Throughout the academic year, the Office of Alumni Relations provides students with an opportunity to hear alumni speak about their experiences working in various professional fields. These presentations offer students a clear idea of what to expect of a career in a particular business or industry through first-hand accounts. Faculty coordinate their classes with individual alumni to allow students a glimpse at the working world from the security of the classroom. The benefits of this program are two-fold, affording alumni the opportunity to return to campus and meet current students, and allowing students to benefit from the advice and understanding of successful Western New England College graduates.
If you have an interest in speaking to a class or offering your experiences to our students in another format, please contact Kristina Oleksak, associate director of advancement events, by calling 413-782-1557 or via email at koleksak@wnec.edu.
Alumni Speakers News
October, 2009
Alumni Speaker Harold Epps G’84 Talks to Business Students
About the Importance of Continuous Improvement
Harold Epps G’84 had a question for the Quality Operations Management class taught by School of Business Assistant Dean Marilyn Pelosi: “Are you willing to pay the price to achieve your goal?” Epps, the President and CEO of PRWT Services—one of the largest minority-owned companies in the country—discussed with students the importance of “continuous improvement” in their personal and professional lives to achieve success.
Throughout the academic year, the Office of Alumni Relations provides students with an opportunity to hear alumni speak about their experiences working in various professional fields. On October 9, Epps, pictured with Pelosi, delivered a lecture that focused on the importance of furthering one’s education and networking.
“The better you prepare, the better the outcome,” said Epps, urging students pursuing graduate degrees. Epps, who earned his MBA at the College while working full-time, recalled doing his homework in hotels, restaurants, and airports at a job that required constant travel —whatever it took to get his degree.
Epps told the students to continually expand their networks to improve their career paths. “Never put all your eggs in one basket,” he said. “Diversify.”
“Mr. Epps expressed, as many professors have here at Western New England College, how important networking is,” said student Eddie Palomba. “You never know who will open the next door for you.”
In addition, Epps encouraged students to be flexible by welcoming and accepting unforeseen situations as a way to enrich themselves. “As you navigate through life, don’t form a straight line,” he said, pointing out that he grew up in North Carolina, but took a job in Boston—and then in Wisconsin to acquire sales and marketing experience.
PRWT Services certainly follows this adaptability philosophy: Black Enterprise magazine named PRWT Services the 2009 Industrial/Service Company of the Year for reinventing itself as a major player in the high-growth pharmaceuticals industry. The Philadelphia-based company specializes in business process outsourcing, large-scale facilities management, and manufacturing and distribution for the life sciences industry.
Student John Welch said that Epps’ lecture prompted him to realize the importance of welcoming a nonlinear career and life path. “I always thought that I would continue my life’s journey in the Northeastern area of the country,” said Welch. “Mr. Epps’ example of taking a job offer in Wisconsin showed me that I do not have to limit myself in regards to location. I need to be open in order to succeed in this international business world.”
Alumni who have an interest in speaking to a class or offering their experiences to students in another format should contact Kristina Oleksak, associate director of advancement events, at 413-782-1557.
This story was written by Office of Alumni Relations intern Matt Mondry ’10.
December, 2008
Jacksonville Jaguars Scout Chris Prescott '01/G'07
Gives Students a Glimpse of Life in the NFL
Chris Prescott ’01/G’07, regional scout for the Jacksonville Jaguars, recently gave a presentation to students at Western New England College as part of the School of Business Sport Management Speaker series. Prescott spoke about the realities of careers in the NFL and his role in player personnel for the Jaguars. Prescott, who was a member of the Golden Bear football team, is pictured holding a thank you gift from current sport management majors and football team members (left to right) Jordan Capitanio, Evan Bartus, and Justin Walz.
Scouting out college players is only part of Prescott’s job. In the pre-season, he spends much of his day “watching tape” for recruitment or player elimination. During the season, he travels around the country to observe prospects in action and attends receptions at all-star games, such as the Cactus Bowl and the Senior Bowl, to “eyeball them physically and see what they’ve got between the ears.”
During spring training, the Panthers’ coaching staff and scouts spend hours reviewing tape to see who measures up.“We start off with 88 guys in camp. The roster has to get down to 53 for the season,” said Prescott. “What I appreciate about our organization is that you know everyone has put work into their decisions, so you respect their opinions. That’s exactly what they taught us about teamwork in the Sport Management program. We learned how to work in groups, delegate, and brainstorm. Dr. Walker and Dr. [Daniel] Covell emphasized the importance of working together to get the best possible finished product. The decisions we make in the staff room show up on the field on Sunday.”
Prescott had more high praise for his education at Western New England College, which “does a great job in finding internships for students,” he said. “I worked for the Springfield Falcons; Madison Square Garden; the Hartford Wolf Pack; the New England Sea Wolves, an arena football team; and the Bridgeport Bluefish, a minor league baseball team.”
The best part of his position, said Prescott, is “having a job that allows me to be around something I’ve loved my whole life. I’m extremely competitive. I love to win and that all starts with the decisions we make in the scouting team. As they say, you can lose with talent, but you can’t win without it.”
November, 2008
Alumni Panel to First Year Business Students:
Begin Preparing for Your Career Now
“It is never too early in your college career to begin preparing for your professional career,” said Meghan Pfau Mancino ’05 (pictured on the left) at a First Year Business Seminar Alumni Panel on November 12. “Time really does move fast, and better to have some kind of plan formed rather than sit back and then say later on, ‘I wish I could have done this or that.’”
Marilyn Pelosi, associate dean of the School of Business, couldn’t agree more. “Begin with the end in mind,” she often tells her students. “Just like an athlete visualizing an upcoming game, first-year students should have a clear idea of what they want their resumes to look like,” she said.
The phrase “Begin With the End in Mind” is also the title of the second chapter of The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People, the book by Stephen Convey that is required reading in Pelosi’s First Year Business Seminar. “This kind of forward thinking should shape their day-to-day decision making,” said Pelosi.
The panelists, pictured left to right, were Mancino, a human resources generalist for Environmental Compliance Services, Inc.; Adam Moreau ’03, an account executive at Comcast Spotlight; Theresa Perkins ’06, a staff accountant at Big Y Foods; Ike Erike ’06, a senior cost analyst at Sargent Manufacturing; Bart Haskell ’07, a systems engineer/software integrator at Progeny Systems; and Michael Scavotto ’08, a staff accountant at SS&C Technologies, Inc.
Pelosi said that alumni panels are effective for freshman because not only do they receive sound advice of how to prepare for their careers when they are undergraduates, they also get a clear idea of what to expect after graduation through firsthand accounts of the working world. “The panelists discussed the importance of networking, communication skills, problem-solving skills, and hands-on experience,” she said.
The panelists also advised the students to take advantage of their professors’ expertise, internship opportunities, and the CareerCenter’s resources.
Mancino discussed with the students “how my professors helped me learn critical thinking skills, as well as public speaking and time management skills, among others. These important skills are what have helped me transition from school to career. There will always be on-the-job training in any new job—college doesn’t teach you your job. It teaches you the analytical skills needed to do your job well.”
Pelosi assembled the panel with the help of Maria Cokotis, a career counselor at the CareerCenter. Alumni interested in speaking to classes about their career experiences should contact Kristina Oleksak at 413-782-1557.
March, 2008
Life After College: School of Engineering Grad
Offers Lessons on Careers and Graduate School
Western New England College School of Engineering alumnus Justin Malek '02 (left) spoke to students during the Mechanical Engineering department's all-hands meeting in Rivers Memorial Hall March 11.
He talked about life after graduation including his current work as an aerospace engineer at Northrop Grumman in southern California. He also credited the Western New England College Engineering faculty with preparing him for graduate school at Stanford, one of the top engineering schools in the nation. "I was more ready than a lot of the students from larger schools," said Malek. He also stressed the importance of networking, relaying how relationships he formed at Western New England College and Stanford helped him land his current job.
Alumni interested in speaking to classes about their career experiences should contact Kristina Oleksak at 413-782-1557.
January, 2008
Alumni Panel Shares Career Tips with
Human Resource Management Class
Networking, leadership, and communication: these are the critical skills graduates need in order to make their mark in the business world, according to an alumni panel that recently spoke to a Human Resource Management class taught by Peter Hess, acting associate dean of the School of Business (pictured at the far left).
The panelists, (seated, left to right) Deanna Laffan ’07, Christopher Abatsis ’07, and Megan (Pfau) Mancino ’05, provided students with a description of the job search process and their transition into the working world. They also credited Western New England College with preparing them for their careers through internships and real-world scenarios in business courses.
“I learned to network at my internship at the Middlesex West [Concord, MA area] Chamber of Commerce, and I had the opportunity to develop my leadership skills through a community service project with the management association,” said Abatsis, who majored in management and is a rental management trainee for Ryder Systems, Inc.
Mancino recalled that the presentations she made in her School of Business classes “helped me build my communication skills and become more comfortable with public speaking,” said the human resources generalist for Environmental Compliance Services, Inc. in Agawam, MA. “I also developed organizational and computer skills at Western New England College,” she said. The general business graduate had high praise for her professors and the CareerCenter, which helped her find an internship in the human resources field. “On top of that, the CareerCenter helped me prepare my resume, and even offered mock interviews to help me develop my interviewing skills.”
Laffan, who graduated with a concentration in finance, also answered general and specific questions about her job as an accounting specialist for MassMutual Financial Group’s financial products division. Alumni interested in speaking to classes about their career experiences should contact Kristina Oleksak at 413-782-1557.
December, 2007
Alumni Panel to First Year Business Students:
Take Advantage of College’s Resources
Networking and communication are skills that cannot be emphasized enough in any business career, according to a panel of six alumni in a recent First Year Business Seminar at the College. Members of the panel also urged the students to take advantage of advice from College faculty and career advisors.
Communication is important “even for the more technical jobs,” said Nathan Schwartz ’06 (pictured third from right), a senior underwriter for Sunlife Financial in Windsor, CT. Schwartz, a member-at-large in the Alumni Association Board of Directors, also advised the students in the Business 101 course to “use all the resources the College has available for help, including the CareerCenter.”
Ike Erike ’06, an industrial engineer and management trainee at UPS, credited the College with helping him develop his networking, organizational, interpersonal, and professional writing skills. “I would say that aligning myself with the CareerCenter played a great role in helping me attain my position,” he said. “Also, the willingness of professors to share their time outside the classroom setting was extremely beneficial in my development to become a valuable member of the business community.”
The other members of the panel were Sandra Stoughton ’04, a business development-marking associate at A.W. Hastings & Company in Enfield, CT, Mike Raymond ’02/G’04, head men’s and women’s tennis coach at the University of Hartford, Bart Haskell ’07, a systems engineer/software integrator at Progeny Systems in Groton, CT, and Danielle Nash ’07, an assurance associate at PricewaterhouseCoopers in Hartford.
In addition, Pat Kappenman, a corporate communications manager at MassMutual, presented a talk entitled, “Your career may surprise you…if you let it.” Alumni interested in speaking to classes to give students a glimpse of the working world should contact Kristina Oleksak at 413-782-1557.
November, 2007
Alumni Communications Professionals Give Advice to Students
Two alumni recently visited Communication classes to discuss life after college: Darlotte Justice '04, the district director for the Office of State Senator Gale D. Candaras (D-Wilbraham) L'82, and Diana Dziok '06 (pictured), the marketing director of Reminder Publications, spoke with students about their college and career experiences.
Justice stressed the importance of internships and volunteering as critical components of their education. “I could literally write volumes about the benefits I gained and the knowledge I continually utilize as a result of my education in communication at Western New England College,” she said to a Business Communication class taught by Brenda Garton, professional educator of communications.
Among the topics Justice covered was the importance of being cautious about one’s image in the business environment. “A person’s personal and professional image is theirs to develop and maintain, and is theirs to ruin if they aren’t careful,” said Justice. She also explained the importance of creating a professional impression when communicating by email and phone.
Dziok, who made several presentations to Communication 100 classes, discussed how she began her career at Springfield's ABC-40 television station, and described the duties of her present job at Reminder Publications, which publishes six community newspapers in the area. Dziok also talked about the transition from school to work, saying she found the hands-on experience within the classroom particularly valuable.
Justice “was very impressed with the students’ level of participation in the discussion, the quality of their questions and the general feedback they provided,” she said. “They were attentive and I could sense that they appreciated the discussion and valued my insight.”
Alumni interested in speaking to classes to give students a glimpse of the working world should contact Kristina Oleksak at 413-782-1557.
