Summer 2012 - Robert Morris University

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STUDENT PROFILE
Besart Stavileci '12
When Besart Stavileci '12 came to RMU, one of the biggest surprises came in
his first 8 a.m. class — homework. When he received that initial assignment,
he looked at his classmates and said, "What is this?!" Stavileci had just
arrived in America from Kosovo, where even his high school teachers didn't
assign homework.
He caught up. Stavileci graduated with a 3.93 GPA in actuarial science, one
of the university's most demanding and selective degree programs — RMU
is one of only 14 Centers of Actuarial Excellence in the United States, as
designated by the Society of Actuaries. He also was elected president of the
Class of 2012, and most recently, he was awarded the Presidential
Transformational Award, the university's highest honor, given to the
graduate who most epitomizes the RMU experience through active and
engaged learning, academic excellence, leadership, and community service.
During his career at RMU, Stavileci was a frequent volunteer at the Office
of Student Civic Engagement. He said the service projects with homeless
people in Washington, D.C., which he did as an alternative spring break
trip, was the most meaningful. "We forget that the homeless
are people too. These men, women, and children want
the same things we want — security, a roof over our
head, food, water, and people who care about us and
talk to us. By working with these people, it changed
my perspective on life."
The former R.A. says he always enjoyed getting to know
so many fellow students. "This campus is like one huge
family, all here for the same purpose," he says. "It's big
enough for students to stay here all the time, yet small
enough to get to know everyone."
WRITTEN BY SARA MEIER '11
PHOTOGRAPHY PROVIDED BY BESART STAVILECI '12