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Business, Ethics & Society Minor Announces First Class of Students

Congratulations list of student names

We’ve just hit a big milestone for the minor in Business, Ethics & Society (BES), and unlike much else that’s going on in the world, it’s good news!  So I’m interrupting your summer to tell you about it.

As you probably know, BES isn’t a traditional business minor.  While it certainly includes plenty of practical components, it’s about much more than learning how to “do business” or how to get a job in business.  BES is about what it means to do business, and what it might look like to do it well — for each of us individuals, and for all of us together.  To be able to develop your own ideas about that, you have to know things about business, and about society, and about doing well.  What does it look like, and what does it take, for each of us and all of us to “do well”?  To flourish?  And what can business contribute?  It’s a demanding course of study and a selective process, but I am delighted to announce that we have just admitted our first students.

I am proud to introduce our first cohort, from the Class of 2022! Read on to see a list of names and projects.  Continue reading “Business, Ethics & Society Minor Announces First Class of Students”
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Ciocca Center Announces Virtual Summer Opportunities

Holy Cross hat worn on student.

The Ciocca Center for Business, Ethics, and Society has been an important partner in helping students to stay ahead of the consequences caused by the pandemic.  There have been many unexpected twists and turns leaving students unsure of Certificate Program progress, summer internship plans and what to expect this fall when classes resume.  The Ciocca Center has partnered with various Holy Cross offices to try to mitigate some of these new realities with additional funding and new opportunities.

Read on to see what’s happening and get involved! Continue reading “Ciocca Center Announces Virtual Summer Opportunities”
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Business Clubs Leading the Way

Alumna and student shaking hands

Joining a business club is so much more than a weekly hangout.  Students who actively participate can expect to become more familiar with the industry and learn the vocabulary, will be up to date with current events, as well as expand their network – of alumni and peers.  The Ciocca Center for Business, Ethics, and Society sponsors the following student clubs to provide speakers and competitions, as well as ways for students to develop personally and professionally.

Please join us in congratulating and thanking the following students who have been confirmed as club chairs for the next academic year! Continue reading “Business Clubs Leading the Way”
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Holy Cross Students Make an Impact During Pandemic
Three Holy Cross students interviewed by WMUR.

Mary Anne Wiley ’22 and Paul Wiley ’20, along with brother Matthew, started making face shields after their parents fell ill with COVID-19.  As they safely recovered, the siblings started making face shields to donate.  Several dozen face shields were sent to their local hospital in Concord.   The Holy Cross students explored entrepreneurship through HC Launch, the student run incubator through the Ciocca Center for Business, Ethics, and Society.  Back on campus Mary Anne & Paul Wiley started Wilox, a company creating what they call a long-lasting hand sanitizer due out in a few weeks. We are excited to learn more about this development!

 
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Students Win Business Ethics Competition

The International Business Ethics Case Competition, IBECC, was founded by Tom White ’69 over 23 years ago. Students from the College of the Holy Cross have competed since 2011, typically with a first round on campus with the winning team sent to compete internationally. Unfortunately, like so many other events in 2020, IBECC was moved to a virtual format and the Holy Cross teams opted not to move forward.

Two students, Katelyn Cody ’22 and Robin Lu ’22, worked with Prof. Karen Teitel and decided to participate as individuals in the optional Moral Compass Competition. Students were mixed up with students across schools, a good way to know other people.  Katelyn Cody ’22 team (Bagel Running) won and Robin Lu ’22 team (Pot and Glove) was one of two runners up.

Continue reading “Students Win Business Ethics Competition”
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Women in Business Volunteers at National Organization

WIB Committee Members at Dress for Success

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!
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Annual Innovation Challenge Solves Campus Problems

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”
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Summer Internship Reflection: Nalani Ramos Ruiz ’21

My name is Nalani Ramos Ruiz ’21, double majoring in Sociology and Psychology with a concentration in Latin American, Latinx, and Caribbean Studies. 2019 marks my sixth year with Raytheon Company and my second summer as a college intern. In addition to creating valuable connections, my education at Notre Dame Cristo Rey High School and years at the College of the Holy Cross, involvement with the Ciocca Center Business Certificate Program, and experience on the Women in Business Planning Committee have all helped me to succeed in a company focused on the defense industry and the protection of our war fighters. Continue reading “Summer Internship Reflection: Nalani Ramos Ruiz ’21”
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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”
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The Holy Cross Student Investment Fund Wins First Prize

On March 28, 2019 the Holy Cross Student Investment Fund competed in the  UMASS Minuteman Equity Fund.  With twelve teams competing, including MIT, Harvard, Columbia, Georgetown, Penn State, UConn, Northeastern and Babson, Holy Cross won $3,000 for first prize!  The four students, (pictured below, pitched CVS. Congratulations!

HC Student Investment Fund Left to right: Hayden Ivatts ‘21, Jack Boyd ‘21, Jack McConville ‘20, Hannah Callaghan ‘20

The HC Student Investment Club, now in its second year through the Ciocca Center for Business, Ethics, and Society, is a group of 37 students from all class years and majors.  After a competitive application process, students work in teams to gain experience in the fields of asset valuation, equity research and portfolio management with the Bloomberg Terminal on campus.  The students work closely with alumni and have scheduled site visits in NYC and Boston, MA.

“On our recent trip to New York, we showcased this feat and the work of our club to key alumni in the financial services industry.” comments Jack Boyd ’21. “There, the Industrials and Technology Group showcased their pitch-decks on United Rentals (URI) and Square, (SQ) respectively. The rigor and quality of these presentations were amplified with the use of our Bloomberg Terminal and strengthened after weeks of hard work within their coverage groups.”

Thanks for reading! Cassie

Cassie Gevry, Associate Director of Student Engagement
Ciocca Center for Business, Ethics, and Society