By Steve Seepersaud
"When I was a student, I attended events similar to Networking Night," said Joshua Segovia '18. "And, I networked as much as I could, and I made a lot of fantastic connections that have gotten me to where I am now. This is an opportunity to give back to the students."
It's why he volunteered to give students career advice at the capstone session of NYC CONNECT week. Held Jan. 8, at the Altman Building in Manhattan, Networking Night offered students an opportunity to explore a wide range of careers within a single event by talking to alumni representing a large number of fields, from marketing to finance to healthcare and more. Expressed another way, Networking Night enables students to "find their future," a phrase University President Harvey Stenger said during his opening remarks.
Segovia was one of about 100 alumni who gave their time to talk with a group of more than 200 students. The Binghamton University Alumni Association, Fleishman Center for Career and Professional Development and numerous campus partners came together to organize and implement CONNECT week, which also offered employer visits hosted by alumni across the city.
"This is the result of a partnership all over the campus community," said Matthew Winston, Jr., executive director of alumni engagement. "Networking Night brings alumni together with students, and students together with alumni, to network, exchange ideas and share great advice. We want [our students] take advantage of this great opportunity here in New York to expand [their] horizons and get to know our alumni, who represent the University so well.
Segovia, an alumnus of the Decker College of Nursing and Health Sciences, answered questions from current nursing students on how they could position themselves for success after graduation.
"The questions depended on what year the student was in," he said. "Among other things, they asked about the process to get certified as a nurse, licensing exams, how to study, what classes I suggest they take, and even more simple questions like what clubs to get involved in so they get the most out of their Binghamton experience."
On several occasions during the evening, he gave advice that he himself had received when he was in the shoes of his listeners.
"One of the people I had talked to [while a student] said, 'always follow back with me,'" Segovia said. "That really stuck with me, because ever since then, every time I meet someone and get their contact information, I make it a point to follow back."
