January 25, 2005 Joseph Scarpitti '80, speaker Senior Vice President American Funds, Cleveland, Ohio Joseph Scarpitti, from the Cleveland, Ohio area, has worked for American Funds since 1994. American Funds is the third largest mutual fund family in the U.S., with more than $450 billion in investments and over 25 million shareholder accounts. He is a 1980 Thiel graduate with degrees in mathematics and business administration. He later earned an MBA with an emphasis in finance from Bowling Green State University in 1982. He currently serves as a member on the Thiel College Board of Trustees and the Alumni Board of Directors. "During dinner, myself along with five other students had the chance to meet Joe one on one and get to know him on a more personal level. I was already impressed with Joe from the dining experience but my admiration grew throughout his presentation to the class. Joe is very successful but is not shy to give credit to God for his achievements. God and religion are big parts in my life and like Joe I have looked for guidance to help me through the rough times but also thanked him for the successes I have experienced in my life." - Jillian Templin, senior business administration major "Joe shared his recipe for life with us. (P)lan what we would do if we would not get paid for it. (R)ead to follow our hearts and set reading goals. (A)ttitude... we have control over our emotions so be positive. (Y)es, say yes and go the extra mile. (E)nthusiasm comes from doing what excites us. (R)espect others and remember the golden rule." - Megan Souders, junior business communications major "From Joe I learned more about what it takes to succeed. He spoke extensively about finding what is in your heart and doing what you love. He also explained that this is an ongoing process. It does not happen overnight. Instead this is something that you must work on throughout your life in order to get it right." - Eric Hauser, senior accounting and business administration major "The one thing that stuck with me was he was talking about how he managed 900 million dollars. That is an insane number but it showed how successful he is and how far he has gotten in his career." - Justin Ramer, senior accounting and business administration major "This was different from what I expected for the first speech in this course; I expected a serious talk about the business world and a description of Mr. Scarpitti's profession. Instead, I heard a speech that helps me not only in the business world but also in the real world. I enjoyed this speech because it was different from my expectations and exceeded them as well. I do like to hear business speeches, but I hope I hear another inspirational speech to help me feel confident about myself." - Ryan Berkheimer, senior accounting and business administration major