As of Monday, March 16, 2020 the College of the Holy Cross asked all students, faculty and staff to transition to working remotely as a result of the coronavirus (COVID-19). With new obstacles comes new opportunities and ways to set ourselves up for success to work virtually. Continue reading “Going Virtual and Setting Yourself Up for Success”
My name is Katherine Kalill ’21. I’m a current junior at Holy Cross, majoring in Political Science with an Africana Studies concentration and working towards a Certificate in Entrepreneurship through the Ciocca Center.
I recently returned to campus after working under the programming team at CBS Sports in New York City. Living in the city also allowed me to explore the various new market opportunities available. As a result, I am interested in learning more about the future of entrepreneurship and what it takes to turn an idea into a prosperous business. In addition, I would love to research what people have found to be the most successful way to pitch ideas and what separates successful ideas from the rest in the increasingly competitive global world of business. I hope to explore potential strategies of growth and conclude principles that hold true across industries.
Through the Academic Internship Program this semester, I am taking a seminar called “Boards and CEOs: Governing America’s Businesses” with Professor Dan Ricciardi and interning at the Ciocca Center. In my time here, my focus is to identify alumni who embody the spirit of entrepreneurship through their business endeavors and identify how their liberal arts education has complimented their success.
Stay tuned to see Katherine’s progress this semester!
Earlier this month, members of the Women in Business student committee spent a morning at Dress for Success Worcester. Dress for Success is a non-profit national organization dedicated to promoting female financial independence and career achievement by providing free professional clothing to wear in the workplace and to job interviews. In addition to providing clothing, the organization also assists women with resume building and interview preparation to increase their chances of being hired.
WIB committee members volunteered at the Worcester branch where they organized, steamed, and polished clothing and shoe donations. We were also able to learn more about what the organization does for the women it supports and opportunities to further get involved. We learned various helpful career and resume tips from Dress for Success staff members. For example, Justina Lachapelle and Beth Butler, executive director and program director respectively, explained the difference between branding and marketing and how understanding the distinction between the two can be important when developing your own personal brand for purposes such as job interviews.
Spending the morning with Dress for Success was a great way to bring in the new committee members and to better get to know one another outside of our weekly meetings. It was a great opportunity to give back to an organization that does so much to support female empowerment in the professional world.
As a committee, we are currently working to plan the 15th annual Holy Cross Women in Business Conference which will take place on campus Saturday, November 7th, 2020. We have confirmed our morning keynote alumna speaker (stay tuned for an announcement!) and are planning plenty of new programming and surprises! I hope you will celebrate 15 years with us!
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Thanks to Grace Ingram ’20, WIB Committee Co-Chair, for sharing her experience. We look forward to the 15th annual conference this fall!
Left to Right: Jack McConville ‘20, Liam Busconi ‘21, LJ Foley ‘21, Maggie Burd ‘20 & Jack Mucci ‘21
Five students in the Holy Cross Student Investment Fund (HC SIF) competed at the annual ENGAGE, Annual Undergraduate Investment Conference in Ann Arbor, Michigan. The two-day event, October 18-19 of 2019, consisted of various panels, speakers and nearly 30 schools, including Texas, Notre Dame, Virginia, Elon, Washington University. HCSIF pitched AT&T based on broader macroeconomic themes and a thesis on future company transition influenced by an activist investor letter, a thesis eventually proven true in the short term by the market. You can view their pitch deck here: AT&T Engage Undergraduate Investment Pitch.
This spring the student group plans to compete in CQA, a virtual portfolio competition, as well as at the annual UMASS Isenberg Stock Pitch Competition. Additionally, the group plans to visit alumni in Boston and NYC for site visits and alumni networking opportunities. Stay tuned!
Interested in finance? Take a listen to an interview by Leif Johnson ’21 withTed Lynch ’84. Leif first met Ted, Managing Director at Bank of America, during the annual spring Corporate Finance & Banking Workshop in Boston. Ted has been a great mentor for many students, including Leif, and he is eager to share new opportunities with Holy Cross students.
“Holy Cross will teach you to think critically and persuasively, no matter your major.” – Ted Lynch ’84
HC Launch, the student incubator through the Ciocca Center, hosted the fall Innovation Challenge on Saturday, November 9, 2019. Building off of last spring’s Innovation Challenge, this event brought students together to brainstorm problems centered around issues on campus at Holy Cross stemming from the Engage Summit and to ideate potential solutions to these problems.
Continue reading “Annual Innovation Challenge Solves Campus Problems”
“When you enter a room, you need to have confidence. But you also need to check your ego at the door.” This was the advice that keynote speaker Maggie O’Neill ‘99 shared with over 200 students and alumnae gathered in Hogan Ballroom on the morning of November 2nd. This event marked the 14th annual Women in Business Conference held at the College of the Holy Cross. Continue reading “Maggie O’Neill ’99 Inspires at the 14th Annual WIB Conference”
Alumna: Jillian Caffrey ’14
Major: Political Science, Anthropology minor
Profession: Assistant to Global Marketing COO, BlackRock
How has your liberal arts education helped you professionally? There was a transformative point during my time at Holy Cross at the end of my freshman year. At the time, I was an accounting major and was struggling with the material so I consulted my Montserrat professor for advice. I was struggling to figure out how and if I was going to pivot from this major that I set before I even stepped foot on campus. While I didn’t identify a new major right away, she did help me realize the true value of a liberal arts education, it was a moment I never forgot as she rattled off countless examples of Holy Cross grads and their “majors” and current career paths. While I ultimately landed into a political science major and anthropology minor because I was interested in the content, I credit the lessons I learned while in school that have helped me in business including problem-solving and communication skills that I would have learned regardless of the major I selected. Continue reading “Alumna Interview: Jillian Caffrey ’14”
Alumna: Seton McFarland ’16
Major: Accounting
Profession: Analyst, UBS
Who/What inspired you to enter the business world? Both of my parents worked in business, so I definitely gravitated to what I was familiar with coming out of college. Within the business world, I chose to enter into the financial services industry because it complemented my strong interest in economics. Continue reading “Alumna Spotlight: Seton McFarland ’16”
On Sunday, September 29, 2019 the HC Launch student incubator started off with its semester kickoff event. The application process yielded eight student-led startup teams, with ventures ranging from data security to the cosmetics industry. Paul Wiley ‘20 and Tom Cremins ‘21, managing directors, kicked off the event discussing the direction of the incubator this semester, matched student teams, and led an engaging team building activity. Continue reading “HC Launch Incubates Eight Student Businesses”
