Reaping The Benefits

A student's college education is essentially a four-year investment in their future. During those four years, one can receive a valuable education, possibly compete in collegiate athletics, while experiencing some of the best years of a lifetime. Mitchell Lee, a 1990 graduate of Cornell University, had the opportunity to experience all three first-hand. A standout student and captain of the Big Red football team, Lee considers his tenure in Ithaca, N.Y. as some of the best years of his life.

Originally from Rochester, N.Y., Lee began playing Pop Warner football around seven years old. He was an athlete, in addition to being a scholar, and his success in the classroom as well as on the football field did not go unnoticed. As he moved through the admissions process, Lee was impressed with how Cornell alumni were committed to their institution and "genuinely cared about people". This impression ultimately had an impact on his college decision. Recruited by some of the best Division I-A football programs and receiving athletic scholarships, Lee and his family were faced with a tough decision.

"I think having to turndown an athletic scholarship was a big issue for myself and my family. We had to compare the opportunity to go to school for free or choosing to go to an Ivy League school and pay for my education. We just saw the benefit with respect to the long-term benefits in going to an Ivy institution, as opposed to to some other schools."

Cornell University became the perfect fit for Lee. Recruited by four other Ivy schools, Cornell stood separate from the rest, because of its proximity to his home in Rochester and also because, as Lee said jokingly, "The alumni I came into contact with, I mean, they just bled RED." But in that, he saw what the Ivy education truly meant. "I think that one of the things that is great about any Ivy League education is that its not a four-year type of committment. It's a life-time commitment. The alumni showed me that Cornell really cares about people. It wasn't about just coming in to play sports or to do school work. They are about developing leaders and people who can be productive members of the community down the road. That was something I was fortunate enough to see early on. And again, I have been able to benefit from it over the years."

The all-County linebacker and running back from Brighton High would continue his success in a Big Red uniform. A two-time unanimous first-team All-Ivy selection and two-time Associated Press Division I-AA third-team All-American, Lee etched his mark in the Cornell football record books for the most tackles in a season with 157 takedowns in 1988. He finished his career ranked second in tackles with 332. The co-captain earned first-team All-ECAC honors in his senior year, soon garnering the team MVP award in the same year. Lee's most memorable collegiate moment came in his junior year -- the year his team captured the Ivy League title. "It was one of those moments. After being recruited, you want to go there and you want to be the best at what you do. That was the goal my teammates, my coaches and myself had our focus upon from day one. It was one of the best experiences of my life. Working together as a team for three years and actually being successful at something we worked so hard at was incredible." In the last game of the 1988 season, Cornell defeated Penn, 19-6, at Schoellkopf Field to secure their claim of the title. It was a crown the Big Red had not worn since 1971. Consequently, winning the championship in 1988 was very special to everyone in the program. "I think it encompassed the effort from players who had graduated, who were never quite able to attain that goal but still were a part of the institution in building the football program." Adding to his remarkable accolades, Lee was selected to participate in the Blue-Gray All-Star Classic as a senior. However, a stress fracture in his leg prevented him from playing.

Mitch received invitations to a number of NFL camps, two in particular, the Miami Dolphins and the Pittsburgh Steelers. Lee decided to try out with the Steelers. He played in about three pre-season games, but would not capture a position on the special teams squad. "It was a great experience. Chuck Noll was the head coach at the time. Mean Joe Greene was the line coach. I got a chance to meet Steeler legend, Franco Harris. So, yes, it was a good experience."

"The Cornell experience has given me an opportunity to meet a wide array of people from different backgrounds and perceptions. A lot of my closest friends are people I went to school with and played sports with at Cornell. My experience has made me a much more well-rounded person with a larger view of the world."

"There will always be adverse situations, whether it's your career or personal life. But it's about having the strength and the fortitude to realize that you've been successful in the past and you're going to continue to be successful."

Mitchell Lee spent his undergraduate years along side some of the most dedicated athletes you'll ever find. With strong academic commitments, athletes at Ivy League institutions compete for the love of the game. "Being an athlete at an Ivy League school means that you want to be an athlete. No one is paying your tuition. You're involved in one of the most intense, competitive academic environments in the country, so it truly prepares you for the world outside of that institution." Besides his academic and athletic commitments, Lee was also a member of the Red Key Honor Society and the Sphinx Head Honor Society. Both are outreach organizations whose members were leaders in the community.

After Lee tried out a professional football career, he decided it was time to put his Cornell education to use. For two years, Lee was a sales representative for the Schering-Plough Corporation. By the end of 1992, Lee was ranked as the No. 2 pharmaceutical sales representative out of more than five hundred sales representatives across the country. Although he enjoyed a remarkable level of success, he decided to go back to school to get his law degree. Lee maintained an interest in business but realized that he would have more flexibility in his career with a law degree, so he earned his Juris Doctor from Cornell Law School in 1996.

Mitchell Lee now uses the lessons and training he received from his days at Cornell as an attorney. "Cornell athletics was great training for me. In football there's always going to be adversity, whether it occurs during a particular play, a game, or throughout an entire season. As an attorney, my practice centers on corporate finance and venture capital transactions. Often times negotiating these types of transactions has its ups and downs, just like a game, but at Cornell I learned how to stay focused on a goal and keep pushing to be the best I could be. In my law career, a deal may fall through, or things may not initially work out the way I would prefer, but I keep going and am confident that in the end my client and I will come out on top. Knowing how to deal with adversity and accomplish your goals has been a great advantage in my professional career. My Cornell education and athletic experience were second to none."

Mitchell took some time to share some advice on the benefits of the Ivy education:

"When you think about attending an Ivy League institution, I think you have to consider the long term picture. In the short term, perhaps, its going to be a hardship if you have to turn down a scholarship or you have to pay more money to attend an Ivy League school. But the benefits down the road are going to pay off. Ten fold. Or even more so. Because you've had that Ivy experience, the contacts and networking will come along with it. And you really can't put a value on that. It's hard to put a value on that because the benefits you can receive is really up to you. It's an investment in yourself."

-- Sherryta Freeman

***Please note, this story was written for a previous Ivy League Black History Month celebration. It is reproduced here for archival purposes and has not been updated.***