On Wednesday, March 4, 40 students embarked on TCNJ’s first day-long networking tour of D.C. to meet with alumni and local professionals. The trip, which included a tour of the Capitol Building and meetings with U.S. Congress staff, was led by Career Center Director Deborah Kelly and HSS Dean Benjamin Rifkin, along with Career Center assistant director Lynette Harris and associate director James Chambers.
The morning began with two break-out presentations: one by a TCNJ alumnus-turned public policy consultant; the other by Mark Gitenstein, former U.S. ambassador to Romania, and Nick Lillo, current Peace Corps Placement Officer. From there, students were partnered with alumni from NGO’s, the private sector, government, and non-profit organizations to discuss more in-depth their questions and concerns about job-hunting and working for a living. There were then several open-ended discussion with staffers in the U.S. House of Representatives. To tie it all together, students finished off the evening in a speed-dating format rotating between brief chats with more alumni.
We had some of these stellar students share what they learned from their networking experiences:
“I know a better way to go about my future,” said Poonam Kotak, junior international studies major. “Now I know the options I have to get to the point I want to be at.”
Poonam’s main career goal: to go into the foreign service, work for the United Nations, and “to get a world passport.”
Albert Eserjose, senior international studies and marketing double major, says he gained a “realistic approach to my career.”
“It provided clarity and a point of contact so I know who to point questions to in the future,” explained Albert, who is part of the leadership of TCNJ’s Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) and recently trained as a marksman along the 38th Parallel in Korea.
Engaging with alumni from various industries, Sarah Wallin, sophomore communications studies major, learned how “they used what they learned in their [TCNJ] majors in the real world.”
One alumnus in particular stood out to Sarah.
“He was talking about how all the writing skills he learned at TCNJ were useful to him,” she said. “That’s something I want to work on.”
Sophomore political science major and ambassador Austin Gibbs learned from one alumna that “[You’re] going to continue learning after you graduate.” The alumna, Janna Raudenbush, is a public affairs specialist for the Inspector General of Health and Human Services.
“It’s not exactly what you think,” Austin concluded about the professional world. He claimed that the networking events helped him realize that “college is a stepping stone.”
Elsa Leistikow, sophomore sociology major, who is taking Ms. Kelly’s (Career Center) course called Post-Graduate Planning, was also on the trip.
“The networking portion of the trip reminded me of how helpful my interest in learning can be; people respond well to people who are engaged and interested in what they are saying,” Elsa explained, “In a ‘network,’ you are looking for mentorship, advice, and perspective on how to identify and pursue your interests; talk to people you know about how they’ve done this.”
Story, Interviews, and Cover Photograph by Jack Meyers (others courtesy of students photographed)