On December 2, 2011, Dr. James F. Cashman passed away. As a Professor of Management and a professor of the Business Honors Program, Dr. Cashman served as a mentor to many students; I was lucky enough to be one of those students. From finding an internship to writing a letter of recommendation, Dr. Cashman was always quick to help students.

One day, a friend of mine was in the midst of a wild goose chase, attempting to change her major. Visibly upset, she passed Dr. Cashman in the hallway. Though Dr. Cashman had never met this student, he was quick to take her under his wing. He invited her into his office, listened to her worries, helped her change her major and got her contact information so that he could ensure that all went well.

That is the type of man Dr. Cashman was: a genuine, caring leader. A leader who was never hesitant to help fix a problem – no matter what the size, a leader who constantly reached out to students to offer his assistance and a leader who I never heard complain, even when his health was declining. But most importantly, he was a leader who never failed to care.

Dr. Cashman had many accolades; however, the only accolades I ever heard him speak of were his successful students. Thank you, Dr. Cashman, for being a motivator for students, for leading our business school to more and more successes, and for always having an open door and open ear. May your memory be eternal, Dr. C., because your impact certainly will be.

Christy Boardman is a senior majoring in economics and French.