{"id":137,"date":"2019-07-17T18:17:54","date_gmt":"2019-07-17T18:17:54","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wcsu.wpengine.com\/news-archives\/alliefreitas\/"},"modified":"2019-07-17T18:17:54","modified_gmt":"2019-07-17T18:17:54","slug":"alliefreitas","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.wcsu.edu\/news-archives\/alliefreitas\/","title":{"rendered":"2013 Allie Freitas"},"content":{"rendered":"
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After earning a marketing<\/a> degree from Western\u2019s Ancell School of Business<\/a>, Allie Freitas had her pick of Fortune 500 positions. But instead of climbing the corporate ladder, the 23-year-old New Fairfield native opted to spend her days helping people who cope with rare disease.<\/p>\n

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When she graduated from WCSU<\/a> in May 2011, Freitas accepted a position as the online communities coordinator for the National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) and works uniting people who share common illnesses.<\/p>\n

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\u201cI am inspired by people. It\u2019s that human interaction in seeing the effect you can have on someone else,\u201d Freitas said. \u201cI never thought I\u2019d be working for a nonprofit. While it has brought an incredible opportunity to network and travel and work with Fortune 500 companies, it\u2019s that personal satisfaction of helping someone and doing good for someone who is severely affected.\u201d<\/p>\n

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NORD, a grassroots organization started in 1983 in New Fairfield, has three offices \u2014 Washington, D.C., Boston and Danbury \u2014 with some 40 employees. Freitas\u2019 role includes managing online global online communities for patients and running patient networking meetings for pharmaceutical companies. Part of her job also includes international travel; she has been to Ireland, Spain and France to partake in a global partnership with a similar European organization. \u201cI work directly with rare disease patients, providing them with resources on their disease and being a rare disease advocate.\u201d<\/p>\n

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One of Freitas\u2019s most gratifying moments came from a patient who developed a rare blood cancer; he was a first responder at the World Trade Center on 9\/11. Through the organization\u2019s online efforts, the first responder met three other first responders with the same illness. Freitas said they were able to share a common bond and reach out to each other.<\/p>\n

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\u201cThe networking facilitates conversations between people and it gives them hope,\u201d Freitas said.

\n Freitas chose to transfer to Western from a larger university because it was closer to home and to better job opportunities. She was pleased not only with the small classes, but with the caliber of courses offered at the Ancell School.<\/p>\n

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It was the intimate class setting that allowed Freitas to interact with her professors, something that wasn\u2019t possible at a larger university. The exposure to the corporate environment through her courses also instilled a sense of confidence and gave her the skills she needed to make presentations, communicate effectively and work closely with clients.<\/p>\n

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The daughter of former Western students Antonio and Sharon Freitas, she commuted to classes from her parents\u2019 home in New Fairfield. \u201cI never regretted leaving a larger institution to come to a university in my community,\u201d Freitas said. \u201cI really polished my corporate skills during my time at Western.”<\/p>\n

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Western Connecticut State University offers outstanding faculty in a range of quality academic programs. Our diverse university community provides students an enriching and supportive environment that takes advantage of the unique cultural offerings of Western Connecticut and New York. Our vision: To be an affordable public university with the characteristics of New England\u2019s best small private universities.
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