Students network with Trinity alumni
by Mary Howard

“Enlightening,” “informative,” “inspiring,” and “productive.” That’s what Trinity students are saying about Trinity Days Treks, a career development opportunity that enables students to network with alumni and employers across a range of professions.

Since last fall, 59 students have participated in treks to three major cities—New York, Boston, and Washington, D.C. Sponsored by the Career Development Center, the program offers students an opportunity to engage in high-level career exploration in a supportive environment, says J. Violet Gannon, the College’s director of career development. “Students can vet the ‘goodness of fit’ between their skills and passions and the reality on the ground.”

Alumni-student interactions play a key role in the treks. “It takes a village to do career development well,” says Gannon, “We rely upon the social capital of our talented, diverse, and committed alumni and parents to make the treks a success.”

Margaret-Anne Logan ’13, an art history major, attended the D.C. trek because she knew she wanted to work in the capital city but wasn’t sure how to make inroads. “I was looking for jobs but felt very lost,” she says. The trip exceeded her expectations. “I left there with a much better idea of what to expect and what to look for as I continued my job search.”

She also left D.C. with a number of alumni contacts, including Eleanor Kerr ’81, director of
government affairs at Siemens. In fact, Kerr helped Logan secure an internship with American Consulting Group (ACG), a government affairs consulting firm. Logan will spend her summer monitoring Congressional hearings and conducting research. “It will be a great way for me to expand my understanding of policy and government affairs and also meet people in D.C.,” she says.

Preston Haxo ’14 participated in the fall trek to New York that focused on finance, marketing,
and advertising. He was “extremely impressed” by the number of alumni who shared their knowledge and insight. An economics major considering a future in finance, Haxo attended a panel discussion at Credit Suisse, where alumni who work at the bank shared their career
experiences. “Being able to relate on a personal level with alumni made the day a great success,” he says.

“These are really busy people, who are putting themselves out there for our students,” says Kathy Eckels, career specialist, who accompanied students on the winter trek to Washington, D.C. The alumni participants were impressed by the current students. Steve Norton ’85, one of the organizers of the D.C. trip, commented that the students boosted his faith in the future. “Diverse in race, gender, nationality, and socioeconomic background, they were uniformly bright, resourceful, polite, and appreciative.” Gannon has plans for at least two treks a year with hopes to expand to cities in the Midwest and the West Coast. To reach a diverse student base, the treks are Trinity funded. Gannon notes, “We don’t want finances to prohibit an interested student from participating.”

Students wishing to attend a trek must complete a brief application. Once accepted, they must participate in coaching sessions designed to hone networking and presentation skills, says Gannon.

Eckels was amazed at the transformation of the group that attended the D.C. trek. “The students got off the train in their sweats and backpacks, and a few hours later, they walked into [Steptoe & Johnson, an international law firm] looking like junior partners.”

These kinds of experiences represent best practices in the career development field, says Gannon. “It’s one thing to talk about how to interact with alumni at a business dinner, and it is an entirely different thing to be at that dinner.”