By Erin Shanahan 

“I came here and I made it my goal to get as involved as possible,” said Maxwell Lynch, GSB ’19. And in just over one semester here, Max Lynch has certainly gotten “involved,” to say the least. This outgoing and passionate freshman is on his way to becoming an incredibly influential leader here at Fordham.

You can find Max all over campus organizing RHA events for Queen’s Court, studying sustainable business and finance in Hughes Hall or working with Compass Fellowship and the Fordham Social Innovation Collaboratory around campus. Max’s passion and excitement for his education, extracurriculars and goals speaks volumes about his character and future here.

Max was inspired to attend Fordham University by his older brother, Tim Lynch, GSB’13. His brother’s positive experience here at Fordham encouraged Max to apply. In addition, Max really appreciates the Jesuit values of the university.

Max studies applied accounting and finance in the Gabelli School of Business. In addition, Max plans to minor in sustainable business. “I really like math and working with money,” he said. “However, I’m really passionate about combining business with purpose and I’d like to work in a field that combines those things.” It is this passion that has inspired Max to minor in sustainable business.

Max’s love for sustainability stems from his upbringing in Saratoga Springs, NY. This picturesque upstate New York city, located in the southern region of the Adirondack Mountains, is known to be a hotspot for outdoors enthusiasts. Growing up in this environment, Max has developed a deep appreciation for nature and the environment.

“I’ve been skiing and hiking since I was four years old, so I really grew to appreciate the mountains and the land that surrounded me. When I was younger, my family and I hiked the 46 high peaks and we spent a lot of time at Saratoga Lake. My appreciation for nature and the environment was really instilled in me as a kid,” Max said. “Now, I want to take care of the environment and find opportunities where I can incorporate both sustainability and business.”

With this goal in mind, Max came to Fordham with the hopes of pursuing his passions for sustainability, learning how to make it in the business world and developing his leadership abilities. As a result, Max ran for Resident Hall Association president of Queen’s Court and won.

Recently, he was accepted to Compass Fellowship, the social entrepreneurship group on campus. Max is also a member of the Fordham Social Innovation Collaboratory, a network that combines students and faculty with social innovation opportunities on campus. Finally, Max is a part of the Fordham University Emerging Leaders (F.U.E.L.) program.

Leadership weekend was a highlight for Max during his freshman year. “That weekend I got to meet and be close with some of the amazing leaders here at Fordham,” Max said. “It was so nice to meet and learn from such amazing people who make a difference here.”

Besides hoping to pursue his passion for leadership, sustainable business and environmentalism, Max has another goal for his future. “Eventually, I really want to be an excellent father who does something meaningful and purposeful for the world,” Max said.

In his free time, (which is very limited) Max likes to work out, hike, row and ski. Max is also a music enthusiast. He especially likes electronic music and recently saw the artist Kygo live.

Before he realized his passion for sustainable business, Max actually dreamt of being in the circus. As a result, he has several hidden talents. Max learned how to ride a unicycle, juggle and slack-line with the hopes of being a performer. Unfortunately however, or maybe fortunately, those dreams never came true for Max.

“I now use what I have learned about balance from those skills as a metaphor for life,” Max said. “I always strive to have balance in all aspects of my life, in a way that I don’t think I would have if I never had those circus dreams.” So if you ever see a guy unicycling around campus late at night, according to Max, it’s probably him.

Next year, Max has been awarded the position of Assistant to Fordham Sustainability Coordinator, Carey Weiss, for the Fordham Social Innovation Collaboratory. In addition, he has many other plans and goals for the coming years.

“I’m looking forward to promoting social innovation on our campus here in my future time at Fordham,” Max said, “I think a lot of other people here on campus are interested in social innovation as well and I’m looking forward to helping them get involved and providing them with opportunities.”