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Meet Alumna Victoria Aramini ’14, Planning Manager at TJX

Meet Alumna Victoria Aramini ’14, Planning Manager at TJX

 

1. What is your favorite thing about your job and/or TJX?

My favorite thing about working at TJX is how people oriented the company is – I get to work with so many different types of people in a given day. I love my work as a Planning Manager where I help my team affect the bottom line, working to save the company money through our team’s allocation strategies.

 

2. What are some company perks that you enjoy?

In the summer the company participates in “Summer Fridays” where we get out at 1:oo pm – this is definitely one of the best company perks in my opinion!

 

3. Tell me about a cool opportunity you’ve taken advantage of or experienced while at TJX.

Travel is a big part of the TJX experience for associates in planning and buying. I’ve been fortunate enough to travel with various teams to different parts of the US.

 

4. How would you describe TJX’s philosophy on job growth/talent management?

At TJX, development is very important and associates drive their own development. There are a wide range of opportunities for associates to take advantage of – both formal (in the classroom) and informal (on the job).

 

5. What advice would you like to give to current Holy Cross students about their job/internship search?

As companies evaluate you and your qualifications as you search and apply for internships, make sure you take the time to evaluate these companies and think about their culture, their development offerings, etc.
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Meet Alum Chad Wright ’92, Senior Director of IT, Amazon Robotics

Meet Alum Chad Wright ’92, Senior Director of IT, Amazon Robotics 

 

In one sentence, what does your job entail?  

As Senior Director of IT, I am responsible for the overall strategy and delivery of IT services, such as enterprise software, infrastructure, information security and service desk, that help our organization operate safely and efficiently.

 

What were you involved in when you were on campus?  

When I was on campus, I was a member of the Calculus Workshop (which also included the inaugural Computer Workshop) and a TA that graded lots of math homework.  Though my baseball career was very brief (one season), my friends and I played just about every intramural sport the college offered.

 

What was your major and how did it affect your career decisions?  

I was a Mathematics major with a concentration in Computer Science.  I studied what I loved and it led me into the direction of my career today.  I didn’t know anything about Information Technology and that’s why I’m so passionate about helping students learn more about the industry and be prepared for the opportunities that await them.

 

What planned and unplanned events connected you to your industry and your first employer after Holy Cross? How did you learn/decide it was a good fit for you?  

When I graduated, I had two job offers.  The first was a math and computer science teaching position with athletic coaching responsibilities at a private school in Long Island, NY.  The second offer was to join a database marketing software company as a business analyst that was much closer to my family and friends in MA.  I decided to take the business analyst role not really knowing what I was getting into, but because it was a growing company with challenging business problems and a teaching and learning culture, I decided to take a chance.  It turned out that I enjoyed the work and really excelled at it.

 

What are one or two skills that you developed at Holy Cross that you use in your work?  

The most important skills are critical thinking and problem-solving.  As a manager, mentor and coach, I find it’s very difficult to teach someone how to think critically or make them a better problem solver without investing an extraordinary amount of time and effort.  Holy Cross helped me develop my skills to look at each challenge pragmatically, to find new and creative ways to solve a problem – whether it be about people or about technology.  Leaving Holy Cross, I became a better reader, writer and listener.  These skills are critical to the success I’ve had in my various IT roles throughout my career.

 
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Meet Alum Gaby Betances ’14, Tenants’ Rights Coalition Paralegal at Bronx Legal Services

Meet Alum Gaby Betances ’14, Tenants’ Rights Coalition (TRC) Paralegal at Bronx Legal Services

 

Name: Gabriella Betances (Gaby)

Current Title/Employer:   Tenants’ Rights Coalition (TRC) Paralegal at Bronx Legal Services

 

In one sentence, what does your job entail?

The TRC partners with community organizers who help organize tenants in buildings, and I provide support on “Know Your Rights” education as well as on affirmative litigation that the tenants decide to pursue.

 

What and unplanned events connected you to your industry and your first employer after Holy Cross?   

I knew I wanted to do a service program after of Holy Cross, but the program I was interested in denied me right after finals. Jesuit Volunteer Corps (JVC) was a last minute application and acceptance, placing me in NYC as a Benefits & Housing Advocate at Make the Road New York (MRNY). That was my introduction to the legal field, community organizing, and the non-profit sector.

 

How did you learn/decide it was a good fit for you?

MRNY is a grassroots organization that combines services with in-house organizing. Not only were members empowered, but there was a strong sense of community, all of which made me feel so alive. I’m now figuring out if I want to work towards these values through law school.

 

What were you involved in when you were on campus?  

I was an OL, RA, Passport pathfinder, Spanish tutor, tour guide, Senior interviewer for admissions, Relationship Peer Educator (RPE), Pullshapes contemporary dance group, and Office Assistant for the Theatre Department.

 

What was your major and how did it affect your career decisions?  

I learned so much about history, culture, writing, critical thinking, and social justice through my Spanish and Latin American studies majors. I wanted to bring these skills and lenses by working with and for the community. I am also passionate about language access, and I currently work with tenants who do not necessarily understand English, legalese or both.

 

What are one or two skills that you developed at Holy Cross that you use in your work?

Super critical thinking and active, intentional listening
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Meet Alum Genevra Le Voci ’09, Senior Manager of Corporate and Foundation Relations

Meet Alum Genevra Le Voci ’09, Senior Manager of Corporate and Foundation Relations at The Frick Collection

 

Name:  Genevra Le Voci

Class Year: 2009

Title: Senior Manager of Corporate and Foundation Relations

Organization Name: The Frick Collection

 

In one sentence, what does your job entail?

My position at the Frick entails raising funds from foundation and corporate donors for special exhibitions, education programs, and the library in addition to growing the museum’s corporate membership program.

 

What were you involved in when you were on campus?

As a Holy Cross student I was involved with SPUD as a volunteer at Plumley Village and a member of Gesso, the student art club. At Gesso, we curated exhibitions of student art in the basement of the Hogan Campus Center. I co-chaired Gesso during my senior year. It was a lot of fun and a great way for me, an Art History major, to get to know my Studio Art peers better and to display their work. I also had two work study jobs (after I I worked in Kimball during freshman year, of course). I worked at the Archives and Special Collections at Dinand Library and at the Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Art Gallery. These were both wonderful experiences–I expressed my interest in a career in museum work to Mark Savolis at the Archives and Roger Hankins, Director at the Cantor Art Gallery. They were both great supervisors and gave me the opportunity to work on projects that gave me a sense of what it might be like to work at a museum. At the Archives I researched and organized small exhibitions from the Archives collections that were displayed in cases in the Reading Room in Dinand (I worked on one of these with a fellow Art History major, which was especially fun). At the Cantor Gallery, I got the chance to assist in art handling when we installed and de-installed exhibitions.

 

What was your major and how did it affect your career decisions?

I enrolled in Holy Cross as a Classics major but I also had a strong interest in Art History (I had a phenomenal art history teacher in high school) and I took Art History classes throughout my freshman year. I didn’t officially declare a double major in Classics and Art History until my sophomore year. A turning point was Medieval Art, a class I took with Professor Virginia Raguin the first semester of my sophomore year. At that point, I knew I wanted to so something in the visual arts. Professor Raguin was an amazing mentor–she guided my through countless internship applications (and was always a willing reference) and pushed me both academically and in my career expectations. Under her tutelage, I designed my own tour of the Worcester Art Museum on a topic in medieval art, something I had never done. She and Professor David Karmon (whose classes sparked my interest in Renaissance art) also advised my senior thesis.

At Holy Cross, I was able to delve into Art History and realize what I loved so much about it–how it was a way for understanding human experience and history visually. My Art History major made clear something I had only had an inkling of when I started college: that I wanted to work in a museum, or like institution, dedicated to bringing this experience–the discovery of visual art and culture–to the public.

 

 What are one or two skills that you developed at Holy Cross that you use in your work?

Writing is a major component of my job. I am always writing proposals, grant applications, reports, and letters. At Holy Cross, I developed and honed my writing skills (because of Professor Ellen Perry in the Classics Department, to this day I avoid beginning sentences with participles). Most of the writing I do now is different from academic writing. However, I think if you are confident in writing academically, which to me is the most challenging, other types of writing may come more easily.

 

What advice do you have for students on campus today?

My advice is to explore what interests and challenges you. Take classes on subjects and topics that make you ask questions and think deeply. Go to office hours and talk with your professors. Do activities that you find rewarding. Evaluate these experiences and think “Is there something here I’d like to consider for a job and/or career?” Process this information and take advantage of the resources available on campus (the Center for Career Development and the Writer’s Workshop, to name a few).
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Alumni Job Shadowing Program: Marialena Bevilacqua ’20

Meet Marialena Bevilacqua ’20 who participated in the Alumni Job Shadowing Program at Amazon Robotics 

Full Name: Marialena Bevilacqua
Class Year: 2020
Major: Mathematics
Shadowing Visit Site: Amazon Robotics
1. Describe your visit and what did you gain from the experience?
During Christmas Break, I shadowed Mr. Chad Wright at Amazon Robotics, in North Reading, Massachusetts. The original date that Mr. Wright and I had planned for was altered due to the biggest storm of the winter occurring during my visit to Massachusetts. Later on in January, I finally made it to the site. When I first got to Amazon Robotics, I walked by a large cement floor, where robots were being produced,  tested, and were carrying around tall boxes.   Soon after that, Mr. Wright explained to me what the company does, who works at the company, and what his position and daily routines are at the company. Throughout the day, I met with people of various job titles, including a Business Intelligence Developer, Business Systems Analysis, a Project Manager, a Mechanical and Electrical Engineer, as well as a Security Engineer and a Help Desk Technician. Each career and job position had its own purposes and responsibilities, and each employee had their own path in order to achieve their current position. It was extremely interesting to learn how each employee got to where they are and what steps they took in order to achieve their goals and fulfill their daily responsibilities at work. What I gained most from this experience was learning that there are many possible career opportunities for STEM majors, and that there are many different paths to travel down in order to achieve ones’ future career goals. At the end of the day, Mr. Wright brought me for a tour of the site where I was able to piece together how each persons’ role played an important part in the overall production and success of the company. Overall, it was a great experience and I was able to visit a unique and interesting company that I would have not been able to explore without the Alumni Job Shadowing program.
2. How did this experience influence or connect to your future career plans/goals?
As a Mathematics major, the most common route to follow post-graduation is to become involved in the business or finance fields. But this experience opened my eyes to the vast opportunities that exist for a math major in the technology sector. Within technology, a mathematics major can obtain a degree in engineering, computer science, and other scientific fields. There are also opportunities to be involved in business or finance within a technology company. For a math major who is interested in Finance, but does not want to work on Wall Street, a technology company is another great alternative. Learning about all of these new and fascinating career opportunities opened my eyes to potential careers that I was not aware of prior to my visit with Mr. Wright at Amazon Robotics.

3. What is some helpful advice your alumni host shared with you?

 Some helpful advice my alumni host shared with me was to do everything I can in order to prepare myself for a variety of future careers. For example, Mr. Wright suggested that I take Computer Programming in order to open up doors to various technology opportunities that might present themselves in my future. It might even be helpful to take technology courses at schools that offer these classes, such as WPI, in order to better my chances at a future in the technology field. This is advice that I had never received before, and am sure that it will prove to be beneficial to myself and my future.
4. Why would you recommend the Alumni Job Shadowing Program to other students?
I would most definitely recommend the Alumni Job Shadowing Program to other students. This experience allows you to connect with a Holy Cross alumni who has shared similar experiences to your own, and shows you what your work-life and future employment could look like in years to come.  The job shadowing program provides you with someone who becomes a role model, as well as goals that one might aspire to achieve. On the contrary, the Alumni Job Shadowing Program may provide a student with an idea of what they do not want to do with the rest of their life, which is just as equally beneficial, and sets the student on a mission to explore exactly what they want to do and participate in more shadowing  experiences. All-in-all, I had an amazing experience at Amazon Robotics this winter break, and was fortunate enough to connect with another member of “Sader Nation,” all thanks to the Alumni Job Shadowing Program.
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Meet Alum Meg Grogan ’08, Group Director, FRUKT

Name: Meg Grogan

Class Year: 2008

Title: Group Director

Organization Name: FRUKT

In one sentence, what does your job entail?

Helping brands tell great stories through entertainment partnerships.

What planned and unplanned events connected you to your industry and your first employer after Holy Cross? How did you learn/decide it was a good fit for you?  

My first job came from summer internships – in fact, I took another internship after graduation and that lead to my job as an executive assistant. I knew I didn’t want to be an assistant forever but the skills I learned in that job – time management, executive communication, and briefing, organization etc. have been some of the most valuable skills in my career.

What were you involved in when you were on campus?

I participated in two immersion trips to Kenya – first as a participant, then as a leader. I also helped to organize two benefit concerts (with Matt Wertz and Matt Nathanson) with CAB, FCA, and the Chaplin’s Office to raise funds for two programs I worked with in Kenya.

What was your major and how did it affect your career decisions?

English Major and Studio Art Minor. Being able to effectively communicate in a clear concise manner is essential to my job. I am constantly presenting, pitching, and providing my point of view to my clients and partners. Creative campaigns most successful when they have great writing and strategy behind them – all things English at Holy Cross taught me. Marketing also allows me to leverage my Studio Art experience and keep my creative skills fresh. Having an inherent sense of design adds another layer to my day to day work and makes everything I do just a little more creative!

What are one or two skills that you developed at Holy Cross that you use in your work?

Collaboration is something I learned at Holy Cross that I use every day. Whether it was study groups with my English seminars or planning a benefit concert, Holy Cross gave me the skills I needed to work with others to deliver success. Finding a group of intelligent passionate people to help and support you in all your professional endeavors is essential and Holy Cross helped me develop the skills to build those relationships.

What advice do you have for students on campus today?

Enjoy it! College is only four years – soak in as much as you can – take the classes that interest you the most there may not be another time in your life when you can just learn. Foster your friendships since your fellow Crusaders will be the ones supporting and helping you the most in the real world. Remember that professors are people too and have a wealth of life and work experience to share with you-you just have to ask.
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What Your Favorite Aspect of Autumn Says About Your Future Career

By Nerelly Checo ’18 and Casey Rooney ’18

While some mornings you might wonder if wearing shorts and a wool sweater are the right layers to get you through the day, autumn is the season to celebrate pumpkin spice and many other splendid things. Read on to see what your favorite aspect of autumn says about your possible future career.

Football is back!

You are excited for all the tailgates, food, fantasy football, and of course cheering on your team! There are many aspects to the football season that excite you which makes it your favorite part of fall. A career in the areas of sports, arts, fashion, or entertainment industries could be a good path for you.

New Themes on Social Media!

Whether it is trying out new Snapchat filters or scrolling through all the tailgating and apple-picking photos, social media is buzzing during the fall! You enjoy updating your social media and seeing what others are up to. A career path in marketing, media, communications, or advertising could be good for you.

Tech companies are releasing new products!

You like having the newest gadgets and are excited for all the releases that are on the market for the upcoming holiday season. Technology is a big part of your life, especially figuring out how these things work (iphone X face recognition?!). A career path in technology, engineering, or the physical sciences could be good for you.

Black Friday and Holiday Shopping!

You spend all of Fall saving up to splurge on gifts for yourself and those you love for the holidays. You budget every meal, outing and new adventure. Saving and spending wisely are your strong suits. A career path in finance, consulting, real estate, insurance, or accounting could be good for you.

New Elections!

It’s that time of year when local candidates are running for election. You look forward to seeing signs on people’s front lawns and listening to why candidates should be elected. If this is something that excites you, a career path in government, international affairs, or law could be good for you.

Back to School!

You’re looking forward to getting your brain stimulated again with new content and conversations with your best friends. You can’t wait to learn about the different ways to get involved on campus and in the community this upcoming year. A career path in education, non-profit, or human services could be good for you.

Changes in Nature!

You love seeing the leaves change color, the apples turn ripe and enjoy being one with nature during this time of year. You make sure to take a picture of every beautiful sunset you encounter. You plan the most scenic route to go pumpkin picking. At the same time, you make sure to take care of yourself by drinking all the fall-themed teas to keep you warm on the chilly fall days. If this sounds like you, a career path in health professions and life sciences sounds good for you!