career development

Job Shadows Emphasize Relationships in Hospitality

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A mutually beneficial relationship developed last fall between Kalamazoo College students and Greenleaf Hospitality Group (GHG), as the local business sought new ways to recruit prospective interns and recent college graduates to its employment opportunities.

That’s when GHG—which runs hotels, event centers, restaurants, retail outlets and more in the city—worked with K’s Principles of Marketing class, led by L. Lee Stryker Professor of Business Management Amy MacMillan. Students in the class presented ideas, and one in particular—generated by Savannah Chapie ’27, Jillian Smith ’27, Robert Ahlgren ’27, Matthew Matuza ’27 and Eamonn Burns ’27—received a real-world green light. The five recommended building a new job-shadowing program that could show career-minded students the benefits of the hospitality industry.

“We decided to show people that hospitality has a lot more that goes into it than most people think,” Chapie said. “It has duties like marketing, sales, human resources and more. We also used surveys to ask K and Western Michigan University students what their existing ideas of hospitality were and whether they knew what Greenleaf was and what they wanted out of their career.”

The process generated excitement from students and praise from GHG. Then, when the class ended, Chapie and Smith continued helping the business recruit students, first-year students and sophomores in particular, for spring opportunities.

“We thought first years and sophomores would be best for the job shadow because they were most likely to not yet know what they want to do with their careers,” Smith said. “It was a way to open up the doors for them and get them to see the benefits of the industry.”

It’s not unusual for K students to secure job shadows, but these were distinctive for the ultimate recipients—Victoria Gutierrez ’28, Nolan Jannenga ’27, Avery Hall ’28 and Bradley Eziuka ’28—because the opportunities were developed by two of their fellow students in cooperation with a company located only a mile from campus. The shadows helped the four students gain firsthand experience involving the hospitality industry along with clearer goals for developing their careers.

“I was interested in the job shadow with GHG because of its prior collaboration with Kalamazoo College,” Eziuka said. “I found the opportunity to gain a better understanding of GHG intriguing because I might work with them more as I advance through my school years.”

In addition to their core experiences, the students also shadowed several key departments, including Sales with Director of Sales Laura Ayan, Event Planning with Special Events Producer Lindsay Davies, and Golf Management at Kalamazoo Country Club with Director of Instruction Scott Adland.

All four shadowers spent a full day both downtown and at Kalamazoo Country Club, where they had the opportunity to meet with several organizational leaders, including Recruiting Manager Meg Brake, Finance Director Brian Beam, Vice President of Marketing and Technology Services Sarah Olszowy, and Senior Sales Manager Derrick Ricca. In the afternoon, they also met with Executive Director of Human Resources Stephanie Farrell, who offered personalized advice on their career goals and shared how the hospitality industry can align with a wide range of individual interests.

Did the students chosen find the opportunity to be valuable? Yes, beyond any shadow of a doubt.

“I’d say the opportunity absolutely provided me with clarity regarding my career path and sparked a genuine interest in the hospitality industry,” Eziuka said. “During my conversation with Derrick Ricca, he emphasized the importance of relationships within his department of the business—something I could strongly relate to, as I’ve become increasingly social and have been steadily improving my interpersonal skills. His dedication to the quality and condition of his clients’ experiences further piqued my interest. In addition to Derrick’s insights, Stephanie Farrell offered valuable advice about career development. I shared my interest in wealth management and finance, along with a budding entrepreneurial mindset, and she encouraged me to explore various roles throughout college. She highlighted that understanding that who you become during these experiences can play a crucial role in discovering a career that aligns with your personal goals.”

Chapie and Smith agreed the project was a success from their perspectives—so much so that they will have a chance to improve upon the program in the 2025–26 academic year.

“We hope that this will prove to be just a start for these shadows,” Smith said. “We would like to run these throughout the next few years and let them get bigger, because Greenleaf does have some amazing opportunities that we didn’t even realize were possible until we started working on this project.”

“Maybe going forward, we can have the event once per trimester with 15 students or so in the hopes of helping those undecided on their majors build some career ideas,” Chapie said. “It’s a big deal to be able to network and create opportunities for yourself. And speaking for both of us, it’s been a way to help ourselves network and make more connections, as well.”

Two students doing job shadows at Greenleaf Hospitality Group
Savannah Chapie ’27 (left) and Jillian Smith ’27, two students from Kalamazoo College’s Principles of Marketing class, helped Greenleaf Hospitality Group conduct job shadows designed to interest a new generation of students in the hospitality industry.
Four students with Executive Director of Human Resources Stephanie Farrell during job shadows
Executive Director of Human Resources Stephanie Farrell (middle) meets students during a day of job shadows at Greenleaf Hospitality Group.
Four students attend job shadows
Meg Brake (right) and Rhiannon Zielinski (far left) meet with Kalamazoo College students during a day of job shadows.
Students attend job shadows meeting
Recruiting Manager Meg Brake, Jade Ward and students meet during their job shadows.

Spring Break Job Shadows Enlighten Students, Benefit Hosts

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While some students spent spring break relaxing on beaches, several Kalamazoo College students took a different route, immersing themselves in the professional world through a new job-shadowing initiative.

K in the Zoo, organized through the Center for Career and Professional Development (CCPD), connected students with alumni and local businesses in professions ranging from lab science to education, and project management to marketing. For many participants—such as Anna Phyo ’27—it offered a rare, hands-on glimpse into the day-to-day life of a potential future career.

“I’m really grateful I had this opportunity through the CCPD and I hope they do it again for more students,” Phyo said. “I believe it was beneficial, not only to the students who participated, but the companies as well because everyone got to talk with talented people. Spring break was a great time to do it, too. I didn’t have any other plans, and as an international student, I didn’t have time to go back to my home country, so it was good to learn something, engage with the recruiting process, and begin to create a career.”

Phyo, an international student from Myanmar, majors in computer science and business and minors in Japanese while working as a student assistant for the Information Systems Help Desk. One of her supervisors at the Help Desk sent her a link with information about K in the Zoo and encouraged her to apply for it.

A student job shadows with four alumni at SalesPage
Haziel Cerroblanco ’28 (from left) is among the Kalamazoo College students who took advantage of spring break in March to job shadow at local businesses. As a bonus, his experience at SalesPage Technologies allowed him to network with four K alumni: Ana Evans ’02, Ranjeet Ghorpade ’15, Jasmin Murillo ’22 and Trevor Hunsanger ’22.
Student job shadows at a preschool with two Kalamazoo College alumnae
Emily Perez ’28 (right) Perez observed substitute teacher Mason Bower ’09 (left) and program director/lead teacher Debbie Long ’89 (middle) at Calvary Kids Co-Op Preschool in Mattawan, Michigan.
Student on job shadowing experience with a Greenleaf Hospital Group employee
Anna Phyo ’27 (right) job shadows with Greenleaf Hospitality Group Recruiting Manager Meg Brake during Phyo’s job-shadowing experience. Phyo will have an internship this summer in Traverse CIty, Michigan, thanks in part to some advice she received during her visit to GHG.
Student job shadows with Kalamazoo College alumnus at Sleeping Giant Capital
Alumnus Doug Lepisto ’04, a co-founder of Sleeping Giant Capital, met Schareene Romero ’27 to share firsthand career experiences and a practical understanding of his role in business with her during a job-shadowing opportunity.

After the CCPD compared students’ interests with volunteering employers, Phyo was matched with Greenleaf Hospitality Group (GHG) at the Radisson Plaza Hotel in downtown Kalamazoo. It led to a full day for her that included meeting with managers from recruiting, hotel operations, event sales and services, technology services, marketing and human resources.

“I had never known much about the hospitality industry before this,” Phyo said. “I talked with a lot of managers, so I got detailed information about how they operate. The impressive thing is that the people are very friendly. That’s how I learned how important people are for their company. They say, ‘employees first,’ and then the employees, as a result, treat the customer well.”

During the shadowing, GHG Service Desk Engineer Alex Peterson suggested that Phyo take an online course on essential Google Cloud infrastructure. The lessons have helped Phyo secure a summer internship at Hagerty, an automotive lifestyle and insurance company, in Traverse City, Michigan. Plus, the shadowing experience overall has taught Phyo that she would like to be a technical support professional for GHG.

“As a student, I love that they’re very close by, being located downtown,” Phyo said. “And after graduation, I don’t want to have to move to another state because I have friends and a host family here. I love the company, their culture, and their inclusive, collaborative and positive environment.”

Alex Quesada ’25, a double major in business and psychology, visited another major Kalamazoo-area employer. Stryker is a global leader in medical technologies, devices and equipment. He said it was a no-brainer to participate in K in the Zoo.

“It’s not easy to try to have career conversations with people you don’t know,” he said. “You might try to email someone or try messaging them on LinkedIn. And yes, you’re building your network that way, but that can be intimidating. Doing these job shadows lessens the idea that you might be faced with rejection. An experience like this makes career exploration more exciting. I see a lot of the people who work in the CCPD because I work in the Center for International Programs and we share an office. I see a lot of their faculty and staff, so I trust them, and they made it super easy.”

At Stryker, he met Andrea Fleckenstein ’15, an experienced project manager, who shared her background and discussed her career path after K. Ultimately, Quesada decided that project management isn’t what he wants to pursue in his career, but he found the experience to be beneficial, especially for the opportunity to talk with a K alumna.

“With my current job search, one of my anxieties is that my degree is not super specialized,” he said. “With Andrea, I could ask how she leverages her liberal arts skills to enter the real world and the job market as someone with a broad degree. It helped to hear that Andrea said she didn’t major in business; she majored in French and political science, and now does project management for Stryker. It was reassuring to ask, ‘How did you do it?’ and ‘How did you end up here?’ She kept saying that it’s because K teaches you how to think and ask good questions.”

 Many alumni hosts said they benefited from similar career networking experiences as students and were happy to pay it forward to current students.

“I know that when I was in school, I had the opportunity to talk with and be guided by those that had come before me, so I wanted to make sure that I was providing the same opportunity to current students,” said Christina Anderson, Kalamazoo’s city planner and deputy director of community planning and economic development. Anderson welcomed Anne Galin ’26 to her office, spending the day with her while attending public meetings.

“I was so appreciative that she just dove right in,” Anderson said. “She figured out what needed to be done and where I needed help, and she had the ability to participate in the discussion. She had no qualms about it and got right to the work of the night, which was discussing the city’s strategic vision goals. She took the initiative to ask us a lot of questions.”

Anderson also provided Galin with some advice.

“We talked about taking future opportunities and how not liking them can be as valuable as loving them,” Anderson said. “Crossing things off is just as important as understanding what you want to do. We talked about staying involved, whether it’s with the City of Kalamazoo or other organizations, and to keep up with what the city is doing as a way to integrate yourself into your community. When you’re here as a student nine to 10 months out of the year, make the city a better place for yourself and all the students who will come after you. Ask how you can positively shape your community.”

The city’s chief operating officer also is a K alumna and a current assistant cross-country coach, so she feels a strong connection to the College.

“My roots run deep with K, and as an individual who benefited significantly from service learning and my experiences there, I’m deeply committed to helping students expand their career horizons and understand more about the real world by giving them a chance to experience local government as I see it every day,” said Laura Lam ’99, whose husband, Daniel Lam ’98, also attended K.

She welcomed Hollis Masterson ’26, who majors in political science and history.

“The opportunity presented itself and I had that initial question of, ‘Am I too busy?’ I then thought no matter how busy I was, interacting with students would inspire me, too,” Lam said.

To cater an experience to Masterson based on his interests, Lam connected him with Vice Mayor Jeanne Hess—a K professor emerita and former volleyball coach—for a conversation about what it’s like to be an elected official in Kalamazoo; Anderson because she spent some time on Capitol Hill in D.C.; and City Clerk Scott Borling along with Deputy City Clerk Shelby Moss, who are responsible for hosting elections.

“I can’t tell you how impressed I was with Hollis’ preparedness,” Lam said. “I believe I set the bar pretty high for K students, but he came with a longer list of thoughtful questions than I could have possibly imagined. With his eager, thoughtful, helpful questions, there was never a lull in conversation. He asked about the things that interested him and I’m sure he was the same way in the other meetings I planned for him.”

With such positive reviews coming from all sides, K in the Zoo students were more than passive observers. Their meetings were more about engaging in conversations and talking about careers. It proved to be a pilot program that CCPD Associate Director Rachel Wood hopes to replicate for more students in the years ahead.

“I’m so grateful to our incredible hosts and student participants for making the first K in the Zoo such a success,” Wood said. “The energy and insight from both sides made it clear this is something worth growing. These place-based, hands-on experiences are exactly what help students apply what they’re learning in the classroom to real possibilities for life after K. I’m excited to expand the program with more hosts and new opportunities moving forward, especially in partnership with the greater Kalamazoo community and local employers who are eager to support the next generation.”

‘Colleges Worth Your Money’ Highlights K

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A book endorsed by education authors, reporters and professionals that highlights the value of 200 colleges and universities across the country features Kalamazoo College for the third consecutive year.

Colleges Worth Your Money: A Guide to What America’s Top Schools Can Do for You factors cost, career services offerings and return on investment along with 75 key statistics about each institution. It provides K with praise and high marks for its small class sizes, attractive career services offerings, outstanding professional outcomes, high graduation rates, international experiences, and need-based and merit-based financial aid packages.

“The school’s ascendance into the national spotlight can be traced to 1996 when the school was included in Loren Pope’s popular book, Colleges That Change Lives,” it says. “This is, indeed, an institution of higher learning that grants undergrads a personalized and bountiful four years of education. If the cost fits into your plan, then it is absolutely worth your money.”

K is the only private school in Michigan featured in Colleges Worthy Your Money, which is available now at bookstores and online. Learn more about the book at the College Transitions blog.

Colleges Worth Your Money Book Cover
Kalamazoo College is one of 200 institutions of higher education featured in “Colleges Worth Your Money: A Guide to What America’s Top Schools Can Do for You.”

K Student’s Dedication Leads to Behind-the-Scenes Work at the Olympics

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Uyen Trinh Next to the Olympics Rings
Uyen Trinh ’21 stands next to the Olympic Rings in Tokyo.

It takes dedication, perseverance and determination for the world’s best athletes to reach the Olympics, just as it did for Uyen Trinh ’21 to be a part of the behind-the-scenes efforts at the Summer Games in Tokyo. She was there to gain global career experience while working as an accountant in the Finance Department of Olympic Broadcasting Services (OBS). 

OBS was established through the International Olympic Committee in 2001 to produce live television, radio and digital coverage of the Olympic and Paralympic Games. Organizations such as the New York Times and NBC set up, along with OBS, at Tokyo Big Sight, an international exhibition center composed of the International Broadcast Center and the Main Press Center as the Games began. 

Uyen Trinh at the Olympics
Uyen Trinh ’21 poses in front of Tokyo Big Sight, the international
exhibition center where she worked to support the Olympics behind the scenes.

Trinh, an international student from Vietnam majoring in business and psychology with a minor in Japanese at K, played important roles processing paperwork, receipts, documents and bills for the Olympic Games while stationed in the International Broadcasting Center. A typical six-day workweek involved a one-hour commute on the subway, a trip through security and working from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. each day with the Olympics, lasting about a month. 

Trinh gained the opportunity while studying abroad through K at Waseda University in Tokyo in 2019. At that time, a friend from the university’s Tae Kwon Do club told her about training for a position at the Olympics.  

“After Tae Kwon Do practice that night, I looked up OBS right away because it sounded like a fascinating opportunity,” Trinh said. “I found out the application deadline was a day or two later, so I filled out and submitted the application right away in one sitting.”

Uyen Trinh at the Finance Department for the Olympics
Uyen Trinh ’21 poses for a photo outside the Olympic Broadcasting Services
Finance Department where she worked during the Games.

Trinh then proceeded to interview for the accounting position.

“In the interviews, I told them I wanted to work for the Olympics because watching the Games has always given me unforgettable feelings,” she said. “And the Japanese people had been treating me really well. I thought Tokyo 2020 was a great opportunity to present Japan to the world. It was a chance for me to return the favor of their kindness and help deliver a positive image of Japan.” 

Her interest in accounting made the impression she left with her interviewers even more favorable. 

“I said that I wanted to do accounting because I’d been keeping track of my personal expenses and it really excited me to see numbers matching up,” Trinh said. “A week later I got a certificate saying I was qualified to work for the Olympics.” 

However, in March 2020, COVID-19 began spreading, forcing Trinh to leave Japan and putting the Games in doubt.

“I still kept a close eye on the Olympics and was disheartened when they decided to postpone the Games. I questioned my chances of coming back,” Trinh said. “September 2020 was the first time I heard back from them. They asked, ‘Are you still interested in working for the Olympics?’ I thought, ‘What do you mean? This is everything I have been waiting for.’ All the logistics afterward in preparation for my departure to Japan were completed via email and the OBS portal website. I received their welcome package in February 2021 with an accreditation card, which served as my visa to enter Japan. There were a lot of requirements regarding COVID that made the week before the flight especially stressful.” 

Upon her return to Japan, COVID-19 regulations required her to quarantine at a hotel for the first 14 days. She was restricted to commuting only between the hotel, OBS and a convenience store next to the hotel. After those weeks, a former host family from her time on study abroad welcomed her to stay with them.  

“I learned to treasure every relationship I had with people. You never know what kind of opportunity anyone could bring to you and what your relationship could grow to be. Most of my colleagues were from countries other than Japan like Spain, Bangladesh and Greece. It’s just wonderful to think that working for the Olympics has enabled people from all over the world to meet and get to know each other regardless of the pandemic. Returning to Japan this time also made me realize how many meaningful relationships I have made during only six months of study abroad. This whole adventure was terrific and I’m so glad I was able to make it. Different from the abrupt departure last time because of COVID, I left Japan this time in peace and with more confidence in myself. This valuable experience will set the stage for my career in finance after K.”

Senior Week Readies Graduates-to-Be for Jobs

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Senior Week
The Center for Career and Professional Development is helping seniors concerned about preparing for and facing the job market during a pandemic. Senior Week will offer one-on-one meetings between students and alumni, career coaching and more.

When Kalamazoo College students talk about what they need from their education and career preparedness, they can bet the Center for Career and Professional Development is listening.

The CCPD staff proved that this spring when seniors spoke publicly about the worries they have for life after K in the pandemic’s wake, and in response, the CCPD unveiled plans for Senior Week, May 17-21.

The biggest highlight of the week will come from seniors meeting one-on-one in career-building sessions with K alumni. About 60 alumni already have agreed to participate in these Hornet Huddles from a variety of industries and fields, and more are expected.

Seniors can sign up now through Handshake with this how-to video as guidance. A list of the alumni volunteering is available with their companies and organizations, industries and job titles. The goal is to provide seniors new perspectives of how to reach success in the job market from alumni successful in similar fields. Some of the alumni are looking to specifically help students of color or first-generation students. Others are open to meeting with any senior. Registration will be available through May 14.

In addition, seniors also can expect guidance from career coaches, senior spotlights through social media and a push for students to respond to their first-destination surveys, which will help the CCPD guide seniors still looking for their first post-graduation jobs.

Guidance from career coaches

Career coaches are available to seniors year-round. During senior week, they’re available exclusively to seniors. Coaches can help students take career assessments, choose from employment or graduate school options and improve resumes, cover letters, and personal statements. Available appointments are plentiful and drop-in hours will be available from noon to 1 p.m. daily through Teams.

First-destination survey push

When seniors complete the survey in spring, it tells CCPD staff what those still looking for their first post-graduation jobs need and how the CCPD can help. Staff have committed to follow up with every senior still looking, and they’re offering a drawing for 10 $25 GrubHub gift cards for those who respond by May 21.

Senior spotlights

The CCPD’s Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube channels will feature content during Senior Week that is specifically geared toward seniors.

Alumni Want to Help Students Network, Launch Careers

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K to the Pacific Northwest image advertises careers event
Six alumni, representing a variety of Kalamazoo College majors and diverse professions, will represent Starbucks, Microsoft, HealthSparq, Payscale, Hulu and Intellectual Ventures, while networking with students to help them build their careers from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Thursday, March 4, during K to the Pacific Northwest.

A group of Kalamazoo College alumni is calling upon itself to help students overcome pandemic-prompted challenges so they can build their networks and launch their careers.

“One of the beautiful aspects of K is that we have such a rich cadre of alums who want to engage with students related to their career preparation,” Center for Career and Professional Development Director Tricia Zelaya-Leon said. “It’s a good challenge to have when there’s so much excitement and enthusiasm from alumni that they come to me and ask how they can help.”

For this particular group of alumni, the answer is coming through K-Treks, the career-immersion experiences that typically allow students to visit alumni and explore interesting professions around the country. With K-Treks temporarily being virtual, cost is not a factor in determining how many students can attend. It also allows more alumni representing a greater variety of majors and business fields to connect with students, revealing more pathways to finding their passions and their jobs.

The additional alumni are allowing the CCPD to expand Thursday’s virtual K-Treks, originally planned as K to Starbucks, to K to the Pacific Northwest (K2PNW). Six alumni, representing a variety of K majors and diverse professions, will represent not only Starbucks, but also Microsoft, HealthSparq, Payscale, Hulu and Intellectual Ventures, while networking with students on March 4 from 5:30 to 7 p.m.

“I don’t want students to think that their major doesn’t matter. However, it is just one piece of the puzzle.” Zelaya-Leon said. “A major is really about helping students find a passion they’re interested in and not just a measure that will lead them to career success. The beauty of the alumni that we have attending this virtual K-Trek series is that many of them had more than one major or the work they do now is very different from what you might expect someone with that major to do.”

The alumni panelists and their majors and careers include:

  • James Burns ’05, an economics and business major, who serves as the director of in-game monetization in Microsoft Stores on Xbox with Microsoft.
  • Alison Greco ’95, a psychology major, who serves as the director of product and UX at HealthSparq.
  • Casey Herron ’07, a mathematics major, who is the senior data scientist at Payscale Inc.
  • Steve June ’03, an English and philosophy major, who is the principal of commerce solutions at Starbucks.
  • Patrick Neaton ’05, an economics and business major, who works as the senior technical program manager at Hulu.
  • Rita Rogers ’06, an art and art history major, who serves as the director of corporate communications, Intellectual Ventures.

All students are welcome to participate by registering at any time before the event through Handshake. Students who attend will receive the contact information for the alumni participants.

“I keep thinking about the senior year for the classes of 2020 and 2021, and how unexpected their experiences have been for them,” Zelaya-Leon said. “This isn’t the way they thought it was going to go, and I feel for them. These K-Treks are open to all students, but they’re especially for the seniors. I hope they’ll continue to come see us for help after these events are over.”

Amazon, K Students to Network in Career Development Event

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Pacific Northwest Scenery Near Amazon Facilities
Several Kalamazoo College alumni work at Amazon in roles such as marketing, human resources and business development. K students will have a chance to network with them Thursday, February 11.

K to the Pacific Northwest, a series of K-Treks helping students network virtually with alumni at global companies, is continuing from 7:30 to 9 p.m. Thursday with K to Amazon.

Offered through the Center for Career and Professional Development (CCPD), K-Treks are traditionally career-immersion experiences in which students travel to explore jobs of interest. With virtual experiences this term, all students are invited to participate regardless of their major.

Several K alumni work at Amazon in roles such as marketing, human resources and business development at facilities such as the Amazon Spheres. Some of those alumni were recently featured in LuxEsto, the College’s digital magazine.

“We tell students that the best path to landing a job or an internship is through one’s network,.” CCPD Assistant Director for External Relations Valerie Miller said. “Recruiters might sift through hundreds of resumes for a single job posting, but someone in your network can open doors to unknown companies and opportunities. Even virtually, you can’t beat an opportunity to meet K alumni and expand your network.”

Amazon focuses on e-commerce, cloud computing, digital streaming and artificial intelligence, and is one of the world’s most valuable global brands. Students may register for K to Amazon, co-sponsored by the Marketing and Investment Club, through Handshake at any time before the event. While at Handshake, students may also register for K to Starbucks, slated for March 4.

Learn more about this term’s K-Treks at the CCPD website.

K Students to Connect with Nike, More Global Companies

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K to Nike graphic with a view of the Pacific Northwest
K to the Pacific Northwest, a virtual series of K-Treks this term, will begin with K to Nike from 3 to 4:30 p.m. this Thursday. All students are welcome to register through Handshake to network with alumni and get to know what it takes to succeed at a global company.

More students than usual will have a chance to participate in three K-Treks this term that will help them network with Kalamazoo College alumni and get to know what it takes to work at global companies such as Nike, Amazon and Starbucks.

K-Treks, offered through the Center for Career and Professional Development (CCPD), are traditionally career-immersion experiences in which students travel to explore jobs of interest. With virtual experiences this term, cost is not a factor in determining how many students can attend. A more expansive group can be included with all benefiting from enriching opportunities to make meaningful professional connections and get a feel for professional life at a specific business.

The events, collectively called K to the Pacific Northwest this term, begin with K to Nike from 3 to 4:30 p.m. this Thursday. K to Amazon, scheduled for 7:30 to 9 p.m. Thursday, February 11; and K to Starbucks, slated for Thursday, March 4, also are available.

“We tell students that the best path to landing a job or an internship is through one’s network.” CCPD Assistant Director for External Relations Valerie Miller said. “Recruiters might sift through hundreds of resumes for a single job posting, but someone in your network can open doors to unknown companies and opportunities. Even virtually, you can’t beat an opportunity to meet K alumni and expand your network.”

Students may sign up for any or all three of the experiences through Handshake at any time before that event begins. The Kalamazoo College Sport Business Club inspired K to Nike, although any student, regardless of their major, would benefit from attending. K to Nike, for example, will feature five alumni, none of whom majored in business. They are:

  • Christina Dennaoui ’06, a Service and Experience Design department employee, who majored in religion at K;
  • Peter Erdahl ’13, a political science major who works with apparel products;
  • Tobin Ernst ’02, a history major involved in risk management;
  • Tieneke van Lonkhuyzen ’06, a political science major, who represents sustainability;
  • Karl Wasmuth ’09, a political science major, who works in government and public affairs.

“Students will learn about the career paths of these successful alumni, what they like about they do, and how they use what they learned at K in their work,” Miller said. “After a panel event with all alumni, students can drop into a breakout session with one of the alums to go deeper and learn about specific career paths.”

Many might think of shoes when they hear the name Nike because the company grew with its founders— including then-University of Oregon track and field coach Bill Bowerman and one of his former students, Phil Knight — when they signed Steve Prefontaine, a young Olympic distance runner, to a footwear-endorsement deal in 1972. Yet the company’s story is much more of a marathon than a sprint as today, nearly 50 years later, it seeks to bring innovation to every athlete through apparel, equipment, accessories and services available for any sport.

“Nike has a unique culture, and they have the most amazing campus,” Miller said. “It’s filled with every sport imaginable. I don’t know many employers that have a swimming pool, basketball courts, athletic fields, running trails and more. In fact, Nike was named one of the happiest companies to work for in 2018. K to Nike is a rare opportunity for a student to learn how to say, ‘hey, look at me,’ to a Nike recruiter.”

Learn more about this term’s K-Treks at the CCPD website.

CCPD Internships Ease Study Abroad’s Pause

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Stella Young CCPD internships
Stella Young ’22 was one of five juniors to earn internships this fall through the Center for Career and Professional Development as study abroad was put on hold.

Stella Young, a junior political science major, was just one of the Kalamazoo College students who had planned to study abroad during the 2020-21 academic year. When the pandemic threw a wrench into those plans, she was disappointed.

“Study abroad was one of my deciding factors in coming to K,” she said. “I was supposed to go to Madrid for six months.”

Regardless, K’s Center for Career and Professional Development, along with faculty and staff from around campus, provided a thoughtful alternative. Collectively, they developed a series of internships for 20 juniors, including five who worked through CCPD Assistant Director for External Relations Valerie Miller, giving them practical career experience in addition to a credit-granting class.

“I think the students had phenomenal experiences typical of internships,” Miller said. “They didn’t know what to expect and they had some doubts going in. Then they developed some skills and started to understand the work environment better. By the end, each one of them seemed to feel pretty confident about what they accomplished.”

Alumni Connections Critical

According to Miller, alumni were key in setting up the internships her cohort of students wanted. Young, for example, worked with Rock the Vote, a nonpartisan and nonprofit organization that encourages young adults to participate in the election process, which is led by Carolyn DeWitt ’04.

“I wanted to go on study abroad to meet new people and make new connections,” Young said. “I think I did that with this program.”

Young became a valuable asset to her 15 internship colleagues from across the country as she worked on several projects, including one that helped Iowa voters understand issues and where candidates stood on them in Senate races.

“I hopped on projects as staff members needed help,” she said. “I did a lot of research and data entry leading up to the election, and after, I worked with voters who had questions about results. I knew going into this I wanted to work with a nonprofit and this was an opportunity to put what I’ve been learning in the classroom into action. I hope to stay involved as a volunteer because they’re doing really important work.”

Navigating Health Care

Aramide Apo-Oyin ’22, however, independently found her internship serving heart-failure patients through Aurora Advocate Health in Chicago, via a nonprofit patient-support program offered through its hospital.

“The program is basically a volunteer initiative that helps patients and their families navigate the health care system,” she said, adding she commonly helped patients schedule follow-up care, understand their dietary needs and seek the exercise and activity they needed. “It provides them with the literacy they need, and helps navigate any barriers to their care.”

Apo-Oyin noted the program didn’t necessarily have a specific target audience, but it’s easy to spot trends in the health care system when working with people from many backgrounds.

“So even though we don’t say we’re only helping people who have the fewest resources, we often find they’re the people who need our help the most due to language barriers with their care team in the hospital, being uninsured and not knowing how to enroll into government assistance programs like Medicaid or Medicare, and not having a support system at home to help with transportation to appointments and overall support.”

As a result, the transition support program Apo-Oyin represented commonly assisted people without insurance or those who needed more support than just immediate care.

“We have connections and the relationships that can really help us to assist the communities that need our help. This program is about helping the patients heal and live with their diagnosis. I feel like that happens with more than just the medicine and the procedures doctors do. That’s our role and that’s why I chose to go into it.”

A Happy Ending

In moving forward, both students credited the campus partners for creating programs that tied well with their career goals while developing experiences that made their fall term valuable despite the absence of study abroad.

“I definitely want to use these services more in the future,” Young said of Miller and the CCPD. “She was great in finding a position that I really wanted. I would definitely recommend that people go to the CCPD when they want some off-campus experience—it helped broaden our horizons.”CCP