K. Edward Raleigh ’08
Major: Economics
Eddie is a partner with Fragomen, Del Rey, Bernsen & Loewy, LLP, the world’s largest law firm focused on immigration and global mobility issues. His work has taken him across the world. He has traveled to remote areas of the U.S./Mexico border to Paris and many major cities and small towns in between. He has represented the world’s largest and most valuable companies and employers as well as individuals such as a Hollywood director, a professional sports team owner, chief executive and financial officers, lawyers, lobbyists and medical professionals. Eddie’s job is to understand the changing legal, enforcement, and political landscape around immigration and help his clients hire and retain the world’s best talent. Eddie serves as Legal Counsel to the Maryland Republican Party. Eddie is in his third term on the College’s Alumni Board, served as its Secretary from July of 2020 to July of 2022, and is currently its Chair-Elect. Eddie’s term as Chair will begin July 1, 2024, and last until June 30, 2026.
Favorite Professor
The biggest impact on me wasn’t one single class or professor but a collection of classroom and real world experiences. The analytical and research techniques I was taught in my economics classes helped me see the world differently and understand how and why we have the laws that we do.
Fondest WC Memory
Graduation weekend. I loved it. The Commencement at the College is a tradition older than our Constitution. Surrounded by my friends and family, it was an honor to graduate from an institution with such a rich history and that had fully prepared me to take the next step. Beers, tears, goodbyes, and diplomas, it’s a memory I treasure still today.
A close second would be winning the silver medal with my 800-meter freestyle relay at the Centennial Conference swimming finals. Our closer is one of my very best friends today.
Let’s Hear It for the Liberal Arts
I learned how to think instead of what to think. And, thank goodness I did because I’m constantly answering questions about the law and today’s economy and labor market that didn’t exist when I was in school.
Advice
Connect-the-dots; seek wisdom. It is possible to learn something only to take a test or write a paper. It’s another matter entirely to absorb the material in way that allows you to apply in another setting. Try to think about how what you learn in calculus or literature applies to sociology or biology. The “aha moments” come not from something you learned in a single class but when you apply a concept learned in one class to a real-life situation. College is the time to test these waters. This wisdom will be immensely helpful when you find yourself in a difficult situation later in life.
