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Meet Alum Daniel O’Brien ’17, PhD Candidate, Georgetown

Name: Daniel O’Brien

Class Year: 2017

Title: PhD Candidate at Georgetown

 

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

I’m designing and building a “smart BandAid”-like patch for monitoring patient health.

 

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

I wanted to experience physics research, so I applied for and was accepted to an NSF-REU program at Georgetown after my sophomore year at Holy Cross. After, graduation, I ended up returning for grad school.

 

3. How did you learn/decide it was a good fit for you?    
My department is small and has a great community, just like HC Physics! After getting to know everybody on a first-name basis, I was sure it was the spot for me.

 

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

I was in the society of physics students, acting as president during senior year. The rest of my time was taken by intramural sports.
5. What was your major and how did it affect your career decisions?
I was a physics major at HC, and my time in class taught me analytical skills that I’m sure will carry on for years. I hope to stay in STEM, moving to either micro-scale device fabrication, medical work, or climate science after grad school.
6. What are one or two skills that you developed at Holy Cross that you use in your work? 
My writing – every day. I write papers, grant applications, etc. When I’m not in lab, I’m either writing or analyzing data, so I recommend you take those CRAW classes seriously and don’t go skipping lecture.
7. What advice do you have for students today?
Get more involved! I wish I spent more time as an ally & engaging with BSU, Pride, POW, LASO, etc. Every community needs allyship in order to extend its reach, and that’s a sphere I wish I spent more time in. Also: take advantage of those common area requirements. They’re not just check boxes to tick — you can gain so much by really taking advantage of the liberal arts offerings.

 
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Meet Alum Patrick C. Drain ’01, Deputy Foreign Policy Advisor to the Chief of Naval Operations

Name: Patrick C. Drain

Class Year: 2001

Job Title: Deputy Foreign Policy Advisor to the Chief of Naval Operations

Military Rank: Commander (O-5)

Organization Name: US Navy

 

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

I support the Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) through his Foreign Policy Advisor to by providing key information, analysis, and specific advice on a wide range of diplomatic and political-military issues that concern the U.S. Navy.

 

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?

I joined the US Navy in 2001 upon graduating from Holy Cross, and initially I served as a Surface Warfare Officer.  It was a pretty good fit, but after about a decade I realized there was a better option for me within the Navy.

 In 2011, I transferred into the Foreign Area Officer (FAO) Community in the Navy, which placed me in a cadre of Middle East (CENTCOM)-focused officers and offered one year of Arabic language training and a Master’s Degree in National Security Studies.

My focus was to do my best as a Middle East FAO, and this eventually earned me enough recognition to be asked by name to join the CNO’s personal staff.

My tip on knowing if something is a good fit: If on most days you wake up in the morning and look forward to going to work, then you’re in the right place.  If on most occasions this doesn’t happen, then you should probably look for a new job.

 

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

 

Reserve Officer Training Corps (ROTC), all four years

Student Government Association – Class VP (freshman and sophomore years), SGA Parliamentarian (Junior Year)

Resident Assistant (Junior Year)

Students for Responsible Choices (Senior Year)

First Year Program

 

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

 

Political Science.  It was a reflection of my interest in international affairs, and I do not think it affected any of my career decisions.  I could have majored in anything at Holy Cross and gone down the same path.  They critical thing Holy Cross gave me is a firm foundation in thinking deeply about issues and the capability to intelligently express my ideas.

 

 

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

 

Writing.  The amount of writing – and the thorough analysis of our writing, at Holy Cross helped to hone a crucially important skill for many, many jobs.

 

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

 

 Stick with what you love to do – you’ll work with more enthusiasm in these fields than you would otherwise.  Even if doing what you love means you will be starting at the bottom of what seems like an impossibly long ladder, it will be worth it in the long run.  People notice enthusiasm, and it will open doors you cannot imagine.

 

Don’t stick with jobs that are “comfortable.”  Once you get good at something and you feel like you’ve learned what you need to learn and you’ve got it down, it’s time to start thinking about where you want to go next.  Look to do things that will push your envelope and force you to learn more and be more than the comfortable job ever would.

 

Minor in a foreign language and aim for fluency.

 

Take a statistics course.
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Meet Alumna Melissa Howland ’15, Senior Program Coordinator for Off-Campus Programs, Boston University

Name: Melissa Howland

Class Year: 2015

Title: Senior Program Coordinator for Off-Campus Programs

Organization Name: Boston University, School of Social Work

 

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

My job entails coordinating events, class schedules, faculty assignments, student services and advising to Masters of Social Work students across our four Off-Campus satellite locations around the state.

 

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?  

Right out of college I thought I wanted to work in emergency management and was offered a position with FEMA, but due to some health issues I was not able to take the position. I then started thinking about education since right out of high school I thought I wanted to become a teacher. I applied to work with an organization called College Possible at their Philadelphia office to work with high school students. I was offered a position in their St. Paul office working with college students. Although it was not what I thought I originally wanted, I accepted and that decision has helped shape my career in higher education and non-profits since.

I learned that I enjoyed working with college students, especially in an advising capacity and working with them through the transition from high school to college. I quickly learned that I was not destined to be a classroom teacher and I really appreciated working with students one-on-one. I now work in a bit of a different capacity where I get to develop and administer a program to continually enhance the student-experience.

 

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

When I was a student, I was involved with the Student Advisory Committee for the Sociology & Anthropology department, I studied abroad in La Coruna, Spain and I worked in lower Kimball.

 

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

I was an Anthropology major and completed a concentration in Latin American & Latino Studies. The biggest takeaway for me from this major was that I enjoyed learning about people and hearing their stories. This became evident when I started advising students because I was able to build relationships with them that allowed us to develop plans for them to reach their own academic or personal goals.

 

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

Some major skills I developed at Holy Cross were my time management and organizational skills. Especially the few semester I was taking 5 classes, I had to stay on top of my readings and assignments or I would quickly fall behind. When I was managing caseloads of between 80-150 students it was critical to keep on top of my workload and now managing four satellite campuses, it is critical I stay organized to deliver an equitable program across all sites and stay on task for the many different deadlines throughout the academic year.

I also learned how to say yes to a lot of opportunities while at Holy Cross which is something I have carried with me. I said yes to many events on campus that led me to meeting many people, trying out classes I otherwise would not have signed up for and attending events put on by all different clubs. This has continued in how I have made career choices, from applying for jobs outside of my comfort zone to moving across the country for different opportunities. It has even guided me back to school, as I am now a Master’s in Business Administration candidate with a focus on Social Impact.

 

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

I would encourage students to take advantage of the many opportunities around campus to try out new experiences and build their resume. I was involved in a few things but really regret not doing more. I would also encourage students to reach out to alumni or others in their network to learn about all types of jobs. Mostly, be willing to step outside your comfort zone, try something new and maybe take a chance on something even if it not exactly what you think you want. It could be the best choice you ever make!
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Meet Alum Bill Garey ’14, Director of Acquisitions, Taurus Investment Holdings

Name:Bill Garey

Class Year: 2014

Title: Director of Acquisitions

Organization Name:Taurus Investment Holdings

 

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

Sourcing & underwriting acquisition opportunities across the commercial real estate sector.

 

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?

I started working at Wells Fargo in their Real Estate Banking Group. I wanted an analyst role with high deal volume to start understanding the industry and the different sectors within it. I was always interested in real estate and learned more by speaking with Holy Cross alumni in the industry. Through continuing to network and experience on the job, I was able to decipher which areas were the best fit for my interests.

 

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

 Intramurals, SGA and club basketball.

 

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

 I was an economics major. I knew I wanted to go into business and it helped prepare me to think critically and understand the larger economy.

 

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

My writing ability and critical thinking. The broad education at Holy Cross has been hugely beneficial early in my career. While I was focused on technical knowledge and understanding the numbers in business, I underestimated the importance of strong writing and critical thinking. Holy Cross gave me a strong foundation to write succinctly, clearly articulate my thoughts and try to understand situations from different perspectives.

 

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

Network and follow up. The Holy Cross alumni are incredibly generous with their time and most are happy to provide advice. If they don’t answer you, don’t be discouraged – they are likely busy. Feel free to follow up and keep in touch with the people you meet. A better network helps you at all stages of your career.
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Meet Alumna Erin Kenning ’17, Global Senior PR Manager

Name: Erin Kenning

Class Year: 2017

Title: Global Senior PR Manager

Organization Name: Galvan London

 

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

I am responsible for achieving the overall positioning and image goals of the brand on a global level through editorial placements, celebrity dressings, influencer activations, digital PR, and branded events.

 

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?  

I always imagined myself working in the fashion industry since I was a young girl, but I didn’t know exactly what field I wanted to be in. When I was a freshman, I attended a Holy Cross fashion networking event at alumni Carolyn Risoli’s home in NYC. At this event, I met Erika Bearman who was the SVP of Global Communications and PR at Oscar de la Renta. After hearing Erika speak about her career at the event, I reconnected with her through email to speak more about her career path. We met at Oscar de la Renta’s HQ in New York, and soon after she offered me a summer internship in the PR department. From the moment I entered the PR closet and became immersed in the PR world of fashion, I knew then and there that I was exactly where I was supposed to be. I continued to intern at Oscar de la Renta for almost two years every winter and summer break. After I graduated, a woman from the Oscar de la Renta PR team offered me a position at a new company she was moving to called Solid & Striped. It was a unique role where I would help build and establish the first in-house global communications and PR team, which jump started my career.

 

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

I was involved in HC Fashion Society and volunteered at Blaire House (Alzheimer’s home) and Girls Inc. in Worcester.

 

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

I was an English major with a concentration in creative writing. I don’t think that my major necessarily affected my career decisions, however it certainly helped me in my career as it is very important to be able to speak and write articulately in PR.

 

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

The key skill that I developed at Holy Cross was to be a divergent, unconventional thinker which I attribute to my liberal arts education.

 

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

Never stop learning. If you are the smartest person in the room, you’re in the wrong place.