Panelists Ellen Cook ’16 and Ashlee Weingarten ’17 speaking on the “Careers in Marketing” Event
Photo By Morgan Hough
By Nick Williams
Eighty-five alumni are slotted to speak this week for the 11th annual alumni-networking event.
Since its conception in 2013, Breakthrough, which is hosted by the Career Development Center (CDC) and the Alumni Relations Office, has been centered around Susquehanna graduates helping current students. This week-long event is held every February and is a tremendous opportunity for many to “break through” to their careers, as the name suggests.
Each day this week will feature various alumni speaking on their profession; along with that, they are more than happy to answer any questions that current students may have.
Alexandra Grill, Director of the Career Development Center, says “Many of them [the alumni] seek ways to mentor individuals who are thinking about a career path related to theirs and care deeply.”
Grill is one of roughly 25 different individuals who work toward making this event a success. In her eyes, this event is wholly about engagement. The idea is that while every student may not attend a panel, the ones that do will be one step closer to achieving their career goals.
“Connections made at Break Through have the potential to last a lifetime,” she said.
While the structuring of this event remains the same from year to year, they refresh the subjects covered by the alumni to fit the changing needs of the student body. This year, new panels include working with animals, careers in sports media, careers in psychology, AI and the future of work and being your authentic self at work.
Along with that, they are also offering a prize for those who attend on Saturday, February 17. Any student who goes to a session that day will be entered into a drawing with the chance to win either a pair of Apple Air Pods or two Stanley Quencher Tumblers.
To learn more about Break Through or any of the week’s panels, visit susqu.edu/academics.
