The department of communications and media studies hosted its third annual Career Day March 22, featuring six alumni guests from various communication industries.
In all, 110 students attended five sessions held over the course of the day, according to Mike Clark, associate director of alumni engagement for St. Joe’s Career Center.
The speaker line-up included Claire Fitzgerald ’21, marketing communications coordinator at Advanced Solutions International INC; Chandler Lutz ’16, reporter at CBS Philadelphia; Camille Padilla ’23, founder at 9 Millones; Katryna Perera ’16, reporter at Law360; Olivia Foster ’15, change management analysis at Penn Medicine and Bianca Facchinei ’21, national correspondent at Scripps News.
Trish Shafer, executive director of the Career Center, and her staff helped organize the event, from recruiting alumni to participate, to coordinating details and moderating the conversations.
“COM Career Day provides students the opportunity to learn about different career paths from people who walked in their very shoes,” Shafer wrote in response to written questions from The Hawk.
Fitzgerald, who attended the department’s first Career Day in 2021 as a student, said it is beneficial for students to hear a day in the life of someone in their desired industry and to picture themselves in the roles that appeal to them most.
Fitzgerald spoke to students about her time at St. Joe’s and how she navigated post-graduate options.
“There are so many types of communications jobs, so this can help you narrow down what you’re interested in,” Fitzgerald said.
Aimee A. Knight, Ph.D., communication studies chair, said students benefit from Career Day by hearing about the journey of alumni.
“We see how alums often find their niche when their values begin to align with what they are doing,” Knight said.
Aidan Driscoll ’25 said he declared a communications major this year, and when he heard about Career Day, he knew he needed to attend.
“It is important to engage in because communications is a very broad major with many avenues that you can take,” Driscoll said.
The sessions are recorded and shared on the Career Center’s YouTube page, with 2021, 2022 and 2023 videos available for viewing.
