3 Days to Career Growth

Twelve C. T. Bauer College of Business sophomores traded the Bauer Honors Commons for the concrete jungle this spring as they embarked on a learning away trip to New York City.

After an inaugural sophomore trip to Washington, D.C., last spring, the Bauer Business Honors Program hosted the experiential learning opportunity again this year to connect students to popular employers and expose them to an array of career opportunities.

Bauer Honors Administrative Director Sarah Gnospelius and Adviser Colleen Davies emphasized the trip as a priority for the program and said the difference that it makes for students is transformational.

“One student said that their whole life was changed in those three days,” Gnospelius said. “It provided them an opportunity to see paths and places that they had never really pictured themselves in before, and to start seeing that it could be them one day.”

“You see this glow and their eyes widen at the possibility for what they can achieve,” Davies said. “When we tell them about what our alumni are achieving, it's not the same as being there and listening. During these experiences, their whole world gets bigger.”

Back in Houston, students shared stories of the professional and personal development they gained from their time in New York.

Meeting Industry

At the forefront of the students’ trip were corporate visits to EY-Parthenon, TIAA-Nuveen and Google. While in different sectors of business, students got a glance at what working in the various industries could entail.

“At TIAA-Nuveen, it was exciting to learn about their internship rotation program,” management information systems sophomore Aleesha Khawaja said. “We got to listen to a panel of current interns, and they shared their experiences and how they learned what they did and didn't like. They said the internship helped them decide what they want to do later in their careers.”

Through group discussions and chats with alumni, Khawaja said they gained a better understanding of how the corporations operate, and the potential there is to work across the country.

For her, the visit to Google was the most impactful.

Connecting with Alumni

Taking advantage of the large Bauer Honors alumni base in New York City, students had two dedicated opportunities to network with graduates.

On their first night in the city, current Bauer Honors students and 15 alumni mingled at a mixer event. Finance and accounting sophomore Grayson Lee said because the program is tight-knit, even after students graduate, conversations flow naturally.

“Because Sarah and Colleen keep the relationship with alumni alive, they are always receptive to talking to current students and giving advice,” Lee said. “The strong connection formed as Bauer Honors students follows everyone throughout their careers.”

On the second night, students had the option to attend one of two alumni dinners. The first dinner was planned for students who are interested in attending graduate or law school. The second dinner was tailored toward students interested in finance careers.

Lee attended the finance dinner and gained career insight from an alumnus currently working in private equity.

“I asked him for some advice because I was experiencing some stress on how I should proceed with recruiting,” Lee said. “He told me that I had a lot of options, and I should remember that. He showed me that I can have confidence and be the best version of myself.”

Broadening Horizons

In between the hustle and bustle of corporate meetings, students squeezed in some sightseeing. After visiting Bryant Park, the Statue of Liberty and The High Line together, accounting sophomore Tammy Nguyen-Thach said the student group and advisers all developed a deeper bond.

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Nguyen-Thach had previously been to New York but said it was special to share the experience with her classmates. She found the trip to be one of the most pivotal parts of her college experience.

“New York has always been a place that I was particularly drawn to,” Nguyen-Thach said. “My whole family lives in the same neighborhood in Houston. I never thought that leaving was a possibility. Getting the chance to explore New York and seeing people reinvent themselves in a new place opened my eyes to there being more out there.”