For most students in business classes in 1984, that year's breakup of AT&T was an opportunity to study a major business story while it was happening. But for Samuel McKnight '87, the massive restructuring of one of the world's largest corporations was also a fact of his work life.

A manager for Southern New England Telephone at the time, McKnight was taking classes at Quinnipiac and could "talk in class about what was going on from the perspective of an employee."

Bringing an employee's point of view into his classes was an integral part of his Quinnipiac experience. McKnight entered the business program in 1970 when he was a young worker in SNET's information technology department and took one class a semester until he graduated 17 years later. "There were many classes in which my working full time was an advantage," McKnight said.

During those years he remained with the company, eventually becoming a human resources director for its information technology organization. In his current position, McKnight oversees methods and procedures that support the company's 133 central offices in Connecticut.

"As I progressed in my studies, things in the business world became clearer to me, and I was able to provide real-life examples to go along with what we were all learning in class," he said.

"Now, I'm very conscious of how much the business fundamentals I learned in my courses still apply."