The next Alumni Career Day will be held on April 18, 2020. Alumni who are interested in participating are asked to contact Jess Baker at bakerj@gunnery.org or call (860) 350-0145.
The Benefits of Alumni Mentoring and Networking Stephen Macary ’15 received an e-mail about The Gunnery’s Alumni Mentoring & Networking Program late in 2018. As a senior at Gettysburg College at the time, he was anxious about what he was going to do after graduation, so when he found out about the Mentoring & Networking Program, he was eager to take advantage of it. “As a senior in college it is extremely nerve-wracking thinking of what to do after graduation, and being able to talk to so many people that are in the industry I am interested in was very beneficial,” said Macary. Macary was looking for a résumé critique, mock interview practice and to speak with alumni in the industry he was interested in pursuing. “I was put in touch with Zachary Larson ’12, Kai Frankville ’13, Adam DeSanctis ’11, and John Cullen ’12,” Macary said. “The conversations went extremely well and we mostly talked about their experiences in the finance industry, as well as their advice on finding opportunities as a college senior. What I benefited Stephen Macary ’15 from most were the real world experiences and the advice of individuals in the finance industry, as well as the opportunity to improve my résumé.” Macary is now employed at Cambridge Associates working in investment reporting and analysis. He credits the conversations and advice from Gunnery alumni in helping him figure out the path he wanted to pursue in the finance industry. “It was so beneficial to be able to talk to alumni about what they did, and hear about the differences in their various positions,” noted Macary. “Because of their feedback, I was able to make my résumé look more professional as well as highlight the key areas that would help me stand out to recruiters in the finance industry.” Macary is excited about the opportunity to be a mentor one day to future Gunnery alumni. “I would love to be a mentor,” said Macary. “I think that this program is one of the most necessary and valuable opportunities for Gunnery alumni. With the number of successful Gunnery alumni across the globe, everyone should take advantage of our network.” n
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Participants represented fields including film and television, veterinary medicine, finance, business development, public relations, political consulting, technology, qualitative research, innovation consulting, commerce and education. Some were just starting their careers while others, like Tim Gaillard ’61, have enjoyed multiple careers. A graduate of Colby College, Gaillard’s first job at the age of 19 was at the Hilton Hotel in New York City, which had opened just in time to serve patrons of the 1965 World’s Fair. He went on to become a highly successful entrepreneur in hotel and restaurant consulting, and then changed course to run his own advertising and public relations firm. He has lectured on marketing and public relations trends at area universities, and advised entrepreneurs on how to start their own businesses. Now in “semi-retirement,” he has launched a new business, making furniture. Gaillard encouraged students to find their passion and use it to launch a successful business. “Know what you’re comfortable with, what you like, and don’t like,” he advised. A more recent Gunnery graduate, Victoria Lussier ’10, studied Spanish and Italian language and literature at Franklin & Marshall College in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. She lived in Florence, Italy, for eight months during her junior year of college and now lives and works in New York City, where she is an account executive for Direct Energy Business, one of the largest commercial retail energy suppliers in North America. “Sometimes what you study and what you’re passionate about isn’t your job — and that’s OK,” Lussier told the students, admitting that she hasn’t always known what she wanted to do in terms of her career. “There isn’t a right way or a wrong way to do it. It’s about what’s right for you.” Although she “planned everything” as a student at The Gunnery and in college, she said she would not have known that she would end up in her current job. She started working for Direct Energy Business, formerly known as HESS, as an intern in college. The internship not only helped get her foot in the door, it fast-tracked her career. Her advice to students: be persistent. And always send a handwritten thank-you note after an interview. n
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