October 27, 2023
Sean Feldman graduated from CUA in 2021 and has since been residing and working primarily in Washington, D.C. Following his graduation, he embarked on a career as a financial analyst at a commercial real estate firm. Simultaneously, he pursued a master's degree in real estate finance at Georgetown University, with an expected graduation date in December 2023.
Sean shares a close bond with his family, who originally resided in the DC area for over 25 years but later relocated to New Jersey. His father, Paul Feldman, boasts an impressive professional background as a former CEO and board member with an extensive career in the telecommunications and energy sectors. Unfortunately, he retired in early 2020 due to health issues. A year ago, Paul was diagnosed with end-stage liver disease, an incurable condition stemming from an auto-immune disease known as Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC). The prognosis provided a bleak timeline of 1-2 years without a liver transplant. The Feldman family found themselves in an urgent need for a liver transplant, anticipating numerous challenges on the horizon. However, their unwavering faith and collective skills empowered them to face these obstacles head-on and persevere.
Through a combination of positivity and the support of prayers, Sean’s father, Paul, was able to find a donor and underwent a liver transplant not long ago. This significant event had a profound impact on both his family and friends. They relied on their faith and determination to navigate through this challenging journey. In the following Q&A, Sean discusses his personal experience and how he maintained his faith during this difficult period. He also elaborates on how the lessons and skills acquired during his time at CUA and the Busch School of Business have played a vital role in his life.
Q&A
Background on Sean’s father and his diagnosis:
“My father was raised in a family that nurtured his faith. His uncle was a Columban priest and dedicated his life to service and missionary work. The strong faith that was instilled in him made a big impact, one that remains evident today. He is very genuine; he is thoughtful in how he frames his advice and is the first to offer help and counsel to family and friends. He is frequently the man to turn to when you need a pep talk or have a problem to be solved. His advice isn’t always easy to execute, but you can be certain it’s rooted in truth, drawing from decades of hard work and life experience. He has always been spiritual and spent two years in the seminary before embarking on the business world. He credits much of his discipline and work ethic to the teachings he experienced in the seminary. Although he decided on an alternate way of life, my father instilled those same virtues in my siblings and me and used his time in business to help people, always putting values and ethics above all else. It was five years ago that he started to feel sick but could still maintain a relatively normal life until about a year ago when he was diagnosed with end-stage liver disease. This was incurable and was the result of an auto-immune disease called Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC) and was given 1-2 years without a liver transplant. At that point, the search for a liver was on and we knew that there would be challenges ahead but our faith and our skills would help us get through.”
How did your faith help you get through the difficult time of finding your father a donor? What got you through the pain and frustration of this process? What was it like once you found your father a donor?
“I’ve found that it’s far more difficult to trust your faith when you feel like everything’s on the line. When life is nothing but sunshine and roses, it’s easy to stick to your values and believe in the journey. That’s an obstacle I had to overcome and did so with prayer. Above all, having something to believe in, in my case, my Catholic faith and its teachings, gave me the foundation of hope at a time when my family and I needed it most. Hope can bring a glimmer of positivity during dark times. Gratitude. Even if the odds are stacked against you, being thankful for what you have provides tremendous strength. When dealing with adversity, and in this case matters of life and death, keeping a positive attitude is vital, as the opposite does not help anybody. At times, my family and I weren’t sure that he would get a liver in time. We had a couple of people interested in doing a live (partial) liver donation, but each time it fell through. It was our faith that helped us remain positive, believing that when one door closed, another would open, and it did. We went from not knowing if we’d get a donor to the operation commencing all within hours. You also can’t help but have mixed feelings, the donated liver came from a man that had a sudden heart attack. We were simultaneously thankful for a donor and sad for the donor’s family, having experienced a tragic loss. Organ donation is such a selfless act, what better way to give meaning to one’s life than saving another’s life?”
What advice would you give to those enduring similar difficulties? How do you stay determined and hopeful?
“Trust is critical, both in the process and in your faith. Remaining determined and hopeful is not easy, but believing in a better tomorrow helps cure some of the negative emotions that come with hospital visits and the stress of having a sick parent. Also, don’t forget to take care of yourself, physically and emotionally, and look for the joy in your daily life. I found that having a positive attitude helped keep my father stay positive as well.”
How did your faith and the exposure to Catholic Social Teaching in your core business classes at The Busch School of Business help you to build the foundation of faith you have today? What virtues from these teachings do you reconcile with the most through this experience and everyday life?
“One thing I received at the Busch School that many other business schools don’t emphasize is the “human” aspect of the working world. In my industry, it is commonly said “Your reputation is everything.” At CUA, a pronounced emphasis was placed on how to treat others – business is much more than a strong bottom line and the CST at the Busch School taught many of the humanitarian values that are imperative to a successful career. Also, I would emphasize the pursuit of the common good, as we were taught that families are the basic units of society, and without that fundamental fabric, we can become lost. When I think about the principle of ‘respect for the human person’, I admittedly found myself frustrated mainly because finding a liver to save my father was imperative to me. Unfortunately, not everyone I encountered was like-minded. So it was at times disappointing but again, my faith and commitment to continue to do my best remained the priority.”
What do you carry with you the most from your time at CUA? How did this experience shape your life into what it is today?
“Many of my best relationships today were formed in my early years at CUA. Meeting great people with common values is what I carry with me most. The professors always seemed to have a vested interest in student success – whether it was Dean Abela in the Busch School checking in on how things were going or Father Brian who lived in my dorm building Freshman year encouraging my friends and I to always make time for our faith.”
What role do you think Catholic University played in growing your faith?
“The understanding of the relationship between faith, family/friends, and business acquired at CUA has played the largest role in growing my relationship with God, and in general, my faith. Because we can get caught up in the daily push and pull of our careers, my faith ensures that I keep it all in perspective and that I apply what I learned, reflecting on our CST and connecting faith and business, which has served me well.”