Thirteen Houghton students traveled to Buffalo for a networking event hosted by the Vocational Opportunities and Career Advising Center (VOCA) and the Alumni Engagement Office. Buffalo has a very high concentration of Houghton Alumni that are intentional with maintaining strong relationships with Houghton College.
According to a campus wide email, the event took place on Monday, March 20, and gave students “an opportunity to meet with alumni in one of five career areas: communication, non-profit and human services, ministry, business/finance, or law.”
The day started off with a panel discussion. The panel was made up of four alumni from the Buffalo area that offered advice on transferring from Houghton to the real world and tips on what to do now to prepare for the future. Some recommendations included finding mentors, investing in relationships with current professors, and asking God for guidance. After the discussion, students were given a tour of the Houghton Buffalo site, where the event was held. Longtime history professor and director of Houghton College Buffalo, Cameron Airhart, shared how Houghton Buffalo offers education to refugees in Buffalo and the way God is at work in their program. Following the tour was a luncheon where students could engage with alumni in smaller groups to ask specific questions about their area of interest.
After lunch, the students departed for their first site visits of the day. A few students went to Jericho Road, which provides medical care to refugees and low-income families. Students interested in the areas of healthcare and human services had an opportunity to engage with people in their desired field.
The rest of the group went to New Era. A panel of employees including alumna, Becky Juroe, told students about the business, their specific positions, and offered advice on how to find a career worth waking up for. Students then had an opportunity to ask questions and talk with the panelists one-on-one. Erik Sorensen ‘20 found this part of the trip particularly beneficial. He said,“I gained a greater understanding what companies are looking for in a Data Science. They are looking for someone who can communicate with others and who have a great personality. ‘Attitude over aptitude’ as Fil Szabluk, the Senior IT Manager for New Era, put it.” The students then embarked on a tour of their headquarters. Ashley Hughes ‘17 said this was her favorite part of the trip because it is such a unique work environment. There was music playing, bright colored walls, turf in place of typical flooring, and ping-pong tables in a few rooms.
The group met back together at the Upstate New York Transplant Services office (UNYTS). A representative from UNYTS gave a presentation on what the organization does, including common misconceptions regarding organ and tissue donations. Employees from the company then met with students in small groups, which were organized by area of interest.
The students that attended the trip said they found the event to be a huge success. Aaron Esienhardt ‘17 said, “I enjoyed meeting with recent Houghton graduates and hearing their perspectives on how they handled transitioning from the Houghton bubble into the real world. Seeing how employees perceive working for nonprofit organizations versus working for regular companies was eye opening. If you ever are presented with the opportunity to network, I recommend taking full advantage of it.”