By Kristen Egan 

Brett started his day at 6 a.m., but one would never have known by his chipper attitude. Over the past four years, Brett Musialowicz, FCRH ’19, has done it all. Ranging from his role as a research assistant, former resident assistant, member of the Fordham Club, Panhellenic Society and teaching assistant, Brett has lived his Fordham career with no room for regrets.

How does he do it? He does it by saying yes.

“When it comes to looking to be involved, you have to take a proactive approach. For me, I decided the best way to do this is to just say yes. I started saying yes to different things, and it’s a lot easier to get involved and then later decide something isn’t for you. If something’s not for you that’s fair because at Fordham there is so much to do here, realistically you can’t do it all.” Brett believes that if you say yes and give opportunities a shot, things will surprise you. Brett never anticipated doing as many activities as he does now.

Brett said yes to doing research his freshman year, and since then he’s done 10 hours of research a week each year. Calling it the greatest experience he’s done at Fordham, Brett has been a part of projects involving solar cells and working to improve solar energy. The focus of his main project right now is making glucose sensors available and long-lasting in third world countries.

Brett didn’t always know that he wanted to take the pre-med path, but he put his trust into it as he entered college and never had any regrets. He has found ways to explore his other passions, such as business and music, by doing internships and playing the piano in his room. Brett has played the piano since he was four, and started writing his own music during his sophomore year of high school.

Although he is not too big on performing, Brett has played his own music at open mic nights at the Black Box Theater and as an accompaniment for poetry performances. Brett turns to piano as his ultimate stress reliever when life gets too hectic. Brett was also a RA in Martyrs’ Court Jogues. “Without a doubt, it was one of the most rewarding experiences I’ve had at Fordham. When it came time to reapply, I knew that the time commitment might have stopped me from doing the other things I wanted to do with research and clubs.” Brett also values his experience as a TA in multiple classes.

His most fascinating experience was with a continuing studies class, where he got to see the passion and dedication of the students enrolled.

Over winter break, Brett spent two weeks in Cambodia on a medical outreach trip. In Siem Reap, Brett learned how people treat each other outside the clinics. In a moment where a woman whom Brett had just met handed him her child, he saw the importance of their trust-based communal culture. “Everyone was everyone’s parents, and everyone was everyone’s child.”

Throughout his years at Fordham, Brett has learned a lot about the importance of balance. Now, as a second-semester senior, he is finally sitting back and making sure he wraps up his time here well. His goal is absolutely memory- oriented. As proud as he is of his academic accomplishments, he has reached the point where he can put other clubs and passions at a higher priority.

Brett’s mentor throughout his research has been Dr. Koenigsmann. They both embarked on their research journey at Fordham at the same time in 2015, and their relationship took off from there. Dr. Koenigsmann has been able to provide Brett with advice regarding all of his classes, internships and the application process to medical school. Brett still has to hear back from other medical schools. He plans to attend Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School after graduation.

Brett was made for college; he is highly involved and filled with spirit. Hopefully, if you haven’t already met him, you’ll get the pleasure of meeting him before he graduates. One day Brett Musialowicz will be an accomplished pediatric oncologist, and you will have had the honor of saying you knew him when he was just “that kid.”