an orphaned boy from Uganda. when the striker on the Elon men’s soccer team The two became fast friends, despite the language received many academic and athletic accolades— barrier. “We started playing soccer together and including leading the team in points and being quickly formed a special relationship without named an Academic All-American—and it’s having words,” he says. clear challenges translate into motivation for the Rounding out his diverse interests is a lifelong accomplished athlete. love: soccer. The only unrecruited walk-on on That’s why the communication science major Elon’s squad, Jason and his teammates had a seeks challenges in all realms of his life. He opted stellar 2013 season. The team won its third straight to study abroad in India in 2013, for instance, Southern Conference Tournament title, with Jason because he wanted to go to the place most unlike scoring the game-winning goal. He later scored his home country. The mayhem of India, in direct the penalty kick that won them the first round of opposition to his preference for meticulous the NCAA Tournament. “I’ve been watching NCAA planning, taught him a new perspective. “I learned games since I was 4,” he says. “To stand on that that I can just relax a little and things will work field and realize there were kids watching me just themselves out,” he says. like I did so many years ago, it was just surreal.” He is also one of 11 students participating in Elon’s Executive Intern Program, which allows him Jason is Elon. Visit elon.edu/magazine to see to work with senior administrators. “Not many more of Jason’s story, part of our “I Am Elon” students get to see this perspective, and it’s been multimedia series featuring Elon students in their fascinating to learn about what people like Smith Jackson do on a daily basis,” he says. own words.
As interest in concussions has increased nationally, a partnership between academics and athletics at Elon has led to an interdisciplinary program focused on concussion assessment, research and safer return-to-play decisions.
23
A NEW ALUMNI EXPERIENCE
BY KEREN RIVAS ‘04
The opening of Elon’s Martin Alumni Center in the heart of campus is one of many efforts by the Office of Alumni Engagment to help alumni stay connected with their alma mater.
2 Under the Oaks 10 Phoenix Sports 26 Alumni Action 30 Class Notes 39 Making a Difference