Alumni Info
Name: Cory Tischbein
Major: History and Political Science
Graduation Year: 2011
“I grew significantly because of the high standards Dr. Julia Sneeringer expected.”
– Cory Tischbein
Past Profiles
Headed to the University of Pennsylvania Law School this fall, Cory Tischbein graduated magna cum laude after earning a nearly perfect 4.0 every semester after freshman year.
What makes his accomplishments especially impressive is that he worked full-time as a freshman, pursued several career-building internships during his sophomore and junior years (including one at the Times-Ledger, thanks in part to Gerry Solomon, the director of QC’s journalism program), and worked part-time as a senior at the college’s Information Center. Along the way he also served as editor-in-chief of the Knight News, the college’s newspaper, and was the creative editor for the Utopia Parkway literary journal.
Attracted to Queens College because it “houses a multitude of academic opportunities and programs,” Tischbein found History Professor Julia Sneeringer’s courses especially inspiring. “She’s probably the best lecturer I ever had,” he recalls. He took her classes on post-World War II Europe, the history of the German empire, and Weimar Germany.
Tischbein is quick to credit supportive professors for their help. He appreciates Marleen Kassel (who taught History of China), who “was very helpful listening and talking to me as I decided where I should go to law school.”
“Not only is he bright, but he’s well-rounded,” says Kassel, the director of Asian Initiatives at QC. “And he’s very modest, quite the role model for students who come after him.”
Tischbein—currently interning with Paul Kerson, a Queens County lawyer in private practice who has invited QC pre-law students to work in his office as interns for the past 17 years—is looking forward to becoming a lawyer. “I’m most interested in working for a federal agency,” he says, “but I’m keeping an open mind.”
Favorite book: The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien
Favorite Music: Alternate rock or pop music, like Yellowcard
Surprising Fact: Originally anticipated becoming a journalist writing against the government—now he’s interested in potentially joining and working for that government as an attorney.