The Career Symposium

By Kaela MacLaughlin
Arts, Culture, & Design Editor

Clockwise from top left: CeCe Horbat, host of the Environment and Sustainability panel, Jack Loomis, Caitlin Shea-Valentine, Chris Furlong as panelists on Nov. 2, 7:00 pm.

The annual Career Symposium at St. Michael’s College is running from Oct. 26-Nov. 17. It is a virtual event consisting of a series of webinars. Students can dial into fourteen different panels and speak with alumni from different fields. Panels include accounting, the arts and sustainability.

Ingrid Peterson, director of the Career Education Center, helps students with job searches, graduate school applications and academic major advising. 

The Alumni Board of Directors is run by former graduates of the College . According to Peterson, they select speakers for the annual Career Symposium. Angie Armour, director of Alumni and Family Engagement, explained that the first symposium ran in 2008, and is currently going fourteen years strong. Both 2020 and 2021 , were held virtually, she said.

Renée Davitt, coordinator of on-campus student employment, moderated student questions and invited three alumni panelists. Her panel is scheduled for next Wednesday. 

Davitt is an alumna from the class of 1986, and first worked with the Career Education Center as an unpaid volunteer until she was offered a full-time job . 

Josh Bardier ‘10, is on the arts and entertainment panel scheduled for Nov. 17 at 6:00 p.m.  This panel will be hosted by Heather Fichthorn ‘12. The two were in contact with each other already before he was offered a spot on the panel. He currently lives in New York City as an actor, singer, writer and director. 

“I’m going to try to tell ten years ago Josh what I would have liked to have known,” Bardier said. He explained that his reason for returning was because of his love for Saint Mike’s and its community spirit. 

Caiti Zeytoonian ‘14, was in the Law and Government panel on Nov. 2. She said that participating as a panelist was an opportunity to guide students who wished to pursue law. She said she liked the faculty and courses at St. Michael’s. She currently works at the Morgan Lewis law firm in Boston.

Margaret Wilk ’24 said she attended the symposium. “It’s good to make connections, so that’s what I took away from that,” she said.

Technology and education are taking place on Nov. 16 at 6 and 7 pm respectively. Arts and entertainment and exploratory are the final panels open for students. They are taking place on Nov. 17 at 6 and 7 pm. The registration link is as follows: https://www.smcvt.edu/outcomes/alumni/calendar/career-symposium/