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WIB Hosts Fiona Boyle ’21 to Share Female Finance Experience

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On March 22, 2023, the Women in Business Club hosted an alumna speaker, Fiona Boyle ’21.  She shared her experience of being a female in the finance industry.  Read more to hear takeaways from the audience, written by Olivia Evans ’23.

Fiona Boyle graduated from the College of the Holy Cross in the spring of 2021. She was an Economics major and Art History minor. Upon graduation, Fiona had to navigate the new world that COVID had created for society when it came to the search for a job. During her senior year at Holy Cross, she connected with an HC alumnus on LinkedIn. Later that year, the same alumnus posted a job opening on LinkedIn for a position at a start-up company in Fintech named Mirador. Fiona then reached back out to the alumnus, applied for the job, and later ended up getting an offer and accepting the job. Mirador is now a six-year-old company.

Fiona shared her day-to-day responsibilities at Mirador. Essentially, she creates financial reports for ultra-high-net-worth individuals; therefore, she is responsible for tracking portfolio performance data and building reports to help clients view and understand their assets. Fiona mentioned that Mirador has an excellent onboarding training program for new employees that many refer to as “Mirador University.”

Furthermore, Fiona wanted the audience of the presentation to leave with three main takeaways. Continue reading “WIB Hosts Fiona Boyle ’21 to Share Female Finance Experience”
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Alumn Shares Path from History Major to Tech Sales

Headshots of interviewer and interviewee

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”
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Lily Droesch ’21 Interview by JP Cunningham ’23

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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”
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Jack Browne ’22 Reflects on Alumni Network Available through the Ciocca Center

Jack Browne ‘22 is an international studies major with a concentration in Latin American Studies who is also pursuing a Certificate in Business Fundamentals through the Ciocca Center for Business, Ethics, and Society.  Jack spent the past year working to complete the requirements over the course of the ongoing pandemic.  The virtual workshops included alumni presenters from across the country to present industry-specific sessions and attend networking events. “One aspect of the business workshops that have been particularly helpful to my development,” starts Jack, “is how alumni are brought in to speak on their fields of expertise and their professional journey.  It was very reassuring for me to connect with recent graduates during the Marketing Communications & Sales workshop who now work at PepsiCo and hear about these individuals having success in the world of business without having gone on to business school.” 

“The concerted integration of Holy Cross alumni into the Business Certificate Program reinforces the reality that graduates of the school care about current Holy Cross students.” – Jack Browne ’22

The Business Certificate Programs provided by the Ciocca Center offer excellent opportunities for students to network with alumni and help kickstart their careers. With the help of hundreds of alumni across the various Business Certificate Programs, students can see that the Holy Cross liberal arts education supports a variety of career interests. Jack goes on to say, “The workshops provide students with a blueprint to learn more about industries, interact with alumni, and develop skills in professionalism that I have used firsthand to navigate interviews and internship applications.” 

Jack has completed nearly all of the Certificate requirements this academic year, many of which were held virtually.  He hopes to apply the knowledge gained through these experiences during an upcoming summer internship. Good luck! 

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Many thanks to Conor Hatton ’22 , marketing assistant for the Ciocca Center, for interviewing and writing this student’s experience.

 

 
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Brittany Polanco ’12 on Culture Fit

“I think it’s important to build a culture where people feel valued as individuals, supported in their values and able to control whatever balance looks like to them.” — Brittany Polanco ‘12

Brittany Polanco ’12, current Marketing Manager at PepsiCo, was interviewed by Women in Business committee member Margaret Anderson ‘21.  She shared her path from Mount St. James to the world of business, holding prominent roles in Frontier Communications, Hilton Worldwide, and PepsiCo.

The Holy Cross PepsiCo community, from left to right: Jessica Vona ’08, Kristen Buonassisi ’12, Robert Santariello ’16, Anne Fink ’85 P17, Alexandra Schiffmann ’15 and Brittany Polanco ’12.

Why did you choose Holy Cross? Going to an all girls, Catholic high school (Mercy High School in Middletown, CT) had a huge impact on my perspective and growth as a female leader.  At my high school, you were popular if you were smart, funny and kind rather than based on looks or social status. We were still teenagers so we had our fair share of drama, but the unique environment allowed me to grow and thrive.  It was a supportive community that cultivated ambition, collaboration and academic achievement. When I visited HC, it was clear that there was something special about the school and that it was a similarly tight-knit, high achieving community.  I immediately felt at home at Holy Cross and knew it would be a place I could build strong relationships while continuing to learn and grow at a new level. Continue reading “Brittany Polanco ’12 on Culture Fit”