Making passions into a profession

Attending Clark University’s Sophomore Summit was a pivotal experience in shaping my career vision. Having spent my first year at Clark undecided and anxious about choosing my major, I jumped at the opportunity to attend a curated networking event that could help me envision a way forward. The summit, designed to equip sophomore students with networking skills and a clearer understanding of potential career paths, offered a mixture of self-discovery and practical advice.

The Oct. 5 event, sponsored by the Division of Student Success, featured a keynote address from Steven Kosakow, Clark’s director of talent, titled “Own Your Journey: The Impact of Personal Storytelling on Career Success,” as well as sessions about using self-reflection to explore majors, crafting a strong resume, how to customize your Clark experience for a joyful life, and more.

It also included a personalized interpretation of the Strong Interest Inventory assessment, a tool that links personal interests and work style preferences to potential careers. After completing the assessment, students gathered in groups based on our interests.

I attended a session led by Jeff Pini, assistant director of internships and experiential learning at the Career Connections Center, who challenged us to reflect on our childhood passions and how our early interests might still shape us today. He even asked what we envision doing when we retire. These questions encouraged us to think critically about how our interests have evolved and how they could inform our professional futures.

With this mindset, I attended a session titled “The Art of the Personal Statement: Framing Your Story for Fellowship Applications,” led by Steven Moon, director of special academic opportunities, who described how we should structure our personal narratives. As Moon walked us through the process of crafting a personal statement, it became clear that three crucial components needed to stand out:

1. Who we are, shaped by our experiences and background
2. What our immediate goals are and how we plan to achieve them
3. Why we are uniquely suited for the opportunities we’re seeking

Moon’s session not only helped me clarify how to frame my personal story for future applications but also gave me a new perspective on presenting myself in a professional setting.

Afterward, we regrouped in Tilton Hall for lunch and the highly anticipated student-alumni panel. The panel included inspiring alumni such as Rachael Chen ’19, an associate at Nelson Mullins Riley & Scarborough; Parker Freedman ’21, a financial advisor at Tuck Point Financial Group; Taylor Laflamme ’23, M.S. ’24, a scientific associate at CSL Seqirus, and Cayetana Rodriguez-Polar ’25, MBA ’26, a management major pursuing an MBA in Clark’s 4+1 Accelerated Master’s Degree program.

Listening to each panelist was eye-opening, as they shared how they navigated their careers post-Clark. Chen highlighted the importance of crafting a personal narrative when pursuing law, while Freedman discussed the value of relationship-building in the financial world. Laflamme emphasized the significance of being open to new majors and academic pursuits, and Rodriguez-Polar spoke about her experience as an resident advisor and peer mentor, accentuating the importance of making yourself a valuable candidate for these positions.

Each speaker emphasized the value of networking, personal growth, and taking advantage of Clark’s resources — advice that, to me, felt tangible and practical.

The summit gave me a clearer sense of who I am, what I want, and how to pursue it. The alumni panel’s advice reinforced the importance of networking and crafting a personal narrative, tools that I and every other sophomore in attendance will carry as we navigate our career journeys.