Recognizing Rockefeller Center Student Program Assistant John Howard '15

In this series, the Rockefeller Center features our Student Program Assistants, student staff who contribute significantly to the success of the Center’s events, programs, and activities.

John Howard '15, Student Program Assistant for the Rockefeller Leadership Fellows (RLF) program, serves as a liaison between the Rockefeller Leadership Fellows, Program Coordinator Tatyana Bills, and Program Mentor Sadhana Hall. John assists with logistics and keeps Tatyana and Sadhana abreast of students’ concerns and observations. "It is a great pleasure to work with John. His outgoing personality and ability to quickly connect everyone in the program on the important topics and things that need to be addressed help make the RLF program flow smoothly," says Tatyana Bills, John’s supervisor. "He is well-spoken, thoughtful, and respectful, which makes him a strong leader and a wonderful program assistant for the Rockefeller Leadership Fellows program."

Student Program Assistant for Rockefeller Leadership Fellows John Howard '15. Photo by Thanh V. Nguyen.

As someone who enjoys getting to know his fellow students, John particularly enjoys the social nature of his work. Working with RLF is not just a job for John, however, as he is also a fellow in the program. The Rockefeller Leadership Fellows program is one of the Rockefeller Center's few programs where one must be a current participant in order to be the student program assistant. One might think this combination would make it harder for a student to do their job while having the full benefits of participation as a fellow. John, however, believes that holding both roles instead has the opposite effect. He finds that knowledge of the structure behind RLF makes being a fellow easier, allowing him to enjoy his participation even more. John acknowledges, however, that there is added pressure to make sure he remains organized and well versed on the speakers and weekly topics.

RLF's weekly speakers, a highlight of the program, is one of John’s favorite aspects. RLF features exciting and intriguing guests from a variety of fields. Past speakers have included Harvard Business School professors, the governor of New Hampshire, and NBC executives. John's interest in the myriad of speakers that have come through the Rockefeller Center is in fact how he first became involved with the Center. John frequented the Center's public programs because, as he stated, "The issues discussed are important to the future of the country, and the speaker is going to say something I’ve never thought about or considered." These public talks also spoke to John’s interest in challenges to morality and ethics, which complement his future intent to enter law and public service. It also related to why John lists the Rockefeller Center as one of his favorite institutions on campus. In John’s own words, relating to the Rockefeller Center's mission, "[We’re] providing a service to the greater community that I think is important."

John Howard, a History major, is a member of the Class of 2015.

-Written by Crandalyn Jackson '15, Rockefeller Center Student Program Assistant