Posted on

Colman Benson ’24: Ciocca Center Intern

Student quote from text

My name is Colman Benson ‘24 and I am a junior at Holy Cross majoring in political science with a Certificate in Finance and Banking. Through the Academic Internship Program I am taking the class Policy and Politics: The Midterm Elections, taught by Tim Bishop and Peter Flaherty while I am working for the Ciocca Center for Business, Ethics, and Society to fulfill my internship requirement for the Certificate. Throughout the semester I will be interviewing faculty and alumni to highlight their different career paths in the business world. I will also demonstrate how their liberal arts education and the values of Holy Cross have guided them through their respective business careers.

Towards Certificate completion, I have completed several workshops including Fullbridge,  Interview Prep, Banking Ethics and Corporate Finance and Banking  in addition to the Excel Tutorial.  I have been able to gain fundamental knowledge and useful business skills through my participation in the Ciocca Center workshops. During the Fullbridge Professional Edge Program I worked on a team to study the data and finance metrics of our company along with its competitors to develop a growth strategy throughout a fast-paced simulated work week. We pitched our final project to a panel of mock investors to show how our new product could penetrate the market and provide growth for our company. This workshop was very beneficial as it gave me the opportunity to solve a problem with my teammates and pitch our solution, including how and why our new product would increase our company’s revenue. The Corporate Finance and Banking Workshop has given me an insight into some of the top firms in the industry including Natixis and Wellington, asset management firms. I have been able to grow my connections and foster relationships with Holy Cross alumni that I have met at these firms through the workshop. 

I am very excited to continue expanding my alumni network and to learn more about their experiences in the business world. I believe this will give me a great opportunity to enter the field of finance in the future. 

Check out the following faculty and alumni interviews:
Posted on

Fenwick Scholar Awarded to Certificate in Finance & Banking Student

Fenwick Scholar Max Hendrix 23

Fenwick Scholar:  Max Hendrix ’23

Studies: Philosophy,  Economics, Certificate in Finance & Banking

Advisors: Prof. Karsten Stueber, Philosophy &  Prof. Kolleen Rask, Economics

Project: Max will undertake a philosophical analysis of human agency under rational choice theory – the theory in mainstream economics that human beings are fundamentally rational and use this rationality to recognize and pursue goals that align with their own self-interest.  Rational choice theory can be useful for its powerful predictive abilities, but contemporary work in both behavioral economics and social psychology have recently begun to critique these assumptions and question the limits of this theory.  Max would like to approach the question from a philosopher’s perspective, particularly those philosophers who emphasize the intrinsically social nature of humans.  Of interest, for example, is Adam Smith’s often overlooked belief that empathy if a fundamental part of our human agency.

Congratulations to Max Hendrix ’23,  a double major in philosophy and economics pursuing a Certificate in Finance & Banking, for receiving the Fenwick Scholar.   This award is the highest academic award that the College bestows. With advisors, the Fenwick Scholar designs a program of independent research or a project that will complete their undergraduate education in the most challenging, creative, and meaningful way.
Posted on

Chris Man ’00 is Passionate Advocate for Better Business and Greater Good

 

Mission Driven Podcast Season 3 Episode 1 Welcome to Season 3 of the Mission Driven Alumni Podcast!  New episodes will be released throughout the spring and summer of 2022.

The first episode of season 3 features a conversation with Chris Mann ’00.  Chris has built his career around making a difference in the lives of others.  He’s joined in conversation with JP Cunningham ’23.  They discuss Chris’ time at Holy Cross and how he has carried the HC mission to serve others throughout his life and career.

Listen to the interview with Chris Mann ’00, VP & Head of Community Affairs at Bain Capital, by JP Cunningham ’23, fall 2021 Ciocca Center intern. 

Interview originally recorded in November 2021.
Posted on

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

Male headshot

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”
Posted on

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”
Posted on

Conor Joslin ’23 Facilitates Alumni Panel for Club Hockey 

Club Hockey Team

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 “
Posted on

Ciocca Intern: Conor Joslin ’23

Male headshot

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! 
Posted on

Jack Dennehy ’21 Interview by JP Cunninhgam ’23

Male Headshot

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”
Posted on

Lily Droesch ’21 Interview by JP Cunningham ’23

HEadshot of a student on Fenwick stairs

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”
Posted on

Business Certificate Presentation Tips and Tricks

 

Mackenzie Madden ’22 pursuing the Business Fundamentals Certificate through the Ciocca Center for Business, ethics, and Society at the College, shares how her workshop experience has provided her with countless opportunities to practice presenting in front of an audience. Read on to learn her tricks to a successful presentation! 

From the Fullbridge Program to Marketing Communications & Sales to the Global Supply Chain workshop, I’ve had different audiences and presentation goals, worked with different teams, and created a variety of different presentations, all while keeping the same tips in mind.  Continue reading “Business Certificate Presentation Tips and Tricks”