Left to right: Mount accounting majors Matthew D’Addario of Hopewell Junction, N.Y. and Amanda Pecorella of Fishkill, N.Y. discuss career options with Mount trustee Ita M. Rahilly, CPA, AEP, partner at Vanacore, DeBenedictus, DiGovanni and Weddell, Inc. at the college’s recent Meet a Mentor Dinner.
About a dozen successful Mount Saint Mary College graduates headed back to their alma mater on February 25 to mentor a new generation of pre-professionals.
The Meet a Mentor Dinner, organized by the Office of Alumni Affairs, provided the college’s forward thinking students valuable insight into the work world while breaking bread with a variety of Mount alumni.
Danny Dottin ’95 of Maybrook, N.Y., assistant principal at Balmville Elementary School, told students that they will “face hard days, and there will be days that will be difficult, but if the passion is there, you will persevere.”
Nikolai Marzouka of Pleasant Valley, N.Y., a sociology student who will be switching to the Mount’s new criminology major this fall, said that speaking with Kara Miller ’06 of Newburgh, N.Y., care manager at Rehabilitation Support Services, Inc., was a major boon to his career preparation.
“It’s been very informative,” he explained, “and I learned a lot about how to be a better professional.”
Margaret Treacy ’13 of Monroe, N.Y., a marketing associate at Greater Hudson Valley Family Health Center, said that she enjoyed teaching current Mount students her job search and networking tips.
“It’s wonderful to so many Mount alumni mentoring students,” she said. “It shows how successful the Mount has made its alumni and the college is going to continue to grow. Mount students will continue to succeed and become some of the strongest candidates for jobs out there.”
Keynote speaker Nick Preddice, CEO of The Affinity Group, LLC, offered simple, poignant advice to the Mount students: “Whatever you dream, go for it,” he said. “Don’t give up.”
Keynote speaker Nick Preddice, CEO of The Affinity Group, LLC, advised Mount students to keep a positive attitude and remain committed to their success.
Some dreams, he noted, involve going into business for oneself. According to Preddice, there are ten characteristics of an entrepreneur, including:
- Ceaseless determination
- The desire to never stop learning
- Passion for their business
- A good understanding of financial management
Other Mount alumni bringing their advice to the table were: Sean Glander ’06, an accountant at Vanacore, Debenedictus, Digovanni and Weddell, LLP; Che-La Devonshire-Fandino ‘14, a nurse at Vassar Brothers Medical Center; Amy DeSouza ’11, a nurse at St. John’s Riverside Hospital; Jim Kelly ’97, community support supervisor at Occupations, Inc.; David A. Lambert ’02, a financial advisor at The Pine Group – Morgan Stanley; and Samantha Wood ’13, production and marketing assistant at Cornell University, Cooperative Extension Rockland County.
Also mentoring students were Dr. Anne Carson Daly, president of Mount Saint Mary College; and Mount trustees Charles Frank, vice chair of the Mount’s Trustee Board and Cisco Alliance leader in global technology at IBM: Sr. Margaret Anderson, OP ‘67, a Dominican Sister of Hope and the director of guidance at Academy of Our Lady of Good Counsel; Robert T. Armistead, president of Armistead Mechanical, Inc.; David Melby, senior vice president at Rose & Kiernan, Inc. insurance agency; and Ita M. Rahilly, CPA, AEP, partner at Vanacore, DeBenedictus, DiGovanni and Weddell, Inc.
Alumna Amy DeSouza (center) of Poughkeepsie, N.Y., a nurse at St. John’s Riverside Hospital, discusses the secrets to her successful career. Mount Saint Mary College students Andrew Suleiman (left) of Highland, N.Y. and Lauren Russo (right) of Levittown, N.Y. are aiming for careers in healthcare.