Editor’s note: In this edition, The Daily Orange writes a series throughout its sections about people who embody Syracuse, the university and the community surrounding it.

Sean Haley seems to be everywhere.

You might have taken an upper-level biology course with him. You might have played ball with him at Archbold Gymnasium. You might have attended one of his speeches. You might have seen him teeing off at Drumlins. You might have met him at a University 100, Young Life or Fellowship of Christian Athletes event.

You might have seen him giving a tour of Syracuse University’s campus to members of British Parliament. You might have seen him shaking former SU quarterback Don McPherson’s hand in the Carrier Dome at halftime during Homecoming 2009. You might have seen him rubbing elbows with ‘Today” co-host Meredith Viera. You might have seen him stepping out of actor Frank Langella’s limousine at the Dome.

You have probably seen Sean Haley at one time or another.

“So much of what I’ve done at the university is trying to portray what Syracuse is all about,” said Haley, a senior biology major.

Haley grew up in the Syracuse area and was a self-described “huge nerd” and “big athlete” in high school, where he took Advanced Placement classes and was the captain of the soccer and basketball teams. He did not attend SU from the beginning of his college career, however, even though his “whole family has essentially gone to SU” — his mother, some of her siblings, her parents and a few of his cousins. And his sister Mary, 18, attends “that other school in Syracuse,” Le Moyne College.

“I’m the first guy in my family to go to SU and not be an All-American Lacrosse player,” he said.

Haley transferred to SU midway through his freshman year at Providence College in Rhode Island. The transfer process was an easy adjustment, he said, because he did it with one of his best childhood friends — Jason Renock, a senior in the Martin J. Whitman School of Management.

“Looking back on it, it’s probably the best decision I’ve made, definitely in the past four years,” Haley said.

Haley didn’t have a set plan coming to SU and “was not that involved freshman year,” though he attended meetings of the Pre-Health Society, an organization open to students interested in a health-related career, to get acquainted with students in his major.

But the summer before his sophomore year, he became a tour guide for the Office of Admissions. The following semester he was chosen for University 100, a student volunteer group, and got involved with Alumni Relations, the office responsible for keeping past graduates informed about SU.

Haley said he takes opportunities as they come.

“I think it’s kind of in me to be really involved and to keep doing that and to keep putting myself out there,” he said. “I love the chances to talk to people and hear about their stories.”

Haley is now director of U100’s leadership team, which includes training new members, organizing panel discussions and giving presentations for the Alumni Office and Office of Admissions.

Haley first met Daniel Klamm, the outreach and marketing coordinator for the Center for Career Services, in May 2007 as a fellow tour guide. Klamm was heading into his senior year while Haley was entering his sophomore. The two have remained friends since, Klamm said.

“It’s all about relationships,” Haley said. “Syracuse University is really good at formulating those sort of opportunities for you.”

Klamm said he could see Haley one day making a major medical discovery, ascending into a leadership position at a hospital or starting a health-oriented organization to help an ailing group of people.

“Sean is a genuinely nice person, and he’ll go out of his way to help others,” Klamm said. “He spends an extraordinary amount of time helping other people in need.”

Haley said the bond he had with Renock, his best friend who transferred with him, led him to take on what he sees as his capstone achievement at SU. Renock’s parents asked him to start the Fellowship of Christian Athletes, an organization meant to provide opportunities for athletes and fans to see how faith can play a role in their lives, while also providing non-Christians a welcoming place to learn more about Christianity and God. He gives an anecdote from his life at most Thursday night meetings that relates to some aspect of the Christian faith.

With all of his extracurricular activities, Haley uses golf as an escape. When Haley has trouble finding time for himself, he makes his way over to Drumlins to get away from the demands of schoolwork and extracurricular activities for a while.

“When I’m on the golf course, nobody can touch me,” he said. “It’s me and this little white ball.”

It’s a time to reflect, not only on his achievements, but on what he sees as his faults. Despite the external confidence and togetherness he’s able to portray, he said, he is very critical of himself and struggles to accept anything short of perfection. Haley said he is one of the most pensive people you’ll ever meet and that his mind is constantly racing. Though he may be involved in different things, each activity, he said, is interconnected.

“All of that is connected in my mind through different people and through different experiences,” he said. “So I think that’s one of the nicest parts that SU has to offer — the freedom to do anything and everything, no matter what your major is.”

Despite Haley’s accomplishments, he has faced disappointments. He’s been denied positions at other SU organizations, fellowships, internships and jobs. But he’s not upset about it. Every failure leads to a new opportunity, he said, and there is no reason to dwell on what he’s missed.

“I kind of get in bed some nights and am like, ‘How is that the day I just had? Like, where is all of this coming from?’” he said.

Courtney Jones, a program coordinator in the Office of Student Life, met Haley when he interviewed in fall 2009 for Homecoming Court. Jones said he seemed very honest and genuine, and she could tell he would be a good court member.

Haley had once come to see Jones in her office to tell her that he and his golf partner qualified to go to a national tournament in Las Vegas.

“He was clearly proud of himself and his partner and was really excited, but in the ‘Sean Haley’ way of being calm and modest about it at the same time,” Jones said.

Haley ended up getting that spot for Homecoming, which gave him the chance for what he said was his best experience at SU.

Frank Langella (‘Frost/Nixon,’ ‘Dracula’), a 1959 SU alumnus, was in town during Homecoming Weekend to speak at Syracuse Stage with broadcast journalist Ted Koppel, Class of 1960. Langella and Haley began talking after the event, and Haley soon found himself in a limousine with Langella, eating cheese and telling jokes. They soon reached one of the security booths to get back on campus. The guard didn’t believe it was actually Langella in the limousine — “Uh-huh, yeah right, Dracula, I believe you,” he said.

Langella rolled back the sunroof and stood up: “How’s it going, dude?”

Langella wanted to go out to dinner and hang out, but Haley needed to get back for the Homecoming proceedings at the Dome.

“I got it,” Langella said. “We’ll take the limo and drop you off in front of the parade.”

Before they parted ways, Langella looked up at Haley with tears in his eyes and spoke: “Thank you so much. You have no idea how much this place means to me, and to see how much it means to you as well makes all this worthwhile for me to come back and do all of this.”

Langella gave him a hug. “Never stop, and don’t let anybody ever tell you you can’t do something.”

 

Published on April 12, 2010 at 12:00 pm