Alumnus Ryan Palm is an enthusiastic employee and graduate of Mercyhurst College. He works as the Director of Alumni Relations and Annual Giving, a job that entails connecting with alumni and parents.

After graduating from high school in Ohio, he decided he wanted to stay close to home.

Palm visited various colleges, but Mercyhurst was the one that pulled him in as soon as he entered the 20-foot tall, wrought iron gates.
Contributed photo: Ryan Palm, a 2007 graduate from Mercyhurst was extremely involved in campus activities during his four years here.
He knew, right away, Mercyhurst was the place for him.

The charming atmosphere, great community and endless opportunities of ways to get involved were the main reasons Palm chose Mercyhurst College as his new home.

Everyone has good and bad experiences, but Palm had a never-ending list of amazing experiences, which included: Mercyhurst Student Government (MSG) and being on the board for three years, attending various activities put on by MSG and Student Activities Council, being a resident assistant (RA) for two years and getting to know his residents. He was also involved in The Merciad for three years as the sports editor and was a member of the History and National Security clubs.

Palm studied intelligence, and when he graduated from Mercyhurst, he worked in Washington D.C. for three years where he was an intel analyst for the Department of Defense.

Palm found that D.C. wasn’t for him and he decided to come back to the area he loved – Erie.

As a student he saw himself eventually coming back to Mercyhurst to work, but it happened sooner than later.

When asked why he decided to come back, he said, “I like Erie, and I really love Mercyhurst.”

As a successful graduate of Mercyhurst College, his advice for students is to “get involved and meet new people.

The opportunities to get involved on campus are something that really sets Mercyhurst apart from other colleges. Employer’s love to see more on a resume than just class work, therefore everyone should take advantage of the activities and clubs available and cherish the experiences.”

Palm says that Mercyhurst is “a very warm, engaging community, that does an incredible job educating a person inside and outside the classroom.”