Vassar Quarterly - Spring 2018 - 14

Vassar Today

M E N T OR S OF F E R GU I DA NCE A T

he fourth annual Sophomore
Career Connections, held on
campus the weekend of January
19, brought 75 alumnae/i, parent,
and guest mentors together with 235 sophomores for a weekend of professional development and networking. Students had the
chance to explore prospective careers with
professionals in a myriad of fields.
Addressing students in her keynote
address, Gloria Cordes Larson '72, President
of Bentley University, advised them to be
open to change over the course of their careers
and to be willing to take risks. Featured
speaker Natalie Nixon '91, design strategist
and Principal at Figure 8 Thinking LLC, used
a series of visual exercises to teach students
how to tell their stories to potential employers.
Many college career services departments
focus on seniors on the cusp of the entering
the working world, but Stacy Bingham,
Director of Career Development and Assistant
Dean of Studies, says, "What we really hope
to do is to get students thinking early in their
college career about the power of the Vassar
network."
Students got plenty of chances to interact
with experienced mentors. There was a
networking breakfast in the newly renovated
ACDC on Saturday. Afterward, students
delved more deeply into their interests by
participating in three career clusters.
In all, 17 industries were represented:
advertising, marketing, and public relations;
arts administration; business and entrepre14

SPrINg 2018

neurship; education; entertainment and
media; environment and sustainability;
financial services; government and public
service; health and medicine; information
technology and computing; international
affairs and global careers; law and legal
services; management consulting; nonprofit
and social justice; scientific research; visual
and performing arts; and writing and
publishing.

"What we really hope
to do is to get students
thinking early in their college
career about the power of
the Vassar network."
-Stacy Bingham
Director of Career Development

Maiel Richards '20 says of the mentors
she met, "I was really nervous coming in to
talk to them, but they've all been so personable, and it's really helping me get ideas for
what I want to do. It's so cool to see all of the
diverse paths they've had."
Jacob Silver '20, who attended the
management consulting, financial services,
and business and entrepreneurship career
clusters, says he learned a lot about the types
of careers possible with a major in economics
and a correlate in computer science.
"I really have a strong idea of what I want
in terms of internships this summer and
moving forward in the type of career I want,"

he says. "I'm very happy that I came."
Students weren't the only ones to enjoy
the weekend. Tasha Gill '95, Senior Advisor
for Child Protection in Emergencies at
UNICEF, who has served as an SCC mentor
for the past two years, says Vassar students
are curious, have diverse interests, and
think openly about their impact on the
world. "I'm quite convinced I got much more
out of [the students] this year and last year
than they ever got out of me," she says.
"Their enthusiasm, their interest, their
intellectual curiosity is absolutely contagious."
Mentor Charles Kim '92, Principal at
Charlotte & Company, who led the writing
and publishing career cluster, says the
students impressed him with their maturity,
intellect, and desire to change the world.
"It makes me so inspired to continue the
work I'm doing but also to keep giving back
to the Vassar community," he says. "I love
this place. I loved it as a student, and I love it
even more as an alumnus."
The event concluded on Sunday with a
networking breakfast and presentation by
Darys Estrella '92 P'22, former CEO of the
Dominican Republic Stock Exchange, who
offered inspiring words to students. "Don't
be discouraged because of closed doors," she
said. "Keep going. One door will be open.
That's all you need."
-Debbie Swartz
HIRE VASSAR! For information on hiring Vassar
students or recent graduates for internships or jobs,
email hirevassar@vassar.edu.

Stockton Photo Inc., except Nixon and Estrella by Karl rabe

SOPHOMORE
CAREER
CONNECTIONS

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Vassar Quarterly - Spring 2018