Saying “Yes” at SBU Helped Christina Geraci ’04 Step Out of Her Career Comfort Zone

Alumna Christina Geraci ’04 is a familiar face around Stony Brook University. Since graduating, she has been closely involved in many alumni events, including several Homecomings, the annual Student and Alumni Networking Mixers, 40 Under Forty Awards and Hackathon as a judge. And she is a member of the Stony Brook Alumni Association Board. What is it about Stony Brook that makes Geraci keep coming back to campus for more than 20 years? “Everything,” she said. “I love everything about Stony Brook. From the amazing professors to the fun organizations, I loved being there as a student. And I’m proud to be an alumna.”

Even though Geraci was a commuter, she spent all of her time on campus. Despite her commitments to a plethora of organizations, she still managed to find time to study and graduate from the Honors College with a history degree. “Stony Brook laid a solid foundation for everything from organizational and study skills to social interaction, leadership and mentorship,” said Geraci. “I said yes to a lot of things at Stony Brook that pushed me out of my comfort zone, and I took that with me throughout my career.”

After Stony Brook, Geraci attended Yale Law School and earned her JD degree. Then, her career took her down several paths. “I worked at a law firm on cases that ranged from environmental torts to medical malpractice,” she said. “I joined the Suffolk County Family Court as a principal law clerk in 2011, and have been working in the court system ever since.” She worked for three and a half years for the chief administrative judge of the New York State Unified Court System, and is currently working part-time as a principal court attorney in the Suffolk County District Administrative Judge’s Office.

Geraci was recently on campus for the 2025 Annual Students and Alumni Networking Mixer, which was sponsored by the Career Center and the Office of Alumni Relations. Geraci sat down with Stony Brook Matters to discuss how she loves connecting with students and why she’ll always be a Seawolf for life.

Why did you choose Stony Brook for your undergraduate degree?

I grew up very close in proximity to Stony Brook’s campus. It always had a great reputation, even though now it’s come even further, and I knew I didn’t really want to go away to college. For me, Stony Brook was the perfect fit. It had the academic challenges I was looking for, with the comfort of home being very close by. When I was on campus, I felt like I was in a different city because of all of the endless opportunities it offered. Also, my older sister attended Stony Brook, so I got to see firsthand what it was like to be a student, even before I applied. And my younger brother attended after me, so our family is really strong in the Seawolf community.

What organizations and activities were you involved with during your time at Stony Brook?

Honestly, I was involved in a lot. But some of my favorites included being a student ambassador, the Golden Key International Honour Society, the Phi Alpha Theta National History Honor Society, the pre-law society Phi Alpha Delta, and the Catholic campus ministry. As a student ambassador, I would work different events throughout the year, such as welcoming new students to campus. We worked closely with the dean of students at the time, Dean Emeritus Jerry Stein, who became one of my mentors. I was the president of both the Golden Key International Honour Society and the National History Honor Society. As part of the National History Honor Society, we would plan field trips to places like Old Bethpage Village Restoration, which was a lot of fun. And as part of the campus ministry, I worked with Sister Margaret on organizing Italian masses.

How did your mentors at Stony Brook shape your academic career?

I was very close with a lot of professors who guided me while at Stony Brook. Professor Wilbur Miller was the advisor for the National History Honor Society. He also helped me with my thesis paper my senior year. I loved all of Professor Helmut Norpoth’s political science classes. He and several other political science professors were very supportive of me as I was applying to law school. When I expressed my interest in law school, they wrote me letters of recommendation, were very encouraging and truly believed in me. I couldn’t have asked for a more supportive group of professors. Outside of the classroom, Dean Stein and Sister Margaret were the ones who pushed me to get involved a lot. If there was an activity on campus that needed a speaker or an emcee, they would ask me. This really taught me to throw myself into things, even when I didn’t feel fully prepared. Everything worked out — and I got to do a LOT of fun things, such as being crowned Homecoming queen and singing the national anthem at a football game.

Do you have a favorite moment while you were at Stony Brook?
It’s really hard to pick just one! The whole Homecoming experience was incredible. Not just winning, but all of the events leading up to it. There was a talent competition, the parade of cars where we got to wave to everyone, and then the Homecoming court got to pick their dresses together ahead of the football game. It was such a classic college moment for me. Another fun moment was when Phi Alpha Theta won the Roth Regatta. I wasn’t personally in the boat, but I helped build it and was on the sidelines cheering the team on. And then graduation was a big highlight for me because I was asked to give the baccalaureate address at the College of Arts and Sciences Convocation. I received the Chancellor’s Award as well, which was in recognition of my academic accomplishments and involvement on campus. It was a significant culminating moment for me and my family.

How has Stony Brook impacted your career path?

Besides my mentors supporting me when I pursued law school, I would say the biggest impact Stony Brook had was giving me the confidence to say yes to new opportunities. When I started working for the court system in 2011, I worked for the supervising judge of the Suffolk County Family Court. It was a totally different experience from the law firm, and I had to pick it up quickly. It was a very fulfilling job, as I could see the impact of the work I did in trying to help judges make decisions that directly affected people’s lives. While in that role, I was offered the opportunity to be the principal law clerk for New York State Chief Administrative Judge Gail Prudenti. It was a new role for her, and a new role for me in the New York State Unified Court System. Once again, I was thrown into this position that helped to oversee all of the various courts throughout the entire state. It was very challenging, but I worked with some great people. Looking back, I can say it was the best career decision I ever could have made. And I believe that saying yes at Stony Brook to some things that might have made me uncomfortable prepared me to take the different career leaps that I did.

As an active member of the Alumni Association Board, why do you feel it’s important for alumni to stay connected to Stony Brook?

For me, Stony Brook was such a foundational experience in my life that I really like coming back to campus. I really enjoy giving back in any way I can. I taught a political science class as an adjunct professor for a semester and wrote letters of recommendation for two of my students for law school — which was a full-circle moment for me. It’s rewarding for me to speak with students and help guide them through what can be an overwhelming time. When I was a student, I would have loved to speak with alumni who had gone to law school and told me, “You’re going to be OK. You got this.” And that’s something I try to reassure students about when I meet them at events like the mixers. I also love connecting with other alumni and learning about their experiences at Stony Brook. I have met some really great people by staying connected to Stony Brook, and I think it can be just as rewarding for any alum to come back and get involved in the wonderful programs that the university has to offer.

How would you recommend alumni get involved?

Start by making sure you’re on the general email list. There are so many opportunities for alumni to get involved — be that through mentorship, attending events or maybe even helping to host events in their own cities. I also suggest reaching out to the Office of Alumni Relations or the Career Center. There are wonderful people who work in those areas who will help connect you to different areas of campus that you want to stay involved in. And definitely start off slow if you’re not sure exactly how you want to stay connected. Perhaps pop in to a regional event in your area. And you’ll see: One event builds into two and three, and pretty soon you’ll be flying in for Homecoming and joining the Stony Brook Alumni Association Board.

What advice would you give to new graduates?

Have some sort of plan — be that graduate school or entering the workforce — but keep your options open. You can make the best-laid plans, and things will still change. And you might wind up in a better place than you ever could have imagined if you’re open to unexpected opportunities that could come your way. But also know that it’s OK to not have every step of your life planned out. And just know that in the end, everything will work out the way it’s supposed to.

-Christine McGrath