Posted on

Meet Alumna Paige Cohen ’21, Junior Consultant – Human Services

Name: Paige Cohen

Class Year: 2021

Title: Junior Consultant – Human Services

Organization Name: Public Consulting Group

 

 

1. In one sentence, what does your job entail?
 
In my role, I support projects with state human services agencies, helping agencies design and evaluate programs (examples might be TANF, SNAP, or workforce development programs), increase revenue/cut costs, and ensure regulatory compliance.

 

 

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 first learned about Public Consulting Group (PCG) through a simple LinkedIn job search in the fall of my junior year at Holy Cross, when I saw their posting for a summer internship. After going to the PCG website, I became really intrigued by the concept of public sector consulting and how private businesses can help support state and local governments. I applied, and through more LinkedIn networking, realized that Stephen Skinner, their Director of Marketing, is an HC alum. I connected with Stephen, and he supported me through the interview process and helped me secure my internship with the PCG Marketing team in summer 2020.

 

I really enjoyed my internship, but I was hoping to transition to the consulting side of the business, as I wanted to dig more into policy work. The more limited job market of early 2021 and my lack of quantitative skills made it challenging to land that consulting job right out of Holy Cross. I ended up taking another job doing internal strategy and operations at L.E.K. Consulting for a year after graduation. While at L.E.K., I focused on learning as much as I could about the consulting industry and building up my quantitative/analytical skills. I always kept an eye out for PCG job postings, and in April, I saw an opening for a Junior Consultant role. I emailed Stephen right away to let him know I was applying, and I was delighted to accept a job offer in May. I’ve been in my role for about 6 weeks now and am having a great experience so far.

 

3. What were you involved in when you were on campus?
 
While I was on campus, I was a member of the Varsity Rowing team. I was also a Community-Based Learning Intern, an SGA Cabinet member, and Political Science Student Advisory Committee member.

 

 

4. What was your major and how did it affect your career decisions?
 
I was an English and Political Science double major. I’ve always loved Literature, and the English major gave me a foundational skillset in good writing, reading, and communication. Political Science offered me an application for that skillset, as I thought through and wrote about issues of public policy. My interest in this intersection of policy and communications led me first to an internship at the State Department in the summer of 2019 and then to PCG as both an intern and now a full-time employee.

 

 

5. What are one or two skills that you developed at Holy Cross that you use in your work?
 
Critical thinking and policy analysis are two skills that I developed at Holy Cross that I use often in my work at PCG. Throughout classes at Holy Cross, we were called to “ask more”— to not just memorize information but to think critically about what we were learning. I have to do this sort of critical thinking often at work, as we think about how to make state programs operate more efficiently. I also took several public policy classes at Holy Cross, where I studied and debated many of the government policies that I work with now at PCG.

 

 

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

Be patient! Even if your first job or your first internship isn’t what you wanted, there are many paths to take in your career and your first job is just a first step. Try to make the most of any opportunity you are given at work to build up your skills, so that you are prepared for your next move.
Posted on

Meet Alum Eric Butler ’06, Director of Development at 2U / edX

Name: Eric Butler

Class Year: 2006

Title: Director of Development

Organization Name: 2U / edX

 

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

I work with directly with partners interested in fueling innovation and increasing accessibility on a global scale as it relates to the future of education and workforce development.

 

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? 

Over the years, I have worked in education (secondary education and higher education), but also received my MBA in graduate school. In many ways, my work at 2U/edX, as a global education technology company, combines my passion for education with my interest in business and corporate strategy and engagement. My first job out of college was actually in the Holy Cross Development Office as a Research Analyst where I worked for Holy Cross alumna, Roseann Fitzerald ’78. In this role I was able to work with the Holy Cross Fund staff, major gift officers, planned giving and parent giving team members and the President’s Office. It was a great crash course in advancement work in higher education.

 

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

I was an Admissions Tour Guide, active with Fenwick Theatre and Alternate College Theatre (ACT), and I was a member of the Honors Program and Alpha Sigma Nu. I also was involved with some of Campus Ministry’s retreats and service programs.

 

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

I was a double major in Psychology and Theater. I think the liberal arts in general help make you a more thoughtful, well-rounded, empathetic leader and manager. Also, I expanded my love and knowledge of theater at Holy Cross. To this day, I have stayed involved with the arts by directing local theater, investing and producing commercial Broadway and international shows (An American in Paris, Kinky Boots, On Your Feet, Moulin Rouge), and founding Broadway in Worcester, an initiative that brings A-List Broadway talent to Central MA to perform and work with local students and arts educators.

 

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

Critical thinking. It was a skill that was required through out the curriculum and a skill that is used every day across every professional scenario.

 

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

Take advantage of the opportunities you have through Holy Cross and the career network. Use this time to explore interests on campus and through internships.
Posted on

Meet Alumna Allie Silge ’20, Wealth Strategy Associate

Allie Silge

Class Year: 2020

Title: Wealth Strategy Associate

Organization Name:  UBS Private Wealth Management

 

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

I work on a team that serves Ultra High Net Worth Clients by managing their investments and providing them with holistic wealth management advice and services.

 

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 participated in the Global Wealth Management Internship at UBS the summer before my senior year.  This program was great for getting my foot in the door and leveraging the Holy Cross network at the firm, which ultimately led for me to receive a full time offer at the bank.  Over the course of the summer I was able to learn more about Wealth Management and realized it was the perfect fit for me.  This industry specifically requires a unique skillset that is a cross between technical/analytical skills and social/people skills.  I loved how these two skillsets could be blended into a job that felt right for me. 

 

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

On campus I was involved in: Finance Club, SPUD, Eucharistic Ministry, and Club Tennis.

 

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

I was an Economics Major and Art History Minor.  My economics major largely affected my career decision as I was interested in the broader macro environment and how it affected financial markets.  I was further interested in how this affected someone’s personal financial investments and what types of investments do well in different macro situations.  Overall, I found the interconnectedness of the markets & the economy to be fascinating.

 

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

One of the most important things I learned at Holy Cross was how to write.  I learned this mainly through my history classes, and is truly an invaluable skill that differentiates me from my colleagues.

 

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

  • First, I would say to cherish your time on the Hill – it goes by faster than you think!
  • Second, I would say to keep an open mind when exploring your career options – it is always better to cast a wide net and be open to many different opportunities than to focus on one particular thing.  If anything, I’ve learned that your interests and strengths change as you develop and grow, so remaining open and malleable to this change is so important.
Posted on

Meet Alumna Sarah Street ’22, Communications Assistant, Federal Media

Name: Sarah Street

Class Year: 2022

Title: Communications Assistant, Federal Media

Organization Name: Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC)

 

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

Still getting my bearings, but my job essentially entails fielding press requests, sending press releases, and providing support to multiple people on NRDC’s vast Media team. I act as a liaison between our experts at NRDC and reporters and help make sure all the work we’re doing is publicized and framed effectively for the public.

 

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?

Originally, my plan was to join the Peace Corps post-grad and do some environmental service abroad in the Philippines. However, with everything going on with COVID, the organization had basically shut down sending volunteers abroad and after not hearing anything for months after applying, I decided to start applying for jobs. I’ve known that I wanted to work for an environmental NGO if I had my choice but I applied for probably 60+ jobs in the environmental field in general. I was thrilled when I heard back from NRDC, both because the position in Federal Media was right up my alley as well as knowing the incredible work that NRDC does, especially in law and policy which is potentially where I see myself ending up! After interviewing, I was really excited about the opportunity, but I didn’t hear back from my first interview for weeks. Just about when I’d given up that I’d be going through to the next round, was scheduled for a panel interview… and got offered the job the next day! I knew from the panel that NRDC was the place for me based on the way they explained the collaborative and fast-paced culture, opportunities for professional development and advancement, their commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, and just the warm and welcoming attitude they all greeted me with.

 

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

On campus, I was a member of the varsity women’s ice hockey team, I was secretary of Eco-Action, and Senior Editor of the Purple Literary Magazine. I also worked part-time at the Hart Center and participated in Working for Worcester. I also volunteered off-campus at Mass Audubon’s Broad Meadow Brook and had two internships while at school with the Humane Society of the US and Dismas House.

 

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

My major was International Studies and my minor was Environmental Studies. I picked up Environmental Studies my sophomore year after taking Environmental Political Philosophy with Professor Kendy Hess. That’s when I knew that I wanted to commit my life to the environment and since then, I’ve combined the global interdisciplinary knowledge I’ve gained in both my major and minor to look at careers for the planet that take into account our whole world and ways that we can work together to combat the climate crisis.

 

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

During my time at Holy Cross, I developed my ability to be a self-advocate. This has been in school, in sports, and in my professional career. By learning how to advocate effectively for myself with my professors, during internships, and in the community, I was able to graduate with three internships under my belt, my own money in the bank, the ability to time manage with a ton on my plate, a varsity letter, and a 3.8 GPA. Now, I’m using this skill in my career and helped me not only to get the job, but now that I have it. I’m excited to use my self advocacy skills to, ask for help when I need it, network internally, and pursue projects that I’m passionate about.

 

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

My advice for students on campus today is to get as much experience in the things that they are passionate about as they can. My internships have seriously set me up for success and put me ahead of a lot of my peers at NRDC who are starting from scratch. But, my other piece of advice is to just make the most out of your time at Holy Cross even if it doesn’t relate directly to the career you think you want. I am so glad I spent time on the Purple simply because I love poetry and ultimately, it still gave me skills I’m able to apply in my life now. I’m also grateful for all the times that I wasn’t doing work and was just spending time with my friends, because before you know it you’ll be out in the real world and these will be the memories you will most cherish.