Wellesley’s New Career Education Model Will Help Students Craft a Lifetime of Opportunities

The entire Wellesley community is invited to attend an ice cream social on Monday, September 12. Join President Paula Johnson to celebrate the College’s new career education model, which was developed to help students prepare for career success throughout their time at the College and beyond.

The Wellesley career education model encourages active participation of the full College ecosystem in order to support every Wellesley woman, from the moment she arrives on campus through her alumnae years. The core of this model entails working with students to fully explore the intersection between self and society.

Each student will be matched with a College Career Mentor who will challenge and support her throughout her time at Wellelsley, helping her to navigate her career journey and access opportunities that will further her goals. These Mentors will help each student broaden her possibilities, take risks, learn from failure, and develop curiosity, interests, and strengths.

In addition to the exploration of self, the career education team will forge partnerships with faculty to engage students in inquiry and analysis of what is needed to enhance society. In order for our students to make a difference in the world, they must first understand themselves and the society they wish to impact.

As a student gains greater clarity around her interests, she can connect with a Career Community Advisor. As a group, the Advisors possess the expertise related to any career field or industry she wishes to pursue. One such Advisor is Frances Adjorlolo ’08 who joins the Career Education team as an advisor for technology, engineering, and physical sciences. “My passion for working with students stems from my stint as a First Year Mentor in Freeman during my junior year at Wellesley. Now, I’m so excited to be back at the mothership, advising Wellesley students as they build career connections and communities,” says Adjorlolo.

Customized workshops, alumnae panels, and networking opportunities will support each student in cultivating meaningful connections and pursuing opportunities related to her goals. Advisors also will create diverse networks of students, alumnae, employers, faculty, and parents to support each student based on career interests and identities. The members of these career communities will learn and serve in an organic cycle enabling the College to support the career advancement of women through all stages of their lives.

In addition, alumnae will receive customized support from Career Advisors who are available to discuss career transitions, mind- to senior-level advancement, career pivots, encore careers, and re-entry into the workforce. The new community-focused model will help each alumna to navigate her career journey, make meaningful connections, overcome obstacles, and celebrate success at every stage.

“After listening to more than 300 stakeholders, we gained a better understanding of how best to support our students and alumnae for the challenges and opportunities they will face in the 21st century. Our new model supports the beauty of a liberal arts education while understanding that it is imperative now more than ever to educate leaders who are prepared to tackle the issues of our time with thoughtful inquiry, deep analysis, strong communication, and an understanding of how multiple areas of expertise must combine to form solutions,” said Christine Cruzvergara, associate provost and executive director.

Another key part of the career education model is Handshake, a highly visual, user-friendly platform that allows users to access information about internships, jobs, fellowships, interviews, events, resources, and more. Handshake can also be used to schedule appointments with mentors or advisors. The Career Education team invites students to schedule appointments to meet their College Career Mentor and Career Community Advisors in Handshake at wellesley.joinhandshake.com. 

You can meet all of the Career Education staff, learn more about the new model, and hear a special address from President Johnson at the ice cream social on September 12 from 4:30 to 6:00 pm in Tishman Commons.