A Man of Class: Julien Bronner

Julien sits relaxed and poised across from me in a blue button-down shirt and a pair of jeans. He reflects on a slew of subjects, calm and collected the entire time. From the way he responds, it doesn’t sound like this is his first time being interviewed, but maybe that’s just me.

Originally from Princeton, New Jersey, Julien attended Edinboro University in Scotland, before attending the New School. Once there, he found himself on a misdirected path to an international business degree, when in reality, his passion lay in literary studies. Julien came from Edinboro because he felt that the curriculum was too specialized with not much flexibility, and for him to change his path, he was either forced to repeat a year in Scotland, or transfer schools. He chose to transfer. His wish to be a Literary Studies major was granted when he transferred to Eugene Lang College, though he tells me that he’s hoping to transfer once again to Gallatin, within NYU.

“Gallatin will hopefully let me focus on Literature, and also work with Advertising.”

Julien is unique from other Literary Studies majors though, because he doesn’t wish to graduate college and become an academic professor of literature. He sees himself going into advertising. His work with advertising has been little as of now, though he does currently work within the department of communications, for a non-profit organization known as Open Society Institute. George Soros, Hungarian-American businessman, (known as “the Man Who Broke the Bank of England” after making $1 billion during the 1992 Black Wednesday UK currency crises) founded the organization in 1993, in an effort to perpetuate democratic principles nationally.

When Julien isn’t studying mounds of literature, (his favorite author is Albert Camus) he enjoys going out with friends, sleeping, and especially, going to restaurants. “I’m a HUGE fan of restaurants, but I mostly like to do fun retarded stuff,” he says. When he’s out with friends, the type of music he likes to listen to varies from what used to be Electronica and Dubstep, (especially in Edinboro) to his current favorite, Jazz. “When I came to New York from Edinboro, the music I heard in clubs was just not the same. I haven’t been able to enjoy Electronica nearly as much as I did in Scotland,” Julien says.

Though he does enjoy New York City and attending the New School, he isn’t impressed with the dorms that New School has provided. Julien feels that the New School dorms pale in comparison to those at Edinboro University. He resides at the William Street residence hall within the Financial District in Manhattan, which he finds to be a beautiful neighborhood, with exquisite architecture.

So what’s next for Julien? “My ideal job post-college is to end up as the Creative Director of Ogilvy & Mather, and I plan to stay in New York City post-college.”