Women in Business

By Madeline Bogdjalian & WIB E-Board | March 31, 2022

On Tuesday, February 15th, the Holy Cross Women in Business Club held a panel discussion featuring five female Holy Cross seniors who completed business internships over the summer.

The panel featured Holy Cross seniors, Isabella Altman, Madison Brenchak, Christina Casey, Ambar Cox, and Sydney Santosuosso. Each of these seniors discussed their experiences interning while at Holy Cross and their career plans as they prepare to leave the Hill this May. They gave Women in Business club members advice on what resources to utilize during their time at Holy Cross. Their internships and passions each touch different fields within business, and show just how many opportunities are accessible with a Holy Cross education.

Isabella Altman, a psychology major with a pre-business certificate, interned at Google as a Human Resource Associate this past summer. Her advice for women in business at Holy Cross is to utilize the abundance of resources available on campus, through Handshake and the Holy Cross Network, as well as through desired employers. Google, where Altman interned, offers many resources for resume building and what they are looking for in an ideal intern on Youtube. Paying attention to these easily accessible yet specific resources helps one to come across as a more competitive applicant.

Holy Cross senior Madison Brenchak was a U.S. Private Bank Analyst at J.P. Morgan Chase & Co. this summer in New York. Brenchak is an economics major with a certificate in finance and banking. She encouraged Women in Business Club members to get a business certificate in the path that interests them. As there is no finance major at Holy Cross, the finance certificate was an important program for Brenchak as well as joining the Investment Fund and Finance Club. She notes that finance internships are very competitive, so it is important to start preparing for interviews early, which can be done through the Ciocca Center.

Ambar Cox, a health studies major with a certificate in business and entrepreneurship, was a Business Development Intern at Biogen, a biotechnology company. Her advice to Women in Business Club members is to leverage their liberal arts education. A Holy Cross education is one that is incredibly unique and different, which is important and sets students apart when applying for jobs and internships. Cox emphasized the importance of being proactive and leveraging the Center for Career Development and Holy Cross Network.

Holy Cross senior Christina Casey, a political science major with minors in business, ethics, and society and Italian, was a Corporate Partnerships Intern at the Los Angeles Sparks. Her advice to Holy Cross students when pursuing an internship is to ask the Ciocca Center to connect them to alumni who work in the industry they are interested in. Casey was interested in the sports industry and was able to connect with alumni working for ESPN and the NFL, providing many potential internship opportunities. Casey also advises students to get involved with the Center for Career Development early on and build a lasting relationship with one of the counselors there.

Sydney Santosuosso, an English major with a certificate in business fundamentals interned as a web content publisher at Akamai Technologies. She noted the importance of online resources like Handshake and Linkedin. Specifically, utilizing Linkedin to connect with Holy Cross alumni is a great way to find an internship. Santosuosso advised women in business to be persistent and apply to as many internships as possible and not to get discouraged, rejections are just a part of the process!

While all of the panelists majored in different subjects at Holy Cross and have different career paths, they each emphasized the importance of their liberal arts education and utilizing the resources offered at Holy Cross. The Center for Career Development, the Ciocca Center, the annual Women in Business Conference, and the Holy Cross Alumni Network were just a few of the ways they were able to enhance their applications for competitive internships and careers within the business world.

The Women in Business Club is a community of HC female students who are interested in pursuing careers in business. Our monthly meetings allow students to connect with upperclassmen and alumnae who share valuable experiences and insights about being a woman in the business world. We strive to give young women the tools and confidence needed to succeed in a business internship or career. Our last WIB Club meeting featured Caitlin Orth ‘07, the SVP and Chief Business Development Officer for So Other Might Eat (SOME) in Washington, DC. This interfaith nonprofit seeks to address the immediate daily needs (food, housing, medical care, showers, etc.) of those experiencing homelessness and also creates a pipeline of opportunity to create a better life through a continuum of addiction recovery, affordable housing, and workforce development programs.

The annual Women in Business Conference is our biggest event of the year. Since 2006, this student-run conference has been an opportunity for students and alumnae to connect and learn from one another. This event features noteworthy panelists and engaging discussions. Overall it celebrates, honors, and inspites the success of Holy Cross women in business.

For more information, visit https://www.holycross.edu/academics/ciocca-center-business-ethics-and-society/opportunities/women-business. And be sure to save the date for next year’s conference on Saturday, November 19th, 2023!

Edited by Maggie Reddington