Month: September 2020

Name: Jessica Morrison

Class Year: 1999

Title: Digital Branding Expert

Organization Name:  Seaside Digital Design & Marketing LLC

1. In one sentence, what does your job entail? 

I help female service-based business owners create consistent digital brands (website, social media, and other digital media) that increase sales, grow brand awareness and generate more traffic to their site/store.

2. What planned and unplanned events connected you to your industry and your first employer after Holy Cross? How did you learn/decide it was a good fit for you?  

When I graduated from Holy Cross I thought I wanted to go to law school, so I spent a year working as a corporate paralegal in a large NYC firm. I quickly decided that wasn’t for me and moved out to San Diego where I worked in biopharma for a few years. After working in business development there, I took a job as a pharmaceutical sales representative at Pfizer. When I had my first son, I left that job to be at home and it was the genesis of my current career. Even though I was at home, I missed the connection to coworkers and the intellectual stimulation. I decided to start a blog and social media and make a job out of it! Later on I was able to utilize my newly acquired skill set to build my own digital branding agency.

3. What were you involved in when you were on campus?

I was a member of the Purple Key Society, participated in SPUD activities, was an alumni interviewer and tutor in the Writer’s Workshop.

4. What was your major and how did it affect your career decisions?

I started off as a pre-med major, but after a year and a half, I transitioned to a Spanish major with a concentration in Latin American Studies.

5. What are one or two skills that you developed at Holy Cross that you use in your work?

Critical thinking and excellent verbal and written communication skills.

6. What advice do you have for students on campus today?

Soak up every minute of your college experience because it goes by fast! Also, don’t be afraid of trying new things and taking a while to figure out what you really want to do in your life. It’s a journey, so have fun along the way!

Name: Zach Turner

Class Year:  2021 (Physics Major, Statistics Minor)

Internship Position: Machine calibration technician & lab data analyst

Employer: East Coast Metrology: Global Measurement Solutions

 

1. Tell us about where you interned over the summer and the kind of work you are doing.

I am interning at East Coast Metrology for the summer in their engineering lab. During this process I worked with 3D laser scanners, 3D measurement arms, laser trackers and other equipment to provide machine calibrations for some of the largest engineering companies in the country. Working with equipment from Blue Origin, Raytheon, Faro, and many other companies, I learned how to put them through our accredited calibration procedure to ensure they are up to industry standards. Along with my work in the calibration lab, I was part of a team that would conduct experimental trials on other materials and equipment and construct data analysis write ups to find the properties of the materials we were working on.

2. Give us an example of how you have applied your academic learnings to your internship?

Through the physics program at Holy Cross, I have learned many valuable skills in the classroom and lab settings. When working with the laser trackers, I am able to apply knowledge about optics, wavelengths, laser refraction, thermal expansion and other concepts to the work I do in the lab to ensure I attain the best results. Lab conduct and machine handling is another skill I learned through my physics lab and the key to using heavy machinery the proper way. The metrology industry focuses on very precise measurements where every possible external variable may have an effect on the final value.  Learning how to problem solve and think through every aspect of variability has proven a very helpful skill learned from the Holy Cross education. Along with the physics background, my work in statistics has proven to be equally beneficial. Using different statistical models to extract key coefficients from lab trials and experiments has been a great help in adjusting to my internship. Adjusting and constructing automated spreadsheets to calculate several findings from each calibration has shown me the connection between statistics and real-world engineering processes. Along with physics and statistics, using my computer science background from Holy Cross has allowed me to create and modify programs used to automate the movement of a given laser tracker and create fluid procedures, eventually saving valuable time in the lab.

3. What has surprised you about being an intern?

One of the earliest adjustment’s I had to learn was the 8-5 work day throughout the week. To apply myself for 9 hours a day is something that took a lot of adjusting to do and how the occupational world differs from that of undergraduate college. The other aspect of my job that surprised me is how important it is to communicate with consumers. The ability to change very scientific language to a consumer into a common vocabulary while being able to still express the main idea of the message has been something I’ve learned a lot from the internship. Having a well-rounded education has been very useful in articulating our numerical findings to consumers looking for the qualitative findings of our work.

4. How did this experience influence or connect to your future career plans / goals?

This experience has given me a great perspective into the engineering field. The ability to familiarize myself with certain software, equipment, and lab practices I would not have had without this opportunity is a huge advantage as I look to further my education and career.  Working in a lab that provides their services to numerous other tech companies has given me the advantage to familiarize myself with other companies in engineering which I may look to network with in the future. The experience of working in a lab 8-5 and the routine it presents is another piece of the experience I am grateful to have received and have some experience into what work environment I enjoy for the future. Partnering this work experience with the well-rounded education I am receiving from Holy Cross is creating multiple career and education paths for my future which I can not wait to explore.

5. Any internship advice to pass on to other Holy Cross students?

For me, going into an internship in a field that I had very little experience in what something I was very uncertain in. Engineering is not a field offered at Holy Cross but with any field or internship, even if not a specific field at Holy Cross, the education preps for an easy transition to any field of study or occupation. I am able to use my physics and statistics background to problem solve find ways to complete tasks using concepts I have been educated on through Holy Cross. Any experience through an internship is useful to either see which field you want to pursue, or if you don’t believe the field, you’re working in is right for you. Growing connections, getting used to the in person work place, and finding what field suits you best are all important things one learns through any internship. This has been a great experience and has shown me the true connection between the education at Holy Cross and the future workforce we are all bound to enter.

Name: Stephanie Tsui

Class Year: 2015

Position: DMD Candidate, Class of 2020 / School of Dental Medicine

 

1. In one sentence, what does your job entail? 

As a dentist, we diagnose and treat problems of the mouth, teeth, and gums.

 

2. What planned and unplanned events connected you to your industry and your first employer after Holy Cross? How did you learn/decided it was a good fit for you?  

During my time at Holy Cross, I enrolled in the academic internship program and was connected to a local Auburn dentist to shadow, while also attending a weekly seminar. The minute I started shadowing the dentists, I immediately fell in love with dentistry. I loved the aspects of patient care, working with my hands, and the overall work life balance of the job. It was through this program, that I decided to pursue dentistry and apply to dental school.

 

3. What were you involved in when you were on campus?

I was involved in inorganic chemistry research in the Herrick lab, was a TA for first and second year chemistry courses, and volunteered weekly through SPUD.

 

4. What was your major and how did it affect your career decisions? 

I majored in chemistry and concentrated in Asian studies. I felt that majoring in chemistry really prepared me for the entrance exam for dental school (DAT) and dental school itself. While I don’t use chemistry in my day to day life, I will always appreciate all that I learned and look back at my days in the lab with my classmates fondly.

 

5. What are one or two skills that you developed at Holy Cross that you use in your work?

I learned to be a life long learner at Holy Cross. I developed great study habits and organizational skills that I utilize to this day. Going into dental school, I was nervous and initially felt I didn’t belong. Those thoughts quickly dissipated once I realized I could handle the course load. I felt confident with my study habits and worth ethic that I developed at Holy Cross.

 

6. What advice do you have for students on campus today?  

Take advantage of all the opportunities that are offered to you daily, especially your alumni network.

Name: John Milligan

Class Year: 2017

Job Title: Political Director

Organization Name: Massachusetts Republican Party 

 

 1. In one sentence, what does your job entail?

 Recruiting, training, and running Republicans for office up and down the ballot here in the Commonwealth.

 

2. What planned and unplanned events connected you to your industry and your first employer after Holy Cross?

When I was a sophomore at Holy Cross my friend Rob Tiro, Class of 2015, ran for school committee in his home town Wakefield. Every Friday night for a few months in the Spring Semester we would drive up to Wakefield and spend our weekends canvassing. During the week we would work on mailings, digital, phone banking, and anything else we could do from his apartment in Williams.

When I graduated a conservative grassroots organization that had helped Rob was looking for a Regional Field Director in Southeastern Mass where I grew up, and that was my first ‘real job’ in politics.

 

3. How did you learn/decide it was a good fit for you?

I still remember that first night when Rob won, and the feeling that came with it. I guess you could say I caught the campaign bug. Thankfully I have had more nights like that, and of course a few on the other side.

 

4. What were you involved in when you were on campus?

On Campus I was heavily involved in Student Life through Gateways Orientation, Residence Life, Mock Trial, and Student Government.

I also studied abroad at the University of St. Andrew’s during the 2016 Presidential Primaries in the United States, on the heels of the Scottish Independence referendum, and in the midst of the Brexit debate.

 

5. What was your major and how did it affect your career decisions?

I was a History major, and also took a significant amount of Political Science courses. I think historical study of our countries founding have influenced by political ideology.

 

6. What are one or two skills that you developed at Holy Cross that you use in your work?

 This may be a cliche answer, but I use the communication skills both written and verbal I developed at Holy Cross each and every day.

Outside of the classroom I served as Program Coordinator and then Head orientation leader for Gateways Orientation. This helped me hone the logistical skills you need to work with campaigns from selectman to U.S. Senate.

 

7. What advice do you have for students on campus today?

No matter when we overcome this virus, the work force you enter will look a lot different than the one I did three short years ago. Think about how you are handling remote learning now, what skills are you developing and how can you market those to employers in your field in the post-virus world.