Northwood Siblings

Alex ’04

Brad ’05

Max ’07 Northwood Siblings: The Hardens

BY STEVE REED

For years, our campus community has been blessed by families who have sent multiple siblings to Northwood. In my first years back in the 70s, the McGreevy family had five siblings in attendance in the same school year. This is the first of a series of articles about Northwood siblings who have found success in a variety of fields after college. Three Hardens from McConnellsville, N.Y., of Harden furniture fame, graduated from Northwood between 2004 and 2007. All were terrific athletes (skiing and soccer) and attended college in the Northeast to be near the mountains. Each responded to a series of questions about their current lives and the paths that led them there.

Alex Harden ’04

(Colgate ’08) is a Ph.D. candidate in Geography focusing on how climate variability and long-term change interact with climate culture to affect the lived experience of glacio-hydrological change in the South American Altiplano.

What led you to choose the field you have entered?

I have always been interested in climate science. Before I started grad school, I found a 5th-grade essay titled “My future as an Atmospheric Scientist” while packing. My biggest concerns about this future career were that the weather didn’t stop for Christmas, and it didn’t stop for weekends. (Joke was on me, most jobs don’t stop for Christmas or weekends, so you might as well love what you do!)

What is the most interesting aspect of your work/study?

I think one of the most interesting aspects of my work right now has been climate modeling. It’s incredible to see how these simulations can change over space and time, especially in mountain systems.

How well did your college serve you in preparation for your career?

Colgate gave me a well-rounded education, which helped me develop a skillset and see the value in looking at climate as more than just a physical science and research it using an intersectional approach.

What advice do you have for Northwood students relative to choosing a college and career?

There can often be a lot of pressure around choosing the right college and the right career, so I think it’s important to focus on things that you really love. I would also encourage students to chat with Northwood faculty and alumni about their experiences. Having a support system to help navigate these choices can be incredibly helpful. On the flip side, if you have no idea what you want to do, try not to stress! Attempt to narrow down possible options and know that nothing is permanent.

Allow yourself to be malleable and find what sticks. The greatest gift you can give yourself is an open mind and curiosity.”

—MAX HARDEN ’07

Brad Harden ’05

(Saint Michael’s ’10) is a portfolio analyst with Goldman Sachs, managing a number of institutional fixed income investment strategies for large institutions and Fortune 500 companies. As an analyst, he works toward capital preservation with a focus on liquidity and moderate yield.

What led you to choose the field you have entered?

I can’t point to anything specifically, but I’ve always had a general interest in financial markets. I gravitated more towards mathematics/statistics/economics in school as it came a bit more naturally for me and seemed like a good utilization of my talents post college. I’m sure Reno and Howard Runyon would agree that a career in writing was not in my future...

What is the most interesting aspect of your work/study?

Goldman Sachs has a knack for attracting a diverse group of talent — so it’s nice working with some very bright people from various backgrounds. I personally enjoy being able to work for a competitive firm while having the opportunity to live in and enjoy Vermont.

How well did your college serve you in preparation for your career?

I would say college prepared me decently well. I majored in business and economics at Saint Michael’s College. I think a liberal arts education provides a great foundation, especially for those who haven’t settled on a particular career path. I knew I wanted to be in business or finance but was unsure in what capacity.

What advice do you have for Northwood students relative to choosing a college and career?

My advice for Northwood students is to set short term goals for yourself. A lot of people, when they think about career goals, they think about the final product. Realistically, your career will have all sorts of twists and turns, so it makes more sense to set goals for near term and reevaluate every couple of years.

Max Harden ’07

(Saint Michael’s ’11) works in architecture, furniture and interior design and has partnered with another Northwood alum to launch a hospitality business on the side.

What led you to choose the field you have entered?

Taking photography during my time at Northwood really sparked my love for the arts and working on creative projects. Afterward, I naturally gravitated toward art history and studio art classes, taking as many drawing and painting courses as I could while studying business and accounting as my major in college. I remember learning about architects like Le Corbusier and Charles and Ray Eames in an art history class and knew it was something I needed to explore.

What is the most interesting aspect of your work/study?

Architecture and design is an incredibly expansive field. Over the past ten years I’ve been lucky to work on a diverse number of projects ranging from small scale art installations to public programming in Barcelona and philanthropic urban design work in Rio de Janeiro. The design profession allows me to work all over the globe no matter where I’m living at the moment. I’ve also had the opportunity to design and start Camp Toasted, an experiment in hospitality with another alum, Emily Simmons ’08. There truly is never a dull moment!

How well did your college serve you in preparation for your career?

College served me incredibly well in multiple respects. The technical design skills I learned have allowed me to cross pollinate between architecture, furniture design and even graphic design. I use the same programs and knowledge to design homes as I would to design a chair and even illustrations of skiing marshmallows for Camp Toasted.

What advice do you have for Northwood students relative to choosing a college and career?

I would tell Northwood students to explore and have fun with it! Take art classes even if you don’t think of yourself as an artist or creative. Allow yourself to be malleable and find what sticks. The greatest gift you can give yourself is an open mind and curiosity.

These siblings have had the great good fortune to enter fields for which they have real passion and talent. They represent well the breadth and depth of the experiences of our alums. The next installments in this series will feature different but equally rewarding careers.