8 minute read
Business Trip
BUSINESS TRIP
Business Seminar field trip takes on Washington D.C. & New York City
In early March, twenty-eight students and three faculty embarked on a ten-day Business Seminar Field Trip to Washington, D.C. and New York City. Since 1995 this trip has alternated between the East and West Coasts each year, providing the opportunity to tour, meet with, see, and experience firsthand a wide range of different companies and business professionals. This opportunity invites students to use what they learn as they go on to plan and pursue their future career and life goals.
The students began their trip in Washington, D.C., led by Assistant Head of School Mark Siegel, Dean Jordan Siegel, and Athletics Director Brandon Lidgard. In D.C., they explored organizations such as Joby Aviation, the U.S. Department of Education’s Office of Non-Public Education, and the Carlyle Group. They met with individuals, such as Tom Wheeler and Julius Genachowski (former heads of the FCC), the Department of Non-Public Education’s Maureen Dowling, and Delphian alumna Tara Kloss, all of whom shared their professional life and career experiences.
While in D.C., the students visited the National Mall and Memorial Parks, where they visited the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the International Spy Museum, the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, and the National Archives, where they saw the original Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. They also toured the US Capitol and met with Oregon Congresswoman Salinas’ staff.
The students traveled to New York City and visited Joanna Vargas Salon, film production company Watch This Ready, Etsy, Good Morning America, Covington & Burling, and many more businesses. They met with inspiring individuals such as Joanna and Cesar Vargas, Greg Makowski, and Eddie Luisi, where they learned the value of success and failure, the importance of hard work, persistence, ethics, and the basics of saving and investing.
They toured New York University with Delphian alumni, which provided a unique student perspective. They saw what the actual program was like and gained a feel for life on campus in the heart of the city.
While visiting businesses, the students also experienced the city’s culture through delicious food, incredible Broadway performances, and exploring the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The trip also challenged students to use the subway and learn to navigate the busy city streets, where they had to work to keep the group together while making it to their appointments on time.
Seeing these incredible places and people expanded the students’ ideas about the possibilities for their futures. They broadened their views from each inspiring speaker’s information and life-changing advice. The trip gave them direct insights into how the world works. With their horizons expanded, they left with a new sense of purpose and reinforced goals for what they wanted to accomplish.
To illustrate some unique takeaways students had on the trip, below are a few highlights from their perspectives:
Tai Jefford
The Business Trip taught me about more than just the workplace. I learned the importance of manners and impressions. I noticed that wearing a suit changed how I was perceived by the professionals we met. To a degree, it leveled the playing field and made me realize that I can do anything and be in the presence of anyone, even extremely important people. I just need to put my mind to it.
Victoria Guajardo
Rebecka Minkoff’s fashion company was my favorite visit by far. Before the trip, I had always been interested in the industry but had little to no experience with how it worked. I now understand how much work goes into creating a whole season. This experience made me realize that passion is the quality needed to succeed in the field. Talking to professionals who have made a living in the fashion industry opened my eyes to the possibilities for my future.
Elliot Adams
From the talks with Maureen Dowling and her team at the Office of Non-Public Education, I was able to understand the way private schools like ours operate and involve themselves with government representation. It was interesting to see the amount of care and influence these officials have to preserve private education and how much they do to represent private schools in the best way possible. The experience gave me so much more awareness of how things work in the government and how they truly help people.
Sophie Eurell
Meeting the staff of the businesses we visited helped me learn the importance of connections and the impression you make when you meet people, especially when it comes to internship and job opportunities. For example, we received a tour of Bryant Park from Executive Director Daniel Biederman. I was curious about the organization and took continuous notes throughout the visit. Afterward, he reached out, saying he was impressed with my attention, and offered me an internship at his company this summer!
Emma Raphael
Through the Business Trip, I received helpful information on potential career interests while also sparking new ones. I’ve been interested in planes and aviation for some time now. During one of the visits, I met with Ed Bolen, the president and CEO of the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA). He gave helpful, important information on internships and work-life advice. This visit made it more real for me to pursue a career I have always dreamed of doing.
King Kong
As we walked the bustling streets of New York City or traveled the hectic subway, I ensured all twenty-eight students were keeping up with the group. I was in charge of all the boys and was responsible for their actions and representation of the school. I ensured their attire was professional each morning, their table etiquette was appropriate, and they stayed engaged during visits. Although it might sound easy, it was a new experience for me, and by doing it, I improved my leadership skills. It prepared me to face future challenges with greater confidence and competence.
Coco Rose-Coates
One of the many realizations I had on this extraordinary trip was there are plenty of career options to choose from, and I don’t have to mold myself to fit a single one because I know I’ll never stop changing and learning. I now understand if I choose to pursue something, and it doesn’t completely work for me, I could choose something else and my world wouldn’t end. By seeking out subjects I will never tire of, I determined my passion and my creativity will never need to stop. From this mindset, a job will come to me. This has put me at ease in my life decisions because I know I can change the current of my river and be the one causing it!
Reese Wells
On the trip, I became aware of what the world is like. I grew up hearing how the world is, but I never had any experience of it. I believed I needed to pick what I wanted to do, go to college, get a job, enter a field, build a career out of that, and stay in it until I retired. This idea of work seemed boring to me. However, what was never elaborated on is how I should go about doing that. On the trip, I realized how I build my life and career is up to me and that I can do it any way I want. I saw and experienced for myself what happens in the working world. Andrew Sugrue, a partner at the investment management firm Avenir, told us it was always possible to change what I do to find something I have more passion for. He, among many others on the business trip, helped me realize this, and it changed my opinion of the world for the better.
Thank you for hosting us!
Washington D.C.
• Maureen Dowling, Director, Office of Non-Public Education, US Department of Education
• Andrew Deshler, Congresswoman Salinas’ Office
• Julius Genachowski, The Carlyle Group
• Tara Kloss, Graphic Artist
• Ed Bolen & Noah Yarborough, National Business Aviation Association
• Tom Wheeler, former Chair of the FCC
• Avery Novotny & Lydon SleeperO’Connell, Joby Aviation
New York City
• Joanna & Cesar Vargas, Joanna Vargas Salons
• John Katzman, Noodle
• Dianne Coffino, Covington & Burling Law Firm
• Brett Andersen, Focus Lighting
• Casey Simmons, Qatar Investment Authority (QIA) Advisory (USA), Inc.
• Keith Wells, Etsy
• Daniel Biederman & Zach Beresin, Bryant Park Corporation
• Johanna Saum Almstead, Fashion and Design Industry
• Emily Korteweg & Alli Lank, Watch This Ready
• Rebecca Minkoff, Inc.
• Gregory Makowski, CFS Investment Advisory Services
• Eddie Luisi, Good Morning America
• Andrew Sugrue, Avenir
