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Class
of 2005 Looks Forward
to Successful Future
 May,
2005—The future is looking bright for Assumption
College’s Class of 2005. News of a burgeoning job market,
acceptances to prominent graduate schools, and personal academic
satisfaction have buoyed these students over the past few months,
and they will have their chance to shine at the 88th Commencement
Exercises on May 14.
Assumption’s undergraduate day students are armed and ready
to take on the professional world. During the academic year, over
100 employers have visited the campus to recruit from the senior
class. Co-career counselors Carol McGuiggan and David Kowalczyk
have helped place students at major corporations such as Cintas,
TJX, JCPenney, Home Loan Bank, and Meditech. Hot jobs for these
graduates include sales, loan origination, leasing, accounting,
insurance, and retail management. Social and rehabilitation services
and psychology majors have landed jobs at human service agencies
such as the New England Center for Children and the Devereaux Foundation.
According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers,
employers reported plans to increase college hiring by 13.1% over
last year. An April 2005 survey done by MonsterTRAK states that
the job market for recent college graduates is the strongest since
2000.
“The energy level of this graduating class has been truly
vibrant,” says McGuiggan.
As in past years, Assumption’s accounting majors have done
extremely well in the job market, due in part to a rigorous recruiting
season. The Business Studies department reports that 84% of this
year’s graduating accounting students have met their post-graduate
aspirations for employment or graduate school placement. They will
be working with firms such as Investors Bank & Trust; PriceWaterhouseCoopers;
and Carlin, Charron, and Rosen. Some will attend graduate school
to work toward the 150-credit requirement for the Massachusetts
CPA exam.
Bill Sullivan, assistant professor of Accounting, believes that
Assumption’s well-rounded course of study helps to build stronger
business students.
“Employers love to hire our students because they have a strong
liberal arts background, in addition to accounting knowledge,”
he said. “In fact, two of our recruiting companies (CPA firms
Alexander, Aronson and Finning of Westboro, and Ernst &Young)
have hired our students every year since 1982.”
Aaron Jodka ‘05, an Economics with Business
Concentration major, has accepted a position at a Boston-based real
estate research firm, Property & Portfolio Research, Inc. His
job will be to predict economic conditions and their impact on real
estate markets.
“I am excited about the opportunity to continue to learn and
apply my education,” he says.
Students in the Education program are also enjoying success. Cathleen
Stutz, assistant professor of education, reports that several secondary-education
concentrators have already been offered teaching contracts, and
expects that several more will receive offers during the traditional
summer hiring season for new teachers.
“Many of our students are hired in Central Massachusetts,
within the school districts where they completed their student teaching
hours,” says Stutz.
Several graduating natural sciences majors, from the second class
to enjoy the Testa Science Center’s state-of-the-art technology,
will be continuing on to graduate school. These students will pursue
degrees in chemistry, pharmacology, physical therapy, nursing, and
public health at such prestigious institutions as Boston College,
Massachusetts College of Pharmacy, Dartmouth College, and the University
of Massachusetts Medical School.
These are common outcomes for science majors, says department chair
Owen Sholes, associate professor of biology. “A really solid
majority of our students go on to higher education, at some point
in their career,” he says.
Other students are on the fast track to fulfilling lifelong dreams.
Shelly Bryan ’05, an aspiring screenwriter,
turned a successful semester internship with Walt Disney World into
a full-time position. She will continue working with the Great Movie
Ride at Disney-MGM Studios, performing as a “movie tour guide”
and sharing vast knowledge of classic movies with the audience as
they navigate through scenes.
“In the future, I see myself writing Disney animated features,
or working for the Disney Channel or ABC Family,” says Bryan.
“I'm going to use my experience at Walt Disney World as a
stepping stone into a career in family entertainment.”
 Still
others plan to stray further from Worcester. McGuiggan reports that
a number of students will pursue employment opportunities out of
the country. Two students will head to England, and one plans to
teach English in Asia. Another will play professional basketball
overseas.
Assumption’s continuing education and graduate students also
plan to use their newfound skills to complement their professional
experience. Elizabeth Irwin ’04 G’05
successfully fulfilled requirements for the Six-in-Five program
in Rehabilitation Counseling, earning her Master of Arts just one
year after completing her bachelor’s degree.
“The Rehabilitation Counseling Master’s Program was
not only time-efficient, but cost-effective,” said Irwin.
“I am [now] looking forward to going out into the workforce
and applying my education to a professional counseling setting.”
Ron Scott G’05, Assumption’s web developer,
enjoyed a unique opportunity within his MBA studies. While finishing
his degree, he was chosen to work with the Central Region’s
Regional Competitiveness Council, which was established by Massachusetts
Governor Mitt Romney two years ago to expand businesses, employment
opportunities, and housing in the various regions of the state.
“I believe that an MBA gives a candidate an edge in an already-competitive
job market,” says Scott. “It’s a strategy for
long-term success.”
Kathleen Ryan Trumpaitis ’05 was thrilled
with her educational experience through Assumption’s Center
for Continuing and Professional Education. On Saturday, she will
receive her Bachelor of Science in Liberal Studies with a dual concentration
in Communications, along with a certificate in Business Communications.
“I've been able to incorporate my knowledge and skills into
my everyday work environment,” she said. “For example,
the skills I acquired through my Public Relations and Speech Courses
helped me tremendously with overcoming anxiousness when addressing
folks at conferences and/or making presentations.”
Trumpaitis is currently the Administrator of Community-Based Education
located
within the Office of Medical Education at UMass Medical School.
This September, she will pursue a Master of Science in Professional
Communications at Clark University.
The achievement of the class of 2005 shows promise for next year
and beyond, says McGuiggan.
“We’ve seen an upswing in the job market,” she
states. “At this point, we are cautiously optimistic that
our students will see the same kind of success next year.”
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