On Sunday, February 4, Rutgers Hillel held its first-ever “Scarlet Connections: A Rutgers Hillel Networking Night for Students and Alumni.” This event was facilitated by Shari Samuel, a Rutgers School of Nursing senior and Weidhorn Fellow. Samuel went into this event with the goal of bridging the gap between school-based education and the real-world career setting, while providing an outlet for students to meet alumni. The event featured casual roundtable discussions, where students and alumni sat at tables arranged according to job categories. Some of the table categories included law, business, health care, engineering and education.
The conversations were followed by a formal panel discussion moderated by Samuel and featuring four selected alumni panelists, including Michael Elchoness, business development consultant and founder of Bluma Consulting; Robert Samuel, strategic sourcing analyst at JetBlue Airways; Lara Lemkin, event management team administrator for Goldman Sachs; and Victoria Rivkin, legal recruiter and lawyer at Equilibrium Solutions LLC. The panelists shared invaluable insights and advice ranging from interview tips and tricks, and resume building, to the do’s and dont’s of the job search process. When asked why he decided to join the panel, Robert shared that “engaging and discussing my career path with students and fellow panelists helps foster networking connections that can last for years to come. I am thankful to my many mentors throughout the years and this was just one easy way to be able to give back to my community.”
Many alumni expressed that fond memories of their time at Rutgers and in the Jewish community came flooding back when walking through the doors of Hillel. Students also shared the same sentiment. “It was really beautiful to see alumni and students of all ages come together to create connection and opportunity,” shared Meital Eisenberger, senior at Rutgers. Among the 70 alumni and students in attendance were even some first-year students who utilized this time to expose themselves to different career possibilities. Dani Bank, a first- year student, shared that Scarlet Connections was helpful to him “since it got me thinking about future career opportunities while providing a safe space to learn and explore. As an undecided first year student, it was especially helpful to learn from alumni who all were once in my shoes, hear their advice and insight, and expand my network through them.”
If you are a graduate of Rutgers University and are interested in taking part in more student and alumni events, please email [email protected], or [email protected].
