Adam Andrews ’12 – Tonight’s Alumni/Student Health Care Business Networking Dinner was nothing short of excellent. The event was attended by eight alumni, who represent nearly half a century of Wabash tradition of dedication and excellence.  Around twenty current Wabash students, including myself, partook in dinner and conversation at the networking event, hosted by Wabash Career Services. 

See photos here.

The purpose of this event transcended the idea of what students traditionally associate the health care industry with, mainly the intricacies of biological terminology and the insurmountable stresses associated with entrance exams to medical school. However, the purpose of this event was to underscore to Wabash students the concurrent realm associated with the health care industry that is often overlooked- the business perspective. All in all, every conceivable career endeavor of a student is intimately connected with the business realm, and the health care industry makes no exception. The event presented the infinite possibilities that the business realm provides in its association with health care, which each prominent and gracious alumnus in attendance represented. Students were exposed to career opportunities, which cultivate personal interests in business through a means that they had likely never considered.   From a personal standpoint, this event broadly expanded my view of the business world and further alleviated any concerns I previously had harbored in regard to relating my Wabash education to the business realm. This event exemplified how universally applicable a degree from Wabash can be in contemporary society.

I continue to be enthralled and inspired by the enthusiasm and generosity of all Wabash alumni.  The exchange of knowledge and experience that the alumni facilitate through Career Services events is undoubtedly invaluable, and tonight’s networking dinner marked no exception. I have confidence that the enlightening conversations that I was a part of were likewise as beneficial as those my peers engaged in during the dinner. Through speaking with Jared Stark ’94, the Executive Director of St. Francis Hospital – Mooresville, I gained a much clearer understanding of the business aspect of Hospital Administration. Mr. Stark’s job function is very similar to that of many top commercial business executives. 

Before tonight, my ignorance to the essential business facets of hospitals and health care entities had led me to rule out the health care industry as a potential future career field. In addition, Kevin Gearheart ’98, Chief Operating Officer of Dr. Tavel Optical Group, reinforced the importance of continued acquisition of business knowledge through summer internships and throughout the academic year. During my entrepreneurial internship with Andrew Shelton ’03, Owner of TrackPack Coolers, I spent a great deal of time learning about Search Engine Marketing (S.E.M.) and Search Engine Optimization (S.E.O.). I spoke with Mr. Gearheart about S.E.M. and S.E.O. efforts by Dr. Tavel Optical Group, and he gave me invaluable advice on resources and means of continuing my education on these skills outside of the workplace. It was great to be able to relate to and understand part of Mr. Gearheart’s marketing efforts because of knowledge and skills acquired with TrackPack Coolers. These experiences can both be viewed congruently as the product of Wabash alumni’s dedication to continued student development through the unfathomable Wabash bond.

Networking events such as this one highlight the dedication of the Wabash Career Services staff to connecting generations of Wabash men through similar educational backgrounds and career pursuits. Furthermore, this event’s focus towards emphasizing the notion of business’ intimate relationship with a wide variety of career choices will be one of the prominent focuses of the Wabash Business Leaders Program, which is set to commence in the spring semester of 2010. Angie Cook-Smith, Coordinator of the Business Leaders Program, will host an informational session for all students interested in the program on Monday, November 16, at 7 p.m. in Goodrich Hall 104. Further details about the informational session can be found on Wabash Works, and information on the Business Leader Program can be found at www.wabash.edu/careers/students/blp

Photos by Alex Moseman ’11

I am just over 7 weeks into my graduate school experience in the University of Louisville Sports Administration program and internship with Athlete Development for University of Louisville Football. Classes haven’t been too challenging yet, but a load of projects and presentations are on the way. Two big highlights so far from my experience: a multiple choice test and a 2^nd best grade in class for a writing assignment. The multiple choice test was…weird and foreign. I NEVER took a multiple choice test at Wabash, an experience I think most, if not all, Wabash students share. My writing assignment was to familiarize the class with APA format. My professor grades much like Dr. Blix minus the color scheme. To get the second best grade led me to reflect on the writing skills I acquired during my four years at Wabash. 

 I live on my own which is a new experience for me and it does have its pros and cons. I do enjoy my quiet efficiency apartment in Old Louisville just a mile from campus, and by investing in a bike, I can get to pretty much everything I need. At some point, however, I will be looking for a roommate and new place after my lease is up to cut down on rent. Speaking of money, I created a pretty good Excel budget sheet and it has really helped me realize how much I spend and how much I can save. I take all the free meals I can get! Time management has been my biggest challenge since I work so much.  

My internship is going great, but I am at the very bottom of the totem pole. Most of my peers experience a similar start in the sport industry. It is unpaid, but the opportunity to work with Division I athletes in the weight room is incredible. I work under one of the best in the business. He created a training system now used around the country that incorporates explosive movements through plyometric movements, Olympic lifting, and total body emphasis. It is widely known as the Tier System. I also work a lot of hours (40 or more) a week. However, it is essential that Sport Administration grad students work in the industry while taking classes. Plus, when I work over 40 hours that usually means I put in hours on Saturday working the sidelines at home games.

Let me back up a little and speak on my application process for graduate school. I feel extremely lucky to be in the U of L program. During the application process, Louisville was the only one that required an interview (I also applied to Cleveland State and Xavier in Cincinnati). It indicated to me that it was a program with integrity and professionalism. Guess what came up in the interview… my Wabash experience. My unique background at Wabash and performance in the interview outweighed my average-at-best GRE score and 2.97 GPA. However, my favorite quote of all-time is from Seneca, the Roman philosopher, “Luck is what happens when preparation meets opportunity.” My preparation was definitely my undergraduate experience at Wabash. The U of L program is the opportunity. It is one of the best in the country and the city of Louisville offers many volunteer, internship, and job opportunities in sport.

Kaleb Hemmelgarn ’12 – During my Fall Break, I had the opportunity of a lifetime. Thanks to the generous gifts of Wabash alums, I spent three incredible days in New York City. For a kid who originally grew up in a town of 6,000 people, a city of 8 million was quite a change of pace. Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed the trip and would take it again in a heartbeat. Our schedule was set up with meetings all day and evening Thursday and Friday, and our Saturday was free. While most in the group used the morning to just rest, I decided to explore a little bit of NYC. First, I took the subway across Queens and Manhattan to get to the Liberty Island ferry, which is the ferry used to visit the Statue of Liberty. I was hoping to go up into the statue, but once I got to the island, I found that there was a three-hour wait to go up into the statue. I decided that I would rather do something else, so I headed back to the mainland part of Manhattan and visited Times Square. 

I cannot express enough thanks to the Allen family and other alumni who generously donated money to make this trip possible. I now understand why kids who come from Chicago or New York are so bored when they get to Crawfordsville. In NYC, there is constant action, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. I would highly recommend this trip to anyone at Wabash. It gives you a great taste of big city life, as well experiences that will stick with you the rest of your life. Lastly, a big thanks needs to be given to Scott Crawford, Betsy Knott, and all of Career Services.  They did a fantastic job overseeing and setting up this trip to NYC.         

Haoyuan (Nick) Su ’12 – After two days’ busy schedule, we had a Saturday morning to explore the Big Apple on our own. Some fellows chose to walk around downtown, some chose to try to see the Statue of Liberty, and some just chose to stay at hotel and relax. I went to Chinatown to visit a friend, a former analyst of Lehman Brothers. It was a good time. We talked a lot about the career of investment banking and life. Then he gave me a tour of Chinatown and Little Italy. Chinatown is really big and it is more alike to Hong Kong than mainland China. Little Italy is like the real Italy and reminds me of the movie, the Godfather. At last, we flew back to Indy in the afternoon. Personally I learned so much about the financial industry from alumni in this trip, but it’s time to head back to face the real life at Crawfordsville first and to study hard for my future.

Click here for pictures from the trip.

Joe Johnson ’11 – Personally for me, Friday morning started off much better than our rain dampened Thursday.  Although the temperature was still in upper 40’s it still beats having to walk around New York City in wet suits and using broken umbrellas from the fierce winds.  Our first stop Friday was at Credit Suisse.  Credit Suisse is a financial service group.  Credit Suisse Group is structured in three divisions, Investment Banking, Private Banking and Asset Management.  We met with alum Bogdan Ianev ’03 and dealt more with how Investing Banking works and operates within the firm.  Honestly, I learned far more about investment banking than I imagined I would.  I didn’t realize the amount of effort and time that goes into investment banking as well as how many relationships are involved with many other businesses and individuals.  Investment banking has a great price tag but I have come to understand that you’ll work hard for every dollar. 

From Credit Suisse we took the F-Train across Manhattan to an advertising agency called Bandujo Advertising.  Bandujo Advertising is a creative based advertising agency that focuses on the design aspect of marketing products.  From the moment we walked into their office, the mood was dramatically brightened.  Each wall was painted a different, vibrant color.  One wall would be lime green next to a sky blue wall next to a peach colored wall.  The furniture, desks, and cabinets in the office were very contemporary and unique.  I felt like this place would be a very fun environment to work in.  Going from an investment banking firm to and advertising firm brings out the diverse working conditions New York City has to offer as well as giving us students a foundation of what type of working condition might suite us best.  Overall, Friday morning was filled with knowledge and creativity.  It allowed me to get my feet wet and understand where my interests may lie.  I found this trip, as a whole, very beneficial.  Good thing I am only talking about Friday morning because if I could talk about the amazing experience the New York City trip gave me, I’m afraid you’d be reading this all day. 

Hoang Nguyen ’10 – Two years ago when I got hooked on a career path in banking, I was always wondering how I could reach out to New York employers and Wall Street firms. The reputation of Wabash’s stellar education didn’t seem to get much further out of Indiana and the Midwest. People on Wall Street had never heard of the school, they didn’t recruit on our campus; they didn’t know what a liberal arts education meant. I was clueless and lost in how I could approach my dream. And then the email from Career Services came along this summer. The brilliant New York Alumni Networking trip during Fall Break offered a chance to see some of the biggest bankers in the world in New York City as well as to meet some of our alumni and hear them share their own stories about making it in New York.  I immediately applied; got accepted and Career Services never let me down.

The whole trip was well organized and paid for with the generosity of our alumni. We stayed in a hotel that was only a short walk from a subway station that took us to Manhattan in less than 15 minutes. The facility of the hotel and our rooms were neat, but we never really got the chance to appreciate them as we were constantly away in Manhattan meeting employers and alumni. In our 2 days of visiting places in pouring rain, I had finally got my chance to visit Bank of America Securites, the Swiss investment banking giant Credit Suisse, and of course the world leading financial services powerhouse Goldman Sachs. At each of the visiting sites, I managed to pick up new things about the banking industry that has been under so much change following the financial crisis. Bank of America informed me the hard cold fact that they still owed the government some aid money and a job prospect was out of the picture this year for a foreign student like me. But they also believed things would turn around soon and the financial industry would bounce back sooner rather than later. Credit Suisse shared some inside details about how they participated in the market on a daily and client basis. And Goldman Sachs, as the market leaders, told us the factors that separated them from the rest of the players in the market. Each visit gave us facts and stories that I would never find on the news or anywhere.

The best part about the trip is not only that we came to see different firms in New York but also that we had the chance to interact with our alumni there. Listening to their stories and how their career paths formed was truly inspirational to me. I went to New York with an open mind, and I left New York ready to chase my dream career.

Nathan Schrader ’10 – Friday night was probably the night all of us were waiting for, and I’m sure it exceeded expectations the most wishful college student could ever imagine. Ok, maybe a slight exaggeration, but it’s not too far off. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed the entire trip, from navigating and getting lost on subway routes to dinner at amazing restaurants to visiting established alumnus in their well designed offices learning about their path from Wabash to where they are today. During those visits I learned much about the vigor Wabash graduates work with and how one thing can lead to another until you’re at the top. But Friday night taught us another side to the business world: the social side of networking and marketing.

The alumnus networking concluding dinner at Heartland Brewery was a great opportunity to practice our social skills while at the same time making contacts and learning about alumni’s businesses. It was nice to be in a less formal setting than an office, casually talking with one another about Wabash days, future plans, routes taken after graduating, and much more. Personally, it was reiterated to me by history major Michael Nogen ’98 how strong the alumni network of Wabash really is (preaching to the choir, right?). After investment banking for two years, Michael decided to start a maternity clothing line company. A young twenty-something needing advice and resources, the Wabash Alumni sector helped him find Fred Wilson ‘69, CEO of Saks Fifth Avenue. Wilson acted as a mentor and gave Nogen the contacts and guidance he needed to successfully build the business and sell it in four years. It was just another example further proving that Wabash grads are out there wanting to help the young guys whether they can get you a job or not, and also that Wabash men really can do anything no matter what the background.

After the incredible meal along with a number of delectable house brewed beers and a singing of “Old Wabash,” the restaurant was ready for us to go. The next question on our minds had nothing to do with business, but what was next. This is where social marketing came into play. Jay Vix, Director of Marketing and New Media at BRAINFUSE, had given us great marketing strategies for any business venture we choose, as well as how to market yourself in a giant city like New York throughout our visit and the dinner. Jay had a resume full of marketing, especially outside of regular business hours. Thus, he used one of his contacts to get a few of us Wabash students into a brand new bar. It was a win-win situtation. We had a blast, and he helped his friend by generating business through our youthful presence.  We also met a few of Jay’s former business partners and friends and exchanged contact information. I won’t go too far into detail about the night, but I think we learned that no matter where you are, being friendly and talkative to everyone could potentially lead to business contacts and maybe even a job or internship, and doing so can surely lead to a great time.

Looking back on such a night, us young college men will never forget what we learned from any aspect of business, and even life in general. I cannot thank the Wabash alumni, and especially those not from Wabash enough for the donations and hours of effort outside their jobs to make this happen and give small school liberal arts guys like us a shot. As I tried to catch up on sleep during the returning flight, I reflected upon the events of the trip and realized how blessed I was to receive the chance to learn from such great people and experience such an opportunity. I concluded that I have been given this information and these connections for a reason, and I must put it all to good use so that one day, maybe I can be on the other side, showing a couple college kids the times of their lives and teaching them a thing or two about business along the way, or as Mr. Vix said, to “pay it forward.”

Alex Moseman ’11 – Friday afternoon was probably the best part of the trip. After lunch with Rick Calacci ’91 we made our way to the CBS broadcasting center, where we got an awesome tour. We stared on the set of the CBS Evening News, where some of the guys took advantage and had their picture taken behind the Katie Couric’s desk. From there we were able to go to the main production room at CBS. It was a room filled with buttons, knobs, and a wall-to-wall screen that showed every CBS feed from across the county. The coolest part of the room was that this was the place where CBS would make a breaking news announcement. It was crazy to think that from this room at the touch of a button every TV in American tune to a CBS station could see what you where doing. After visiting the CBS station we went to Goldman Sachs. I’m not sure what it was about being there but somehow it made the whole trip come together for me. I don’t really have an interest in being an investment banker, but everything that we talk about at Goldman Sachs seemed to apply to any line of work. There were two things that Tom Halverson ’84 said that I still remember.  He talked to us about the difficulties we might face by getting into an extremely competitive industry with a liberal arts degree. Speaking of Goldman Sachs he said, “We can just go to NYU and pick up 100 units (referring to 1^st year employees) and know they will be good.” But he continued with, “If you are smart, capable, and hard working you can do anything that anyone else can do.”  He went on to talk about how he really enjoyed working at Goldman Sachs, despite the long hours and demanding schedule. He advised us to “do what you really like do – what you are passionate about.” It was this message that I really took home with me. No matter where I go or what I do, I know that my Wabash education is going to prepare me to work hard, and think critical. More than anything that is the key to being successful. It’s not about working from the 22^nd floor of the Banc of America Tower. It’s about working hard at what you love. 

Click here and here for pictures from the trip.

Fabricio Monroy ’10 – The trip to New York City was a unique and enhancing experience for my professional development. It all started Thursday morning, visiting some alumni places of work. First, we went to Betsey Johnson, a renowned designing company, and met Godfred Yemofio ’01 from Ghana. He is working as a manager in business intelligence for the company. He was really accessible and provided us with some good advice in order to get started in the job market. He shared his knowledge and unique perspective like any other international student who wanted to start in the business world. He shared the way he got involved in his current job and the entire path he followed after his graduation in 2001.

Later on, we headed to Banc of America, one of the most exciting places, in my personal opinion. We were treated as real businessmen, interacting and visiting the places where magnates make millionaires business. We met two alumni who work there: Ted Zimmer ’09 and Jay Allen ‘79. They provided us with their unique insight. Networking opens a whole new world of opportunities for all the ones who care about their professional and academic future.

Banc of America is such an exciting place to work if you are interested in the financial world. They gave us some tips in how to get engaged in the financial world even though you are coming from a small liberal arts college in the Midwest. Until this trip I did not realize the importance of networking in the business world. However, never is it too late to get involved and ready for the job market. Networking is a great and innovative way to open doors and opportunities. Therefore, I strongly encourage to everyone to be attentive and responsive to every possible opportunity. 

Will Skertic ’11 – After getting lost in New Jersey I must say I was a little uncertain of what this trip to New York would bring. We were walking down the sidewalk, all 12 of us in suits, when we were called out to by an aggressive cabbie looking to make a buck. We kept walking. When he made it to our side of the street it turned out that he was, in fact, not a cabbie. He was one of Betsey Johnson employees we would soon be visiting with, and he had come to make sure we got there. As the cliché goes, things are never what they seem.

Our next stop was Banc of America to talk with Jay Allen ’79 and Ted Zimmer ’09 about investment banking. Being one of the ‘arts guys’ on the trip, the investment banking visit shouldn’t have been appealing to me, and at first it wasn’t. Nonetheless, I paid attention dutifully as any Wabash Man would, ever aware that we all represent Wabash College wherever we go. To my surprise I did indeed find a genuine interest in our meeting. My interest was mergers and acquisitions. The point is, it’s hard to know exactly what you’re getting into.That is exactly the sentiment I held before the trip. I’d be going with eleven other gentlemen, of whom I knew zero before this trip. I’ve seen my fraternity brothers return from trips of varying lengths with stronger bonds than before and dismissed the effects of their trip. Of course it would take a firsthand experience for me to truly appreciate the way in which these short trips can build and strengthen friendships. This networking trip to New York was that indeed, but it was much more than what it seemed and honestly unexpected. I have a newfound desire to live and work in New York, at least for a little while. More so however, I have a deepened appreciation and love for Wabash College, an outlook beholden to our alumni, and a drive to be equally as generous with any success in my life. This trip strengthened my bonds with other Wabash Men in the fraternity that is, Wabash College.

Matt Wynn ’10 – Thursday afternoon was probably the most memorable time of our entire trip for reasons both good and bad. The negatives, while funny in hindsight, were not so humorous at the time. The weather was dreadful. We had to travel all over Manhattan in our suits amidst freezing temperatures, pouring rain and gusting winds. However, I don’t think that any of us will soon forget the image of Scott Crawford trying to shield himself from the downpour with his broken, three-dollar umbrella.The positives of the afternoon far outweighed the temporary discomfort that the weather imposed upon us. We had a delicious Italian lunch at the Simply Pasta restaurant and spoke with two alumni who shared some of their experiences leading up to their careers on Wall Street. They were very helpful and willing to assist us in any way that they could.After lunch, we visited BRAINFUSE, an online tutoring service that is currently trying to grow. Our speaker there gave us an enthusiastic overview of the marketing industry including some of his personal projects and successes. He was impressed with the engagement of the Wabash students and we were all impressed by his knowledge of and passion for his trade. After visiting BRAINFUSE, we had the opportunity to visit the headquarters of a service which all of us have used extensively, Vault. Vault provides insider information about careers through numerous guides as well as an open forum on which people can discuss their experiences working in different industries and for different firms. At Vault we learned about growing a small business, interviewing for a job and living in New York as well as received general advice on how to succeed. After that, it was time for the cold and rainy trek back to our hotel before a night of individual exploration.

Josh Raspopovich ’11 – Thursday afternoon in New York City was a rainy and cold day but as soon as we walked in the conference room at BRAINFUSE, a man by the name of Jay Vix instantly warmed our Wabash group up. Although he was not a Wabash alumnus, he had a similar background in liberal arts
as we did at Cornell University. He instructed us on his path through Marketing and how he worked his way up to be the Director of Marketing and New Media for four diverse companies at the young age of 29. His talk was very inspirational for many of the Wabash students in attendance including myself. Unfortunately, after we left this great experience we were right back in a downpour and gusty winds. Eventually we found shelter by taking the New York subway system to our next location at Vault. Some of you, hopefully all of you, should be familiar with this company. Their company provides guidance in career search and related subjects and is featured on our own WabashWorks website. I encourage all of you to visit Vault on the website because it gives first-class insight into all industries and thousands of companies nation-wide. For those of us who visited Vault it was very interesting seeing the workings of a company such as this. Alexis Krase, Director of Enterprise Licensing Sales, gave our group some insight as to how Vault came to be and the future of its company. Her own input about interview tips and resumes and cover letters were also very helpful. Overall the New York Networking trip was a huge success for all the students who went. We all made valuable connections with numerous alumni and received great insight into the job search process, not to mention the experience of being in the city of New York. Personally, I am very excited to see what the future holds and through this trip I have came to the realization that New York would be a great fit for me.