2021 Program & Speakers

Harry Baron '01 is an account sales executive at X loyalty, a loyalty and customer engagement solutions company. In his breakout session"Selecting the Job That's Right for You," Mr. Baron discussed strategies for selecting organizations that match the culture you desire."As you're making decisions about your own future, I urge you to think about other people — their views, their values, their identities."

Jimmy Benson '92 shared tips gleaned during his nearly three decades of real estate experience on how to stand out among the pack."In sales, you’ve got to find the discipline and the behaviors that you’re going to do that nobody else is willing to do."

Polly Cannella '08— entrepreneur, co-founder and CEO of lokii, a shopping and delivery app for local businesses — led"Follow your passions," which detailed how to overcome self-doubt in order to boost creativity and recognize your own value."All of us humans have a superpower and that is the power to create things — to materialize the things that we want. We all have that in us, and that is an amazing gift to share."

Sarah Dickson '14 is an account executive at POLITICO Magazine in Washington, D.C. She structured her breakout session around the importance of relevant internships, relationship building, and expanding your resume in college." You may not be the smartest person in every room, but maybe you're a great team player, or you always take the lead on projects or you make it a point to stay after class to talk to the professor. There are many ways to stand out in college."

Madison Ellis Ellington '09, owner of West End Academy of Dance, spoke about how although it may require risk and sacrifice, following your passions can make a big difference in helping you feel satisfied in your career."There's no timeline that says you have to jump straight into your career after college. It took me five years to figure out what I wanted to do, and that time getting used to living in the real world was crucial to me becoming the person I am today."

Mary Warden Good '07, who works in volunteer and guest services at The Evelyn D. Reinhart GuestHouse, used her breakout session with Elizabeth Rigsby(coordinator of guest services at ReinhartHouse); to talk about how rewarding volunteer work can be. “As you go out into the world, when you're thinking about what you want to do, find your passion and the way you want to contribute to society. Then you’ll find the nonprofit for it. If you don’t, take that as a challenge to create it. ”In "#Micromoments: Redefining Growth through Change,"

Karole Johnson '08 used four moments from her experience at Steward to illustrate how to identify potentialgrowth opportunities during challenging times."Success isn’t about being in the spotlight; it’sabout being a team player."

Meg Robertson Jones '04 presented on how to become a registered dietician in Virginia, a career she herself has chosen to pursue, and the path that led her to that decision."What you think you are going to explore in college may be completely turned around by the time you graduate. Just stay flexible."

Michael Maszaros '99 is the owner and designer at Cabin Creek Interiors,a full-service interior design firm specializing in residential and small-scale commercial design projects. During his breakout session(co-presented with his former summer internCorbin Orgain '96), Mr. Maszaros shared some of the industry secrets that he relies on every day as an interior designer."You learn a lot by working with clients that you just can't learn in a classroom setting. You can't prepare for all the different types of personalities you will encounter aside from actually interacting with people, so get as much experience as you can."

Kelsey Mohring '08, vice president at United Way of South Hampton Roads, discussed how a career in marketing and communications would be a good fit for people who like to build relationships, think critically, and solve problems."The neat thing about a career in communications and PR at nonprofits is that every day that you’re there, you’re making a difference.”

Twin sisters Leslie Muldowney Gallagher '90 (nurse practitioner) and Liz Muldowney '90 (attorney at Sands Anderson PC) co-led "Same Beginnings, but Very Different Endings: Medicine vs. Law." Their panel touched on allowing yourself the freedom to pursue interests that excite you, or even something you're just curious about."You have to push yourself out of your comfort zone. Even if you achieve success while playing it safe, you can accomplish so much more by following opportunities you never could have predicted would come your way."

Morgan Penberthy '13, education directorate at the American Psychology Association, helped students tap into their inner peace during her breakout session, "How to Better Focus and Make Meaningful Connections." Her discussion of how mindfulness can reduce stress and anxiety even included some practice exercises for beginners!"There is no right or wrong way to meditate; if you can breathe, you can meditate."

Glenn Rhodes '11 is a sales manager at REGUS- IWG plc. During his breakout session, he stressed the importance of listening, asking questions, surrounding yourself with good people, and keeping an open mind when it comes to finding your path through college, the workplace, and beyond."Being successful is not as important as being significant (to my family).

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