On December 8 and 9, 2011, 75 IUP students took a bite out of the Big Apple.
For the sixth year, the Office of Alumni Relations and the Career Development Center organized a networking opportunity in New York City for Business Honors students in the Eberly College of Business and Information Technology, students in the Hospitality Management program, and students in Fashion Merchandising.
Students toured businesses where IUP graduates work that are also in the students’ chosen career fields. One of the businesses was Jones of New York, where designer Sarah Graby-Boris, a 2003 graduate, met with a group of Fashion Merchandising students and Eun Jin Hwang, associate professor and coordinator of the Fashion Merchandising program.
Students also had the chance to be part of a panel discussion of noteworthy alumni, including the following:
- Kevin Carrai ’86, head of Member and Connectivity Services for Direct Edge, a financial services company
- Leland Hardy ’84, a global marketing advisor for the Hennessee Group. He has served as an advisor to many sports greats, including Venus and Serena Williams and Muhammad Ali.
- Sarah Hogue ’09, a graduate of the Robert E. Cook Honors College and a senior research assistant at Datacorp, a financial services company
- Stephanie Perry ’88, managing director, Deutsche Bank
- Derek White ’82, president of Interative & Media Networks, LodgeNet Interactive, which serves the hospitality industry
In addition to the panel discussion, students also networked at a 150-person reception with many IUP alumni, including Marla Sabo, a 1979 graduate and a Distinguished Alumni Award winner, who has held top positions at Hermes North America and Dior.
“Many of the students that attended this event are ones who want to work in urban areas and, in particular, in New York City,” Mary Jo Lyttle, executive director of Alumni Relations, said. “So not only did this event offer them the opportunity to meet with IUP graduates who have been successful in New York City companies, but it also exposed them to life in the city.”