Meehan Seniors Quickly Get Down to Business

Sport Management Major Credits Practice, Coaching for Career Launch Success

It’s only appropriate that sport management major Matthew Butler credits his success in landing a job with the Boston Red Sox to Stonehill’s emphasis on practice and coaching.

The practice came in the form of professional development experiences that put him and his classmates in the field of sport management, including an excursion to the Providence Bruins that allowed them to see all the work that went into preparing for game day.

“One of the things that Stonehill offers that I believe will help me after graduation is the exposure to real-world scenarios,” said Butler, who attended Xaverian Brothers High School and grew up in Canton, Massachusetts. “This type of exposure is great as we get to see something that most people never do, and it allows us to get a sense of what working in sports is like.”

The coaching came from faculty members’ mentorship, particularly Professor Stephanie Parrillo, who teaches at Stonehill and is the vice president of special events and community initiatives in the Providence Bruins organization.

“Professor Parrillo was a great mentor for me,” said Butler. “She has always been willing to talk to me after our class and has given me many opportunities to better myself.” 

Another experience he credits with adding tremendously to his preparedness for life after graduation is his role as the founder and president of Stonehill’s Sport Management Club.

“Overall, this club has helped me better my public speaking and my leadership personality,” said Butler, who, in addition to his work with the Red Sox, will also be pursuing a master’s degree in sports administration at Boston College. “I think being the president of this club will help me continue to find and pursue leadership roles and push me to be the best version of myself that I can be.”

International Business-English Double Major Finds Way To Bring Both Together

In her time at Stonehill, Julia Marchak pursued every opportunity to deepen her knowledge in three areas of interest: leadership, business and English.

In her post-graduation plan, she has managed to incorporate all of them. 

A double major in international business and English, Marchak will spend her summer at the renowned Disney College Program, which offers business and leadership training to recent college graduates. Then, in the fall, she will pursue her business and literature interests in Scotland at the University of Stirling, pursuing a Master of Letters degree in publishing studies.

The international element of her plan was the result of another opportunity she seized while at Stonehill: studying abroad.

“While Stonehill has helped me in many ways to prepare for life after graduation, the most memorable way is my study abroad experience during my spring 2023 semester,” said Marchak. “Due to this great experience, I have decided to attend the same university in the fall for my postgraduate degree.”

Equal to the experiences she gained at Stonehill was the mentor who guided her: Professor Jennifer Swanson, chair of the Department of Global Business, Operations & Strategy.

“Professor Swanson was there whenever I needed guidance and has been a great friend to me throughout my entire time at Stonehill,” said Marchak, who is from Bristol, Connecticut, and attended St. Paul Catholic High School. “I could not have accomplished all that I have during my time at Stonehill without her support.”

Marketing Major Says Internships, Mentoring Were Her Formula for Success

When marketing major Lauren Kelliher felt overwhelmed by the thought of transitioning from college to the professional world, she drew comfort from knowing she had someone special in her corner: Renee Bernier.

She had met Bernier, the assistant director at Career Services, during an internship in the office last semester. During this time, she not only met a valuable ally but also gained marketing skills, working on the office’s social media marketing efforts. The work not only strengthened her professional skill set but also put her in proximity to Stonehill alumni who work with Career Service staff on professional development endeavors. This helped Kelliher extend her professional network. 

Yet, as the end of her senior year came into sight, Kelliher said the coming transition felt daunting.

“During the fall semester, I began to feel stressed about the pressures of finding a job after graduation and having everything relating to my future plans figured out,” said Kelliher, who has accepted a position as a data analyst at W.B. Mason. Bernier helped her through it. “Through the guidance I received, I was able to take everything one step at a time, feeling more confident about how I would achieve my goals.”

The Sacred Heart High School graduate and Kingston, Massachusetts, native said her confidence was also bolstered by the fact that she had already demonstrated her value to W.B. Mason during an internship this semester. During the experience, she was responsible for analyzing the company’s email campaigns and produced a report on how to improve such campaigns.

“I am so grateful for the help from each member of Career Services,” said Kelliher.

Career Development Advisors Guide Accounting Major in Securing Internship, Job at Fidelity

Jeremy Ashman knew from the day he arrived at Stonehill that being part of an accounting program that is well respected throughout the field would give him an advantage when it came time to seek out internships and launch his career. What he learned later was how much Career Development could supercharge his prospects.

“I was at first struggling to find internships in Rhode Island for my 2023 summer, and I went to Career Development for help,” said Ashman, a Bishop Hendricken High School graduate and resident of Warwick, Rhode Island. “They helped me prepare my resume and secure a summer internship with Fidelity Investments. I created and published a new SharePoint site for the Personal Investing Risk team, acquired a new skill using Infowise Ultimate Forms and prepared a risk assessment on an existing system that is being used to help upper management with decision-making.”

As often happens with Stonehill students, the impression Ashman made during his internship led to the offer of a full-time job after graduating. He starts this summer as an associate risk analyst at Fidelity Investment’s campus in Smithfield, Rhode Island. 

“The professors I had were very helpful in my development as a young professional,” added Ashman, who also gained leadership experience as a club baseball captain. “My courses really helped make me gain confidence in my intelligence and my public speaking.”

Professors, Alumni and Coaches Provide Economics Major With Tools To Succeed

Combining the leadership and time-management skills gained through his time as a member of Stonehill’s hockey team, two internships and advice from a trusted faculty mentor, economics major Kevin Buckley was able to secure a job with one of the top wholesale brokerages in the United States.

“I was able to apply every skill set of being a student-athlete to being an economics major,” said Buckley, who will soon be a producer associate at Risk Placement Services Inc. “I was able to apply my teamwork skills from hockey, my organization skills from previous internships and, most importantly, the ability to understand the market of insurance from an economics and risk management perspective.”

Buckley, a graduate of Marshfield High School, credits a robust team of faculty, coaches and alumni mentors for helping him maximize the value of his time at the College and counseling him whenever he faced challenges.

“Alumni networks are so valuable. Tim Grable, a software engineer and former teammate, helped shape my goals by guiding me and leading by example,” said Buckley, who was part of hockey operations after two years on the ice and served as treasurer of the Economics Club. “The values of discipline, time management and goal setting are ones that Timmy has anchored in my life.”

Similarly, he gives credit to economics chair Akira Motomura and hockey coaches David and Darrell Borges, saying, “This community helps guide, lead and provide help to any who seek it.”