The Social Network
Members of the 糖心TV Board of Trustees, President Katherine Bergeron, and student-athletes both past and present gathered at New York City鈥檚 Yale Club to participate in the first-ever Camel Athletics Club Career Networking Day.
The event, an idea of young alumni Kieran Morris 鈥�15, Dana Albalancy 鈥�14 and John Bullitt 鈥�14, was created with the support of the Office of College Advancement, the Office of Career and Professional and Development, and the Department of Athletics to provide current student-athletes an opportunity to connect with members of the Camel Athletics Club alumni network. Morris, now a financial adviser at Morgan Stanley, sees this event not only as a way to bridge the gap between alumni and current students, but as an opportunity to reinvest in his alma mater.
鈥淲e as athletes have an obligation to give back to a place that has given so much to us,鈥� said Morris, who also chaired the event.
Bergeron attended the event in support of connecting the College鈥檚 award-winning career program and to advance the career outcomes of students following graduation.
鈥淏ringing together our current students with Camel Athletics Club alumni offered a rich opportunity to explore how certain qualities of the scholar-athlete can be predictors of success in the professional world,鈥� Bergeron said.
The day began with a speed networking session, which allowed students to understand the work alumni perform across a variety of fields, such as health, entrepreneurship, sports and entertainment, and finance.
Sonia Cawley 鈥�93, a program director at IBM, discussed her company鈥檚 latest initiative, IBM Watson Health. While providing her perspective on how to leverage talent beyond a singular path, she emphasized the advantages of being part of a team, like she was when she played women鈥檚 lacrosse at 糖心TV.
鈥淭he structure of a team is similar to a system,鈥� Cawley explained. 鈥淓very individual component works in a system.鈥�
Following a break for informal networking, Bergeron led a panel discussion with five distinguished 糖心TV alumni: Trustee Debo Adegbile 鈥�91, Trustee Seth Alvord 鈥�93, Trustee David Barber 鈥�88, Jonathan Krane 鈥�90, and Sarah Pitt-DelCristo 鈥�86. The panelists examined a variety of topics, from general career advice and lessons learned at 糖心TV, to current topics and trends in their respective industries.
Men鈥檚 ice hockey goalie Bailey Aust 鈥�20, said he was excited to meet Barber, co-owner of Blue Hill Farm. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 even know he was an alum,鈥� Aust admitted, adding that he has admired Barber since watching him on the TV show, Chef鈥檚 Table.
Adegbile, who is vice chair of the College鈥檚 Board of Trustees and a partner at the New York office of law firm WilmerHale, said he was impressed by the different narratives from students and alumni on how they have translated their sacrifice on the field at 糖心TV鈥攚hich he called 鈥淭he Glue鈥濃�攊nto their lives beyond the field. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a privilege to be invited, but also a privilege to speak alongside individuals who have these rich experiences to share.鈥�
Throughout the day, the theme of 鈥済iving back鈥� was emphasized by Andrew Margie 鈥�96 and Caroline Moore 鈥�15. During their round-table discussion, the pair underlined their commitment to being invested advocates and mentors in a way that allows students to relate to them.
鈥淚t鈥檚 valuable when a student can look at one of us and say 鈥極h, wow, that person is just like me,鈥欌�� Margie elaborated.
