Becoming Success Ready, With the Help of Alumni and Industry Partners

More than 50 came to campus, speaking to more than a thousand students in more than 50 class sections spread over two days. Participants came from industries as varied as health care, insurance, education, art design, marketing, architecture, sports management, and music publishing.

"Our alumni and industry volunteers are the magic of this event," said Alex Coury, associate vice president for industry partnerships and career experiences. "Their willingness to return to campus and share their career experiences is a great source of inspiration for our students."

Faculty members agree. Takafumi Asaki, associate dean of UHart's biomedical engineering program, praised Ledyitee Wheagar '12, an engineering manager at Medtronic, who spoke to one of his classes. "Her talk clearly inspired several students," Asaki said, "and I noticed a renewed level of attention and engagement in the activities afterward. As sophomores, many are just beginning to recognize that graduation is only about two years away, so her words served as a timely and valuable reminder for them."

Career to Classroom is just one of the ways UHart alumni and industry partners are helping current students put their purpose to work. Earlier in March, the College of Arts and Science Career Readiness Academy featured a panel of A&S alumni along with career-focused workshops.

Barney School of Business students, meanwhile, got to make industry connections and receive practical advice at the annual Corine T. Norgaard Networking Night. The evening leverages the power of the Barney alumni network to give a jump start to current students.

A number of school-specific career fairs have been held across campus since February. And those who want to make a positive difference in the public sector flocked to the second annual Connecticut state career fair, held in Gengras Student Union.

For those interested in careers in communication and marketing, Agency Insider Day gave them an up-close look at what it's like to work in an agency setting. The keynote speaker was Monica Elias '99, the CEO and executive producer of Elias World Media in New York City. Also featured was a panel of professionals from communication, marketing, and advertising agencies from across Connecticut.

UHart is committed to preparing students to be success ready, and alumni are at the center of that commitment. If you're an alum and would like to get involved, learn more here.