‘Work hard, add value’

During the workday, Drew Poffel, ’99, is a vice president and financial adviser at Morgan Stanley. Off the clock, he’s a regional volunteer for New York City’s alumni group, collaborating with UR’s alumni engagement office to organize programming in the city.

Senior Amy Ogle recently spoke with him about how one event connected him with Gwynne McCue, ’97, an interior designer who redesigned his Manhattan home. During their conversation, Ogle asked him to take the Spider Questionnaire. Here’s what he said.

Q: What’s the best thing to happen to you in the last few years?
A: Moving my practice to Morgan Stanley Wealth Management in 2023 — it’s been an amazing place to work!

Q: At this point in your life, what’s the most important thing you’ve learned?
A: Patience is a virtue, especially in a world increasingly focused on the short term and immediate feedback.

Q: What makes you optimistic?
A: Being optimistic is a much more enjoyable way to approach life. It has helped me navigate challenges and setbacks by focusing on possibilities rather than obstacles.

Q: What’s something you’ve held onto since college?
A: Some of my closest, longest friendships are from my days at UR.

Q: What’s something you’ve had to learn the hard way?
A: “Everybody has a plan until they get punched in the face.” —Mike Tyson

Q: What’s your advice for students on campus today?
A: Work hard, add value.

Q: What’s the most surprising place you’ve ever run into another Spider?
A: A few years ago, I was a new member of a golf club, approaching the tee for a competitive match. As we introduced ourselves, it turned out that one of my opponents was a Spider as well!

Q: What does being a Spider mean to you?
A: Being part of a community of talented and ambitious individuals.

Q: What’s one thing you’ve learned not to worry about?
A: I try to worry about things as little as possible — it’s rarely a helpful use of headspace.  

Q: What is something about yourself or the world that you hope is different in 10 years?
A: I hope we go back to talking with people with different perspectives than ours regularly and with civility. I think there has been an unfortunate erosion of this concept over the past 10-15 years.