From Engaged Student to Student Engagement Leader: Amber LaJeunesse Silverberg ‘06
Amber LaJeunesse Silverberg ‘06 was greatly impacted by her college experience at Arcadia University. So much so that she has been working in higher education almost two decades later. Her time in Glenside was spent being involved in her studies, extracurricular activities, and friendships that she’s continued into her adulthood. She was class president, co-created a club on campus, met one of her best friends, found her mentors through connecting with faculty and staff, and traveled abroad. Amber credits Arcadia for the formation of her sense of community and self.
The campus had drawn her in, but the compassion across campus was what got her to stay. During orientation, she remembers thinking, “These are my people.” A friend and she had co-founded the Knight Club, a dance club, during their freshman year. The organization started with 30 members and had more than 100 by the time both founders graduated. Amber recalls the process of creating a club on campus, “When I was first touring the University, I had asked if there was a dance team, and the tour guide told me, ‘No, but you can just create it!’ We took it very seriously. I remember rewriting the bylaws six times before it got approved.” She continued on to say, “I was having the time of my life, eyes wide open. I felt like ‘this is where I want to be’. Everything I wanted to do, I found a way, and found so much support from the staff at Arcadia to create and explore. They were encouraging and provided great resources.”
The Knight Club at Arcadia became Amber’s passion for the next four years. She recalls coming back from studying abroad in the fall semester of her junior year to having a new stage and theater set-up in Stiteler Auditorium. Due to the success of the club, and how much it was growing in popularity, administration had pushed the institution to reward the group and support the growth of dance on campus. Throughout her time at the University, Amber credits Dr. Janet Walbert and the rest of Arcadia’s Student Affairs team for the impact they had on her and her classmates. Amber and her fellow club members were excited to see their commitment fuel others on campus, thus expanding the dance community. Every five years, the Knight Club holds an alumni reunion show, with exception for the year 2023. In early March 2024, a few members will be getting together to celebrate a fellow alumna’s 40th birthday.
In addition to extracurriculars, Studying Abroad is something Amber refers to as “the most life-shaping experience.” She lived in and explored Athens, Greece, appreciating it for its beauty, people, food, culture, and challenges, too. She is able to relive some of her abroad experiences with her cousin’s daughter, who is a Junior at Arcadia and studying abroad in London. Briella Kish ‘25 already had her sights set on traveling abroad, but the first-hand referral only helped excite her further.
Dave Paone ‘04 was one of Amber’s best friends during her time at Arcadia. They both went on to serve as Recent Graduate Trustees for the University post-graduation. Amber met her husband Steve outside of Arcadia’s campus – Dave has known Steve since high school and introduced the now-couple. Her and Steve’s honeymoon was spent in Athens. She toured him around the city-center where she attended classes and lived. The opportunity to show her partner the place that helped form her into the person she is today was truly an unforgettable experience for Amber.
Continuing her education, she earned her Doctorate in Higher Education Leadership in 2017 from Widener University. Her goal has been to impact the world in a positive way. Whether that’s through coaching and mentoring a college student transitioning into the real-world, a professional adjusting to a new role, or an organization going through transitional changes, she wants to give people the opportunities she was generously rewarded by her own mentors.
She began her career as the Resident Life Coordinator at Widener and then landed at Cabrini University for 13 years, eventually serving as the Director of the Center for Student Engagement and Leadership. While at Cabrini, she additionally served as the Faculty Director for a learning community consisting of the incoming first-year commuter students. Through her newly founded business, Dr. L’s Pep Talks, she now focuses on mentoring professionals and organizations through teaching soft-skills like confidence, communication, public speaking, and leadership training.
Her time spent at Arcadia allowed her to benefit from the cohesive atmosphere and individualized attention through small class sizes and guidance sessions. Amber strives to deliver one-on-one or small group coaching to allow individuals to shine through their strengths to be the best version of themselves. Arcadia gave that to Amber, and now she hopes to continue to share her skills with others. She continues to support her alma mater through generous donations to: The Fund for Arcadia, Knights for Nutrition, Black Alumni Association Preview Travel Support Fund, and Reunion Giving.
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