As is the case for many Franklinites, both Rose Dawydiak-Rapagnani ’09 and Shaun Divecha ‘10 enjoy the opportunity to work with people from different national and professional backgrounds. At Homejoy, a budding startup company, these alumni are not only able to work with a diverse group of co-workers and clients, but also with some of their best friends from university.
Shaun Divecha '10 and Rose Dawydiak-Rapagnani ’09 at Homejoy's HQ in Silicon Valley, California
Homejoy began in 2012, and is a company that provides affordable professional cleaning services in an effort to create "happy homes everywhere." Homejoy's headquarters are in San Francisco, where Rose and Shaun work, but the company has offices in over 30 cities in the U.S. and Canada. At Homejoy, Rose serves as a Communications Manager, while Shaun is a Manager of Sales and Client Retention. Rose began working for Homejoy in April 2013, and Shaun joined the company shortly after.
Rose and Shaun both came to Franklin as study abroad students and ended up staying for the remainder of their undergraduate educations. Rose's mother's family is originally from Lugano and she was thrilled to find out about Franklin and make her dream of moving to Lugano reality. Shaun fondly remembers the day he decided he was going to stay at Franklin for his entire four years, a day that involved a trip to pink castle park on a beautiful afternoon.
Both the skills they learned at Franklin and the Franklin alumni community play a significant role Rose and Shaun's careers and lives. "The exposure to a variety of people definitely prepared me for the array of individuals I've had the pleasure to work with both within Homejoy as well as outside of Homejoy," says Rose. "It takes a certain type of person to pick up and leave "everything" behind to move to another country. I've found that the ability to make decisions quickly (that most people may find uncomfortable), and change direction when needed to are integral to be successful within a fast growing startup--skills I can say were definitely amplified by my time at Franklin."
In terms of specific individuals who shaped her Franklin experience, Rose mentions Austin Tomlinson '06, Director of Alumni and Parent Relations and Professors Vogelaar, Sugiyama, Pyka, and Mottale. "Their candor and abilities to help me understand information was critical for me as both a student and now as a professional. It is important to be surrounded by people who believe in you, and I can say that it was not until I met these Professors that I really started to believe I was not only capable, but confident in my abilities."
For Shaun, this exposure to different types of people was also instrumental to his success and confidence, as were the technical skills he learned from Professors Adams, Dudukovic, Terzi, Colombo, Zanecchia, and Rocourt. "I'm 100% sure that the theory I learnt in these Professors' classrooms has translated into me being more confident in the job that I do." He shared some of the lessons these Professors taught him, from Professor Rocourt's advice that "opportunities aren't going to wait for you to make sure everything is perfect" to Professor Colombo's caution that "anything worth doing with your life isn't easy."
Rose and Shaun are currently roommates and live with another Franklin alumnus, Jesse Schwartz. Not only does Rose still reach out to the local Franklin network when she needs support and ideas, but she also stays in touch with Franklin through her brother, John-Paolo, a current student. Shaun also enjoys staying involved with the tight-knit Franklin alumni community of "life-long learners" in San Francisco. Both Shaun and Rose are excited about the future of Franklin and Homejoy and are eager to see where the next few years will take them.