Center for Career and Professional Development

Alumni Host Students for Job Shadows, Networking in New York

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Over spring break, 10 first-generation students from Kalamazoo College traded the familiar routines of campus life for the fast-paced energy of New York City, where they spent five days job shadowing across a range of industries and opportunities in finance, education, theater, media and nonprofit work.

Thanks to K to NYC—a new Center for Career and Professional Development (CCPD) initiative organized by Assistant Director Alejandro Alaniz— students met alumni and got a firsthand look at how a K liberal arts degree can lead to diverse career paths.

Before traveling, students participated in sessions with the CCPD to prepare for their experiences, helping them research their alumni hosts and companies, develop strong career-conversation questions, and practice professional communication strategies. Then, Alaniz said, the trek provided a transformative experience that allowed students to step into spaces they might have once felt unsure about while walking away with a sense of confidence, direction and belonging.

“For many, it was their first time in New York City, their first job shadow, and their first professional conversation outside the classroom, and yet they showed up—asking thoughtful questions, sharing their stories, and embracing every moment of growth,” Alaniz said.

The student cohort, consisting mostly of first- and second-year students, included Jay Hernandez ’28, who said he leapt at the opportunity to go the moment he saw the first email about it.

“I love traveling and being in a real work environment because it fascinates me to see how people function in a day of work,” he said. “I also had never been to New York City before, which made it even more appealing to me, a first-generation student from Texas who has never known a big city like New York.”

For the job shadow itself, Hernandez met Kriti Singh ’17, who works as an associate with Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI), a nonprofit that works like a think tank while transforming global energy systems through market-driven solutions to secure a clean, prosperous and zero-carbon future.

“It surpassed my expectations by tenfold,” Hernandez said. “This trip was so enlightening, and I was so thankful, because not only did I gain in-person experience from a real job shadow, but we also had free time to explore the richness of the city and experience things on our own. It felt like we were doing everything with how much we enjoyed it. It was a good bonding experience with new people as well. All the alumni gave me foresight on important skills and taught me truly how valuable networking is. With that and the advice they gave me, I understand better what to look for in jobs and what those jobs are looking for in me.”

Students meet with alumni for job shadows and networking in New York City
“This experience wouldn’t have been possible without the generosity and support of our alumni,” said Center for Career and Professional Development Alejandro Alaniz (far left). “Their willingness to open their workplaces, share their journeys, and encourage our students is what made this trek so meaningful.
Students visit New York City for job shadows and networking
“This trip was so enlightening, and I was so thankful, because not only did I gain in-person experience from a real job shadow, but we also had free time to explore the richness of the city and experience things on our own,” said Jay Hernandez ’28 of his experience in New York. “It felt like we were doing everything with how much we enjoyed it.”

In her role, Singh examines two- and three-wheel road vehicles, and how cities can develop infrastructure to increase access to transportation while adopting energy-efficient options. She said she took advantage of CCPD programs during her time at K and desired an opportunity to give back to the College.

“I did a couple of career treks including K’s first to New York, which then was called K to the Big Apple,” Singh said. “I think K prepared me well for the outside world through those experiences and more. There were classes I took that I could talk about in interviews that helped me get a job. K taught me to be flexible and willing to learn new things in quality classes with amazing professors. I think going to a small school, where professors knew my name, was important for me. I still value that today.”

Hernandez’s goals and Singh’s role weren’t a perfect match, because Hernandez hopes to work in finance rather than the nonprofit sector after earning his degree. However, Singh said there were still important lessons to learn in their time together.

“I understood that he might come out thinking, ‘This is not what I want to do,’” Singh said. “But I think it’s good to have depth and breadth regarding a variety of experiences. My goal was to give him exposure into this field. I also gave him some readings on my own work and I thought of other alumni he could connect with, whether they’re in New York or not. I wanted him to learn how to network because that was something I really benefited from.”

Amanda Johnson ’17 also wanted to give back, having benefited from three internships arranged at least in part through the CCPD during her time as a K student: working on the Raise the Wage Campaign for Michigan United, an internship with former K trustee Amy Courter at Youngsoft Inc. and a summer away at the U.S. Senate. She now works as a director at Waterfall Asset Management, where she trades residential mortgage-backed securities.

Johnson hosted one student for a job shadow and all 10 along with four other alumni for a dinner meeting in her office that night.

“I thought the questions they asked alumni were very thoughtful and showed maturity beyond their age,” Johnson said. “I recommended the students pursue a variety of career exposure opportunities at and through K. Bite size opportunities such as the experience in NYC will allow the students to learn their career preferences. Learning you don’t like something in a short term setting like a job shadow, externship or internship is incredibly useful for crafting a fulfilling, enjoyable career. I think this trip was a great experience for the students to add to their career exploration.”

As the students returned to campus, energized and inspired, their stories became fuel for Alaniz and the CCPD to expand the program going forward. In follow-up reports, Ash Rodriguez ’27 said, “This experience showed me that being first-gen doesn’t mean I have to play small. I’ve learned that I belong in professional spaces—and I want to take up space.”

Liuba Silva ’27 reflected, “Shadowing my alum taught me that career paths can be unpredictable, but that’s okay. I don’t need to have it all figured out right now—I just need to stay open and keep building relationships.”

And Sarah Guerrero Gorostieta ’28 said, “I used to think networking was about being polished and perfect. But during this trip, I learned that being genuinely curious and asking honest questions can be just as powerful.”

“This experience wouldn’t have been possible without the generosity and support of our alumni,” Alaniz said. “Their willingness to open their workplaces, share their journeys, and encourage our students is what made this trek so meaningful. The connections formed are proof that the Kalamazoo College network is not only strong, it’s deeply invested in the next generation of leaders. As I reflect, I’m already thinking about what’s next: more opportunities for career exploration, more spaces for first-generation students to thrive, and more stories of transformation waiting to unfold.”

Alumnus Conquers Curveball to Work in Major League Baseball

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Three months before Thomas Bentley ’25 graduated from Kalamazoo College, he secured his full-time dream job. He even started that role remotely while going through his last term, and he since has moved to a new state. But his favorite part of his new pursuits so far might surprise you.

“At the moment, my favorite part is when I take my lunch break,” he said. “I go sit on the balcony of the fourth floor and I eat my lunch overlooking a Major League Baseball field. That experience is tough to beat.”

The field Bentley observes is Target Field in Minneapolis, and since spring break this year, he has served the Minnesota Twins as an analyst in the Pro Personnel Department of Baseball Operations. He joins alumni such as Jordan Wiley ’19 and Samantha Moss ’23 by working in Major League Baseball roles within two years of Commencement. Another young alum, Jack Clark ’17, is the manager of MLB draft operations and has worked in professional baseball since 2020. And like theirs, Bentley’s position is ideal for someone who has been a baseball fan since childhood.

“I’m grateful that I found a job in the sport that I always wanted to be a part of in some capacity or another,” he said. “I think a lot of people would think it’s a cool job and that’s definitely not lost on me. That’s a piece of the gratitude that I weigh in terms of how things have turned out.”

Minnesota Twins graphic says, "Welcome to the team, Thomas Bentley, analyst, baseball operations"
Thomas Bentley ’25 joins alumni such as Jordan Wiley ’19 and Samantha Moss ’23 by working in Major League Baseball roles within two years of their Commencement. The Minnesota Twins hired Bentley as an analyst in Baseball Operations, making his input vital toward any trades the Twins might pursue this season.

If you’re familiar with the 2011 movie Moneyball, starring Brad Pitt and Jonah Hill, you might have a ballpark idea of what Bentley is doing for the Twins. Although Hill’s character is fictional, he represents an amalgamation of everyone who serves a Major League Baseball team in pro personnel. Bentley performs similar work by evaluating statistics to determine how the Twins might improve their organization by making trades with other teams. As a result, if the Twins pull a deal at or before the July 31 trade deadline this year, it’s possible that his work will have influenced it.

“It’s like I’m doing homework all the time for a test that I might or might not have with the trade deadline coming up,” Bentley said. “Obviously, some of that homework will come into play, but my job is to understand Major League Baseball prospects really well and go to a meeting with pre-existing knowledge on those players.”

Bentley grew up in White Lake, Michigan, where K baseball coach Mike Ott recruited him as a pitcher. As a student, he was familiar with K’s academic reputation, making it an easy choice for his education and athletics goals.

Late in high school, however, Bentley faced a problem that came out of left field when he experienced what athletes sometimes call a dead arm. The condition would sound ominous for anyone, but it’s especially concerning for a baseball pitcher who might lose much of his velocity and control as a result of the problem.

A dead arm can be indicative of any one of many issues. For Bentley, it was a sign of a torn ulnar collateral ligament (UCL) in his right elbow, an injury that requires Tommy John surgery. With the procedure, named after the Hall-of-Famer who was one of its early successes in 1974, a surgeon grafts and attaches a ligament from a different part of the patient’s body or a cadaver to replace the UCL.

After a year of treatment and recovery, patients usually can return to their sports. Bentley, though, while attempting his recovery, had a couple of setbacks, and his elbow never fully healed. That curveball meant he would lose his entire senior season in high school, and his college baseball career ended before it even began.

Thankfully, Bentley kept his eye on the ball and K remained his destination for college as it led him toward a series of opportunities and a job, starting with Ott allowing him to be a director of data analytics for the Hornets.

“Coach Ott gave me a lot of freedom to test my ideas and let me use the baseball team as a sandbox of sorts,” Bentley said. “I was doing a bunch of projects for them, managing some systems for them on an ad hoc basis, and I learned how to create reports. They weren’t very good at the time, but it was a good starting point for me.”

Bentley said he wasn’t the best student for his first year and a half at K. In fact, he had hoped to declare a physics major during his sophomore year, but his grades cost him that opportunity. Regardless, he found a home in the economics department when its faculty went to bat for him.

“When I transitioned into economics, the department was awesome, and all the professors there were super welcoming and helpful,” Bentley said. “I have nothing but good things to say about them. They helped me rehabilitate my academics. [Associate Professor of Economics Julia] Cartwright especially pushed me, harder than I think most professors did, to pull my stuff together and be a good student.”

Bentley didn’t study abroad largely because he garnered an internship with Driveline Baseball, a data-driven player-development organization in Seattle. He also obtained on-campus work with the Center for Career and Professional Development (CCPD) as a career advisor, a job that helped him develop his own skills while assisting his peers.

“That career-advisor job was something I didn’t think I was going to like, but I wanted to get an on-campus job, and I ended up loving it,” Bentley said. “My bosses and co-workers there were great, and I learned more about my own career than I thought I was going to. I greatly improved my career-finding skills while working in that department.”

These combined educational experiences wound up making his high school injury feel like a blessing in disguise.

“My parents and I sometimes talk about the UCL tear because it seems like it might have been the best thing that ever happened to me,” Bentley said. “Realistically, the Tommy John surgery is a big reason why I got a great job with the Minnesota Twins. All the pieces kind of came together.”

And since, from the drive to work on a Monday through his last duties on a Friday, Bentley has relished his opportunities with the Twins. Entering the All-Star Break, Minnesota sits in second place in the American League Central, making the team one to watch—possibly as a buyer or a seller—in the trade market, so think of Bentley if they make a deal. 

“Admittedly, I try to understate how cool I think my job is most of the time,” he said. “But coming into work every day has been really exciting. The drive is pretty standard, until I’m right outside the stadium. When I park and use my ID to get into a Major League Baseball stadium, that’s when it clicks: I was hoping I would one day work in baseball and I’m already doing exactly that. It’s a surreal feeling because I was a high-schooler just four years ago, setting this exact goal. It’s an amazing experience.”

Bell’s Brews Networking, Career Research for K Students

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Sixteen Kalamazoo College students took advantage of a winter break day to network with professionals — including several K graduates — in the beer-making facilities at Bell’s Brewery, named the top-ranked brewery in America in 2018 by the American Homebrewer’s Association.

Students look inside kettles at Bell’s Brewery tour
Kalamazoo College students who participated in K to Bell’s, the latest K-Trek offered through the Center for Career and Professional Development, peered inside a kettle during a Bell’s Brewery tour.

The trip was the latest K-Trek offering from the Center for Career and Professional Development (CCPD), which provides K students with in-person, immersive discussions with leaders in various industries, many of them K alumni.

CCPD Assistant Director Rachel Wood helped plan the event and attended, noting the students asked a panel of Bell’s Brewery representatives, including founder and Kalamazoo College alumnus Larry Bell ’80, engaging questions about the beer industry and the process of starting a business.

In their responses, panelists gave advice about what they look for in prospective employees, noting the importance of an applicant seeking a work-culture fit rather than just an appealing job description. For example, “at Bell’s, you kind of need to appreciate beer, but chances are you will be working in something other than brewing,” Wood said. Regardless of the role, “it’s important to find a place to work where you can show up and it’s not just work.”

Bell’s founder Larry Bell talks with students
Bell’s founder Larry Bell talks with students about his business and the beer industry during the latest K-Trek, K to Bell’s.

Aside from the founder, the Bell’s Brewery panelists included five K alumni from a variety of majors who graduated between 1990 and 2014. All of them noted how well K prepared them for the work force.

“The students hear similar advice from [CCPD] career coaches, but it’s always extremely helpful for them to hear it from people in the field,” Wood said.

Bell himself discussed having multiple lifelong interests, all of which were nurtured at K through the liberal arts and sciences, including theater.

Bell noted that “he played the character Oberon in a sixth-grade production of Midsummer Night’s Dream, and that inspired him to later name a beer Oberon,” Wood said. In Bell, “the students saw someone who is living a liberal arts life.”

Bell’s brewery tour
Kalamazoo College students participated in a Bell’s Brewery tour during the latest K-Trek, K to Bell’s, offered through the Center for Career and Professional Development.

After an hour-long lunch, the K students split into smaller groups where they embarked on brewery tours, allowing them to witness the full process of brewing beer.

“It was nice seeing the full process because anybody attending could’ve had any level of knowledge of beer making going in,” Wood said. “We sampled three different types of barley to see how it could impact flavor, and there were students taking video” to retain what they learned.

According to the Bell’s Brewery website, Bell founded the company on Sept. 19, 1985, when he sold his first commercial beer after brewing it in a 15-gallon soup pot. Bell’s has had several milestones since, including selling outside Michigan for the first time in 1990, opening Michigan’s first on-site brew pub in Kalamazoo in 1993, opening its Comstock brewery in 2003, and expanding the Eccentric Café in 2015. Today, Kalamazoo County is number one in the state of Michigan in the production of craft beer, and Bell’s is one of Michigan’s most famous brands.

While many K-treks venture out on multi-day experiences in cities such as San Francisco, New York City and Chicago, there are plenty of industries to explore in K’s backyard. Along with Bell’s, local K-Treks have included trips to Kellogg’s in Battle Creek, Stryker in Kalamazoo and Steelcase in Grand Rapids. Wood said other local K-Treks are being planned and students should stay tuned to find out where they will go. Learn more about K-Treks events such as K to Bell’s at our website.

Inaugural K-Talk Shows Power of Alumni Ties

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[Hear more from Matt Thieleman in a TEDx Talk from Sept. 8, 2018.]

It’s an experience many Kalamazoo College alumni can relate to: spending four years working and learning with amazing and inspiring classmates, then going your separate ways, never to have the same sort of connection again.

Karman Kent and Matt Thieleman talk to the K community at the first K-Talk
Friday, Oct. 20, was the first event in a planned K-Talk series that Joan Hawxhurst, director of the College’s Center for Career and Professional Development, said will make it possible for alumni such as Karman Kent (left) and Matt Thieleman, both ’07, to share their ideas and experiences with the K community.

But for Karman Kent and Matt Thieleman, both ’07, a convergence of opportunity and expertise launched a post-college professional collaboration aimed at bringing the beneficial effects of mindfulness to stressed-out college students – an experience the two spoke about before an audience of students and fellow alumni in Dewing Hall on Homecoming Friday.

It was the first in a planned K-Talk series that Joan Hawxhurst, director of the College’s Center for Career and Professional Development, said will make it possible for alumni to share their ideas and experiences with the K community.

The project that renewed the ties between the two former classmates began after Kent joined Morehead-Cain, a foundation that provides full-ride merit scholarships at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Now the foundation’s director of scholar selection, Kent found a community of high-achieving students, not unlike those at K, who were often severely stressed by the difficulties of meeting their own high expectations and those of others.

Thieleman, meanwhile, had launched a career in social media marketing, then discovered a passion for developing future leaders through training in mindfulness, the practice of focusing one’s attention on what is happening in the current moment. He launched a Nashville-based consultancy that, as he puts it, helps people recognize that actually “being present” in a situation is key to developing the ability to see the way forward in an increasingly noisy world.

Kent – seeking a way to get students to open up about their troubles – reached out to Thieleman, who brought his expertise to UNC for a seminar. He and Kent said they saw a surprising and “profound” transformation in the Morehead-Cain students who participated, with 95 percent recommending the program to others.

Thieleman continues to counsel students. And Kent said the foundation was so impressed with the results that it has hired a full-time adviser to coach its scholarship recipients in mindfulness techniques.

Hawxhurst said Kent and Thieleman’s experience points out the potential power of the K experience during and after college. Kent concurred.

“At Morehead-Cain … the alumni network is one of the biggest benefits to being in the program,” she said. “We have so many amazing alumni here at K. If we can have that kind of openness to working together, it can be transformative.”