October 01, 2010
More than 800 St. John’s students assembled at Taffner
Field House on the Queens campus with resumes in hand on September
30 to meet the100 representatives in attendance at the annual
Passport to Success® internship fair. Organizations from career
fields ranging from advertising to business and healthcare lined
the aisles.
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Special VIP seminars highlighted celebrities like Chef Jehangir Mehta,
finalist on Food Network’s, highly-acclaimed series, “The Next Iron
Chef,” and owner of Graffiti Food and Wine Bar. Mehta spoke of his
Indian heritage, career-path and appearance on the reality show. He
followed with an audience demonstration of one of his signature
dishes and a book signing.
“This is a wonderful experience and you are all very lucky to study
at a University of this stature,” noted Chef Mehta. “One aspect of
becoming successful is to be humble within and grab whatever
experiences come your way. Always appreciate what you have and
remember hard work pays off.”
Sponsored by the
College of Professional Studies (CPS) and the Career Center,
the internship fair connects organizations who seek to recruit from
the student body.
Kathleen MacDonald, Dean of College of Professional Studies
urged the students to participate and enjoy the fair.
“I am delighted at the growth and success of this academic
internship fair,” said Dean MacDonald. “This occasion allows many
of our University students to meet industry professionals in order
to gather information on internships and potential job
opportunities.”
Established several years ago, the goal of Passport to
Success® is to connect University students with representatives in
a relatively short period of time. The location provides an
extremely attractive space for detailed conversations and
“mini-interviews” to take place.
One hundred exhibitor booths were present and featured
well-known organizations including, Met/Citi field, UBS Financial Services, Estee Lauder, Sony Music Entertainment, Katz Media Group, Madison Square Garden (MSG) Ronald McDonald House of Long
Island and more.
Students like Tahara Kermaly ‘11CPS responded with enthusiasm to
this year’s fair. “I am excited to have the chance to meet the
agencies that apply to my major such as U.S. Customs and Border
Protection and Corporate Security. Today’s event was a great
introduction and I hope to secure an internship in my field very
soon.”
Anthony Lauriello, ‘12TCB credits St. John’s with giving students a
path to career success. “As an accounting major, I had the
opportunity to interact face-to-face with professionals from
numerous finance companies. Passport to Success also gives clear
insight into the interview process and the motto of dressing for
success.”