Breanne Beard ’17
On Friday, April 15th Siena’s Higher Education Opportunity Program (HEOP) held an Alumni Speaker Series and Networking Event on campus. Eight successful HEOP graduates from various class years returned to campus to provide tips and career planning advice to a group of current Siena HEOP students.
These graduates included: Larry Colon '06 - Field Service Manager, Delta Airlines, Selena Dutcher '97 - Sales and Leasing Consultant at Capital Luxury Car Company, formerly Upstate Director of Albany Broadcasting for over 15 years, Davinson Garcia '12 - Personal Banker, J.P Morgan Chase, Jessica Freer '14 - Human Resources Assistant at CapitalCare Medical Group, Steven O'Bryon '12 - Senior Administrator at Ayco, a Goldman Sachs Company, Ben Velazquez '93 - Director, Syndications Americas at ING Capital, LLC and former chair of Siena's Board of Associate Trustees, Malik Jones '02 - Principal, Albany Montessori Magnet School, and Dixie Lopez '99, Ph.D - School Psychologist, Albany City School District.
The alumni shared their Siena experiences and advised the students on how to better prepare themselves for the future.
When entering the workforce after college, one of the most important skills a young professional must have is time management. Dixie Lopez and Malik Jones were in agreement that the best thing to do when managing your time is to prioritize and complete the most difficult task first.
“Time management is something you will always work on,” said Jones. Lopez added, “You need to figure out how you best learn, whether it is listening to music, or peace and quiet.” Her favorite Siena study spot was the fifth floor in Hines.
Selena Dutcher and Ben Velazquez advised students to make schoolwork a priority, but to also leave some room for fun. “You have to balance. Do not get caught up in the now because the future is not that far away,” Dutcher said. Velazquez suggested “Do all your work first and then have fun. In order to overcome stress, you have to do things you like and figure out what is best for you.”
The group agreed that becoming active in campus clubs and internships was an important stepping stone in their academic experiences.
Steven O’Bryon told students to get involved in the advising opportunities on campus because they help guide students for the future.
Jessica Freer commented, “Where I found my success in my career so far would be from my internship experience. All experience is good experience, even if you find out you don’t like something.”
Davinson Garcia said the transition from high school was tough for him because he had a hard time speaking English, but he kept himself busy by participating in clubs and activities on campus.
Lastly, the group of alumni spoke about the importance of being mindful how you portray yourself. Larry Colon advised, “Work on your brand. Be the best at what you are instead of what someone else wants you to be.”
Siena understands the importance of connecting alumni with current students through networking events, lectures and one-on-one interactions. In a few short years the current HEOP students from this event may be returning to impart their knowledge to the next generation of Saints.
To see more photos from the event, please click here.
