Andrew Crumrine ’14, a marketing major in Oswego’s School of Business, is the first student to participate in Oswego’s newest exchange program — and one of the only business-focused international programs — in Kempten, Germany. Here, he showed his Oswego pride at the famous Castle Neuschwanstein.

The lead guitarist for the band Morning Wood and a German major at Oswego, Matthew followed his love of the language to a semester abroad in Goetingen, inspired by German Professors Emeriti George Koenig and Peter Hertz-Ohmes. It became a decade-long adventure.

Matthew Cutillo '95

While he went abroad to hone his language skills, Matthew ended up developing his musical talent as well. “I had been in bands all my youth,” says Matthew, who picked up a guitar at age 2 to imitate his brother and has kept playing ever since. He brought his guitar to Germany and played at local venues. “It was great,” he says. “I could go out, drink and eat all I wanted and come home with a pocket full of cash.”

Singing for his supper got Matthew picked up by the Rex Richter Quintet. He would spend the next four years touring Germany, playing schlage — hit parade songs — and German versions of American and British pop hits of the ’60s and ’70s. He was on the road most days, playing at least 200 shows a year with the band and eventually became the lead singer, before the group broke up in the post-9/11 world economic downturn.

He taught business executives English in Hamburg before returning home in 2004, to build houses with his father’s business before once again earning his income with his guitar and voice.

He is now one of the most popular events entertainers on the East Coast, playing “hits from the 1500s to the present.” He is currently ranked No. 1 among the 7,000 acts represented by the booking company Gigmasters.

Now Matthew plays three or four evenings a week, performing at weddings, parties and birthdays as a solo acoustic guitarist and vocalist. He is up at 3 a.m. practicing his classical guitar finger work before spending time with his wife and their 3-year-old daughter.

What’s in the future for Matthew? More music, and this time, more original work. “I am thinking of bigger, better things,” he says.

— Michele Reed

Listen to Matt:

White Boat

Open Road

Fabian Loeprick ’10, right, interned during the summer at Korn/Ferry International’s Washington, D.C., offices in a placement arranged by Nels Olson ’89, left, managing director of the Eastern Region and a member of the board and CEO and corporate affairs practices at KFI.

A native of Kassel in Germany, Loeprick is a member of the School of Business Dean’s Student Advisory Board. He leapt at the chance to expand his skills in business management with an internship at the world’s largest executive recruiting firm, with nearly 80 offices in 40 countries.

Olson said he was happy to help an Oswego student, because he knows how important hands-on experience can be. “I am in the field of human capital talent, and having practical experience is vitally important,” he said.

At Oswego, Olson honed his leadership skills in Student Association and Sigma Gamma fraternity, two experiences he feels led to his successful career.

“Oswego was a big part of my life growing up and it’s a terrific institution,” said Olson, whose oldest brother, Lars Olson ’83, also attended. After joining Korn Ferry, Nels Olson participated in the search that resulted in Deborah F. Stanley becoming the college’s 10th president. “It’s a school on the move because of her leadership and I believe in investing in it,” said Olson. In addition to giving back by arranging student internships, he made
a leadership gift to the recent Inspiring Horizons campaign.

Olson joined Korn/Ferry International in 1993 and has conducted many executive searches throughout the world. Prior to joining the firm, he worked in public relations and served in the White House, screening and recommending Presidential appointees and cabinet candidates.

Loeprick’s summer work in research about potential candidates gave him insight into the types of degrees and experiences top firms are looking for, and working in a busy office helped him hone his real-world assets like professionalism, self-confidence, motivation and communication skills.

After further internships in Europe, Loeprick hopes to attend graduate school there. “The people make a place. I cannot say enough good about the amazing team of Korn/Ferry International . . .They really made the experience superb for me,” said Loeprick. “Certainly everyone needs academic basics, but the on-the-job training is a much more intense learning experience.”

— Michele Reed