One of the great resources we have on campus is the Center for Career Development which is a great place to explore future career paths. The center features valuable workshops, caring advisors and connections to helpful alumni. In my first year, I started by working on my resumé and connecting with an advisor. The resumé workshop was a great place for me to start so I could use that resumé to apply for internships and future jobs. I also was appointed an advisor based on my interests and placed in the Health Professions and Life Sciences Career Community. Within my first semester, I was getting involved in the Career Center and making myself a competitive job applicant.
A unique opportunity Holy Cross offers is the Alumni Job Shadowing Program. This program runs during fall break, winter break, and spring break. Within this program, Holy Cross students apply to shadow an alumnus in a field that they are interested in. The Career Center matches students based on their career pursuits and location. I was matched with a physician that I was able to shadow for a day, which allowed me to meet his patients, watch his interactions and see how the healthcare field works in a private practice. For me, it was helpful to watch the fast-moving day as well as ask questions to the Holy Cross graduate. Not only did I make an amazing connection with an alumnus, but he also connected me to a few other Holy Cross graduates who also were willing to answer any questions I had. After only one full semester at Holy Cross, I had already found the value in using The Center for Career Development.
During the academic year, The Center for Career Development also hosts networking events on campus. They invite alumni from various fields and graduation years to come back to campus to meet with students to talk about their career paths and provide advice. These were always helpful events to hear questions answered by the panelists, while also giving students the opportunity to network after the panel session. I enjoyed having the opportunity to talk with alumni and learning more about where they work and how their journey has progressed. Our online program, Handshake, allows students to look for jobs and internships, as well as communicate with the Holy Cross Center for Career Development advisors.
During my junior year, I knew I wanted to secure an internship for the following summer. The search for this internship started early and was aided by the help of the Center for Career Development. Finding the perfect internship would give me the proper experience to grow and improve my skills. In the fall of my junior year, I applied for the Crusader Internship Fund. This is a wonderful opportunity for rising juniors and seniors at Holy Cross to receive funding for unpaid internships. The Crusader Internship Fund is supported by alumni and generous parents to help students gain experience and connections through summer internships. I applied for the Crusader Internship Fund before I even found my internship. In April of my junior year, through the help of a former Holy Cross graduate, I accepted an internship at Sargent Rehabilitation Center in Warwick, Rhode Island. Sargent Rehabilitation Center helps children ages 3-to-21 years old who are struggling with severe learning disabilities often related to neurological impairment, such as autism and seizure disorders. I loved going into my internship each day and gaining new work experiences. Through my internship, I realized my desire to work with children in a healthcare setting. I am thankful to the Center for Career Development and our connection with wonderful alumni for helping to set up my internship and teaching me something new every day.
Meaghan Murray ’20
My name is Meaghan Murray and I am from Narragansett, Rhode Island. I am a senior biology major and environmental studies minor. On campus, I am involved in admissions as a senior interviewer and campus tour guide. In addition, I am also part of the campus liturgical ministry and I work at the Luth Athletic Complex. I am interested in pursuing a career in healthcare, either nursing or occupational therapy. Over my years at Holy Cross, I found healthcare to be my interest in career choice through internships, shadowing and conversations with alumni.
