Ciocca Center for Business, Ethics, and Society Blog

April 25, 2022

Prof. Chu Reflects on Career at Holy Cross

Group of students with Prof. Chu — Prof. Chu with participants of the 2011 Summer Business Program.

Conor Joslin ’23, the student intern for the Ciocca Center for Business, Ethics, and Society, interviewed Prof. David Chu upon hearing about his retirement at the end of the current academic year.

CJ: Let’s start with a little background about your pre-Holy Cross life.

DC: I grew up in Hong Kong and came over to the United States for college. I went to a small college called Anderson College, where there were 2,000 undergraduate students. Anderson College is a liberal arts institution and I majored in accounting and business, which enabled me to study accounting and business while fulfilling all of the liberal arts requirements; so I had a very well rounded education. Then I went to graduate school at Indiana University in Bloomington where I got my MBA and went on to get a PHD. I then taught at Indiana University while my wife was finishing up her medical training. After that, we decided to look around, and Holy Cross offered me a position, which I was very thankful for. My wife also got a job at what was then called the Fallon Clinic, and we moved out here. I started in the fall of 1991, and it has been a great career since.

CJ: What are your roles and responsibilities as the director of the Ciocca Center? What are the more challenging aspects of your job? Continue reading “Prof. Chu Reflects on Career at Holy Cross”

April 7, 2022

Conor O’Reilly ’18 Reflects on the Holy Cross Advantage

Conor O’Reilly ’18 – psychology major
Account Executive, Oracle NetSuite
Interviewed by Ciocca Center intern, Conor Joslin ’23

“You have to recognize that you have an advantage. Having gone through that major and learning all of those essential skills is a benefit that not a lot of people get to learn through their college education if they’re not going to a school like Holy Cross”.

Please share a bit about your background, where you’re from, and why you decided to attend Holy Cross?

I am from Andover, MA which is just about thirty minutes north of Boston. Growing up, Holy Cross always had a fantastic reputation. I had toured it one spring day and it was a beautiful sunny day on campus. Students were out and I just kind of felt at home there. So I applied to Holy Cross kind of knowing that was where I wanted to go. I had no idea what I wanted to study at that point in high school, but I knew that it was the place for me. It was one of the best decisions I have ever made.

Can you speak a little bit about what your major was and the impact that it had on your professional career?

Continue reading “Conor O’Reilly ’18 Reflects on the Holy Cross Advantage”

March 31, 2022

Alumn Shares Path from History Major to Tech Sales

Brendan Sullivan ’86 took the time to answer some questions regarding his experiences on the hill and career upon graduation. Brendan was first introduced to Holy Cross by his grandfather, Bill Brennan ’30, and uncle, Jeff Brennan ’60, who both attended Holy Cross as student-athletes. Brendan really wanted to attend an institution with a strong academic reputation and was looking for a college that stood out upon other colleges and universities. His trip to campus, hosted by the football team, solidified his decision to attend Holy Cross due to the experience that he had upon his visit.

“I think studying history and just the entire experience at HC helped me become a much better communicator and gave me insight on what joining the business world would require to be successful” Continue reading “Alumn Shares Path from History Major to Tech Sales”

March 31, 2022

Conor Joslin ’23 Facilitates Alumni Panel for Club Hockey

On Wednesday, March 30, 2022, the Holy Cross Club Hockey team hosted the first-ever Club Hockey alumni panel coordinated by Conor Joslin ’23, intern for the Ciocca Center.

We are so fortunate that Joe Darcy ‘11, economics major, and Matthew Krebs ‘11, political science major, took the time to meet with current Club Hockey players to share their Holy Cross experience and careers in business. Both alumni speakers emphasized the importance of networking and connecting with fellow Holy Cross alumni to achieve success in the business world. Darcy is currently an Investor at IDEA Fund Partners and Krebs is a Director of Operations at Garrison Investment Group. Both provided current players with valuable feedback in regards to using your liberal arts education to your advantage, as it differentiates Holy Cross students from other applicants. By attending a liberal arts education like Holy Cross, students learn to communicate, read, write, analyze, present, and critically think at a very high level that other large business school students may not learn. Furthermore, they talked about the importance of networking and utilizing the Holy Cross alumni network. Holy Cross alumni love helping current students, so it is extremely important to put yourself out there and introduce yourself to multiple alumni. Continue reading “Conor Joslin ’23 Facilitates Alumni Panel for Club Hockey “

March 25, 2022

Entrepreneurship & Innovation Week Awards Over $15,000 in Prize Money

Congratulations to all of the students who competed during the annual Entrepreneurship & Innovation Week: March 26 – 31, through the Ciocca Center for Business, Ethics, and Society and the Entrepreneurship & Innovation Program at Holy Cross.

Sustainable Innovation Challenge

HC Launch held its bi-annual Innovation Challenge in partnership with the Office of the President, Environmental Studies Department, Political Science Department, Ciocca Center, Office of Sustainability, Green Fund, and Eco-Action. The challenge tasked Holy Cross students with developing and presenting creative ways to advance sustainability on our campus. With 8 teams pitching their ideas to a panel of 3 judges, students developed detailed applications of sustainable practices in an effort to lower the college’s ecological footprint and to inspire green-thinking on campus. Nick Bettenhauser ‘24, Sasha Paradise ‘24 & Eileen Evans ‘24 ultimately won first place with their innovative and feasible pathway towards the installation of solar carports. Eco Saders and Green Addition placed 2nd and 3rd respectively. HC Launch and other organizations are now collaborating with these teams to implement their ideas.

Congratulations to the 2022 Innovation Challenge winners! Continue reading “Entrepreneurship & Innovation Week Awards Over $15,000 in Prize Money”

February 9, 2022

Ciocca Intern: Conor Joslin ’23

My name is Conor Joslin and I am currently a junior at Holy Cross majoring in Political Science while pursuing a Certificate in Business Fundamentals.

This semester, I am interning at the Ciocca Center for Business, Ethics and Society while taking the course Business of Sport with Doctor Robert Prior as a part of the Academic Internship Program, a requirement for the Business Certificate Program.

Throughout this semester I will be connecting and interviewing various Holy Cross alumni to learn about different career paths and how each used their liberal arts education to succeed in the business world. Through the Business Certificate Program at Holy Cross, the multiple workshops I have completed, and the variety of clubs, there is such a vast network of successful alumni that I am eager to connect with. On a more personal level, I am very interested in the sales industry, along with some interest in real estate, which is why I am so fortunate for this opportunity to connect with so many brilliant alumni and learn about different career paths.

Take a look at these interviews by Conor!

January 30, 2022

Winter 2022 Offers Second Chance to Participate in Business Remotely

Students found a second chance to participate in virtual winter programming during yet another year of an ongoing pandemic. Once again, the Ciocca Center for Business, Ethics, and Society offered five workshops for remote student participation.

Virtual opportunities to explore business over winter break included Fullbridge Professional Edge at Holy Cross, Corporate Finance & Banking, Marketing Communications & Sales, Interview Prep, and Business Strategy & Innovation. Many of the students participated in more than one opportunity as they worked towards Business Certificate Program completion.

100+ alumni from around the world and nearly 200 students from all four class years participated in the exploration of business. Students were eager to share their stories via Instagram takeovers ahead of their return to campus for the academic semester. Read on to read some key takeaways from current students:

Alice Russo ’22, mathematics and economics major, pursuing the Certificate in Finance & Banking quoted Bill Cole ’07 during an asset management session. She shared his advice to “invest in your network” and enjoyed the opportunity to connect with alumni with “at least two if not ten alumni, which was incredible, so willing to help and connect and offer advice. ”

Molly Skoglund ’22, economics major, business, ethics and society minor, pursuing a Business Fundamentals Certificate, reflected on her experience in the Interview Prep workshop. She built her unique personal brand with Mimi Doherty ’02, practiced interview skills with Ben Cannon of Career Development, and is inspired to make career choices that make her happy with the advice received from Patty Carfora ’01.

Thanks to students for your understanding, alumni for your support, and Holy Cross for keeping the community safe. Cheers to 2022!

December 17, 2021

Nearly 100 Students Participate in Entrepreneurship Program

Throughout the fall 2021 semester, the Entrepreneurship and Innovation Program has been in full swing moving student engagement from virtual offerings to in-person ones. The following is a list of opportunities that nearly 100 students had this past semester to engage with the E&I program, led by Ja-Nae Duane.

Entrepreneurship Class: This semester, the entrepreneurship class saw its largest registration ever with 56 students. The class created 15 business ideas with the intent of five of them to continue on after the semester. Additionally, the students engaged with three alumni during the semester to hear their insights about entrepreneurship.

HC Launch: This semester, the student-led incubator supported three business ideas and two businesses with a total of 19 students involved. The students also continued their successful virtual alumni mentor meets and had 13 alumni meet with the students throughout the semester.

Innovation Challenge: This falls the theme of the Innovation Challenge was “Systems of the Future” with a focus on the systems here on campus. The event was co-sponsored by the Information Technology Services Department at Holy Cross and had 14 students participate from across campus with eight concepts pitched. Currently, three of the eight are moving forward into the conceptual and prototyping stages.

Business Strategy, and Innovation Workshop: This fall, the Business Strategy and Innovation workshop was offered again for students in all of the Business Certificate Programs. This workshop ran virtually in October for students and will be held in-person during January break for another ten students.

Venture Hill: This semester was the inaugural semester for Venture Hill, the student-led venture fund. During the semesters, nine students learned some of the fundamentals of venture capital with the intent to begin investing in student ventures (no equity taken) in the spring.

Watch for more opportunities to get involved in the new year! Keep an eye out for Entrepreneurship Week in March 2022 and get involved in the clubs.

December 7, 2021

Jack Dennehy ’21 Interview by JP Cunninhgam ’23

Jack Dennehy ’21, Student at UVA McIntire School of Commerce
Holy Cross Studies: Political Science Major, Finance & Banking Certificate
Interviewed by JP Cunninhgam ’23

JPC: How was your experience as a student at HC pursuing one of the business certificates?

JD: I enjoyed my experience pursuing this certificate—the Fullbridge Program especially gave me good experience in being able to research a company and present on it. Additionally, the Finance Boot Camp was particularly helpful in terms of networking and learning more about different banks and specific roles there.

JPC: Was there one workshop, class, professor, club, activity, etc. that has influenced your perspective on the professional world to the greatest extent?

JD: The Finance Boot Camp definitely did. I gained valuable insight into the financial services world by getting the opportunity to see what the average day looks like in this field across many different companies. Additionally, visiting these different banks and learning more about them was a very unique experience that I valued greatly.

JPC: During interviews, how did the certificate help you to land your first job or internship? Continue reading “Jack Dennehy ’21 Interview by JP Cunninhgam ’23”

December 2, 2021

Lily Droesch ’21 Interview by JP Cunningham ’23

Lily Droesch ’21, merchandising assistant, Macy’s
Holy Cross Studies: Sociology Major, Business Fundamentals Certificate
Interviewed by JP Cunningham ’23

JP: How was your experience as a student at Holy Cross pursuing one of the business certificates?

LD: I had a really good experience. I found the requirements to be a great addition to my courses and only enhanced what I was learning in the classroom.

JP: Was there one workshop, class, professor, club, activity, etc. that has influenced your perspective on the professional world to the greatest extent?

LD: I think that the job shadowing program solidified my decision to pursue a career in fashion because I got to spend the day with alumni and see firsthand what goes on on a day-to-day basis. Continue reading “Lily Droesch ’21 Interview by JP Cunningham ’23”