Teddy Nathan, School of Liberal Arts, Class of 2011

Originally from New Jersey, Teddy Nathan was drawn to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina. He believed that New Orleans presented an interesting opportunity to pursue his interest in community development and non-profit work so with the help of a very supportive family he took the plunge to move down south and “for better or worse” hasn’t left since.

Teddy Nathan at PitchNOLA. Photo provided by Teddy Nathan.

Ever since Teddy Nathan’s first night on Tulane’s campus he has been mesmerized by the city and the way the community came together. He vividly remembered his first night on campus as a freshmen, which happened to also be Mid-Summer Mardi Gras. While exploring with some friends he walked right into the parade and was amazed by the community and how diverse the crowd was.

While triple majoring in political science, international development, and social policy and practice Teddy cultivated a strong relationship with the city and the community. Although he was quite democratic concerning his favorite Tulane traditions he strongly advocated for the uniqueness of the Tulane degree. Teddy explained how everything he studied was extremely applicable to New Orleans at the time, and still is. He believed that Tulane offers a unique experience because they weren’t just feeding you information, but providing you with the opportunity to go out and practice/apply that knowledge. Teddy certainly took advantage of those opportunities by becoming involved in various organizations such as Community Action Council of Tulane University Students, New Orleans Public Library, Catholic Charities, and Hope House while also being a service fellow for a political science course. Although he was an active member of the Tulane student body he was also (and still is) very passionate about working off campus. Teddy even joked about how he really majored in New Orleans.

Although he took a one-year break from Tulane, while working in the Mayor’s office as a Mayoral Fellow, he quickly returned and is currently the Senior Program Coordinator for the Tulane Center for Public Service. As a coordinator he continued to cultivate partnerships with the New Orleans community and maximize Tulane’s impact on the community at large. When asked how he thought Tulane has changed since he graduated he responded rather positively referring to how Tulane has done a great job “rebranding” itself and has become an even more active member and arguably a crucial leader in the reemergence of the city. That being said, he continued to express a push for more partnerships with the community and would love to see more students get involved with Tulane’s community service opportunities.

Teddy Nathan is currently the Senior Program Coordinator for the Center for Public Service, and is working to get his MBA from the A.B. Freeman School of Business.

[Editor’s Note: This article was captured as part of the class “Media Histories” taught by Vicki Mayer in collaboration with the Office of Alumni Affairs at Tulane University. This piece was originally published on November 4, 2014.]