CMASS SHOUTOUTS

Volpe Transportation: An Inspiring InfoWorkshop

Submitted: 3/2013

Here is my summary about the Volpe info session:

I am very glad that I attended the Volpe info session. I was able to learn more about the company and their internship opportunities. They were also very encouraging for students of all GPA ranges to apply.
This surprised me for many companies will not accept applications below a 3.0. I learned valuable information to help me apply to their company and others. Thank you CMASS and Volpe for holding this event.

Sade A. Luwoye
B.S. Electrical Engineering C/o 2014
College of Engineering
National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) - President Black Mass Communications Project (BMCP) -Treasurer

Alumni Networking Night

by Conway King, 2014

Posted: 2/1/2013

UMass Alumni Networking Night

Firstly, I would like to thanks everyone who attended the Networking Night: Undergraduates, CMASS Faculty, and especially the Alumni. Coming out bridges a connection between the generations; from alumni that graduated long ago to recent graduates to current undergraduates. We can all learn from each other and hopefully build lasting relationships for the advancement of ourselves and each other. Also thank you City Year for the use of your facility and for everything you do in and throughout Greater Boston, you are truly a blessing to our City.

The UMass Alumni Networking Night (which took place on January 9, 2013) was an amazing and informative session where no matter your major or graduation year, you can talk to someone who once thought what we (undergrads) think and experienced what we are experiencing. In this respect, it can settle some of us into the idea that the ‘real world’ is not as scary and as big a step as one might think. For others it could open their eyes to new ways of doing things, new ways of thinking, or new connections at UMass that we previously did not know was there.

My experience with the event was a very positive and informative one, even though I found out about it last minute. The entire Alumnus I spoke with seemed very happy and sure about the direction they are taking in life. Some didn’t choose to give much advice but to speak on their life; where they started while attending UMass and how they ended their undergraduate career, what connections they took advantage of while there, what path they choose after graduations and their thought process, and also how their life ended up so far.

Others talked about what resources undergrads can take advantage of while at UMass and throughout Massachusetts and extended their hand in a mentorship and advisory capacity. Few even alluded to life lessons they learned throughout their experiences that many of us undergrads can benefit from knowing now.

Everyone was friendly and eager to help and support the undergrads. The CMASS faculty that put on this event and Alumnus that came out really brought home the fact that they are here to make sure we succeed and we have the most information and resources available going forward. I would like to thank them all for that, because if it wasn’t for them I wouldn’t have been given advice that I will impact the way I think in the future.

The advice I received was from Sean Dandley, class of ’85 and a journalism major turn businessman and CEO of a company. He spoke on how my life’s path isn’t set in stone; it is truly what I make it. That my major doesn’t hold me to one place, I can branch out and have a career in something completely different what I started off believing I would be doing. It seems life is funny that way.

~Thank you again CMASS, UMass Alumnus, City Year, and my fellow Undergraduates for a great night.~
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Conway King
Resource Economy Major
Class of 2014

Alumni Networking Night

Ryan Figueroa - 2013

Posted: 2/1/2013

“The CMASS Student/Alumni Networking event (which took place on January 9, 2013) provided me with unique opinions on post graduate life. I gained feedback about the life experiences of established professionals who represented a variety of fields in the business world. The event offered students exclusive insight about what is to come and will undoubtedly aid us in developing our future career goals. I was able to walk away from each networking station with a professionals’ perspective on a number of career-related topics. Rotating from table to table allowed me to practice my networking skills and strengthening these skills now, gives me an edge over the competition.”

Ryan Figueroa
Psychology-Class of 2013

Alumni Networking Night

Winnie Liu -2012

The UMass Networking event (which took place on January 9, 2013) is a great event to connect with alumni who are truly dedicated to helping out undergrads and recent grads. Additionally, I was not just connecting with alumni; I was also connecting with current undergrads as well. The UMass Networking event gets better each year and I would highly suggest everyone to go to these networking events especially because it is free. With the rise of social media sites such as Linkedin, networking is becoming increasingly important in aiding with the full-time job search since most people get their jobs through knowing other people.

At yesterday’s networking event all of the alumni were very helpful by providing tips and suggestions on job/internship search, what it is like to be in their field and industry, and giving us the first hand experience of how they got to where they are today.

Every alum that I’ve talked to mentioned how it is important to network with other people because you may never know that the next person you speak to will help you land a job. One of the alumni mentioned how she got her job at MIT Lincoln Laboratory was because of networking.

Another alum also provided a printout for us on the perfect job interview tips and gave us his input on strategies to be successful in the job search and being successful in your job, which I thought was really helpful.

I wouldn’t have encountered these great advices if I had not attended the UMass Networking event.

Winnie Liu
B.S. Food Science and Economics '12

My Experience with City Year Boston

by Shana Jeffery, posted 05/11/2012

I heard about City Year through an information session at the Center of Multicultural Advancement and Student Success. This was during a time when I was still trying to figure out what I wanted to do after graduation. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to enter directly into a graduate program for a master in social work or if I wanted to gain some more experience and take a break from school. I am a very active and involved student who has also had the opportunity to take advantage of support centers as well as CMASS being my place of student employment. At first I wasn’t sure if City Year was going to be right for me, so I kept on attending programs and information session to get a better understanding of what the program was about.

I got the opportunity to sit down and talk to a representative and talk about my future goals and plans. I found out that City Year would be the perfect place for me to be because it does represent some of the things I have a passion for: community services, working with children of all ages and leaving a positive mark on someone else’s life. I made the decision to apply during my final fall semester of school. The first part I had to do was fill out the online application which was fairly easy. You have the chance to create a user name and password so you have the time to fill out the application at your own pace. City Year also gives you the option to pick a due date to submit your application electronically.

I had time to think about which of the 21 states I wanted to apply to, wrote responses to my essay questions, and find possible references. During my application process and before, I built a relationship with the City Year staff members who constantly visit the university on a daily basis. The staff at the head quarters makes sure that they are available to assist you in any way they possibly can. I’ve had individuals call me personally to see how everything was going and I appreciated the connection and support.

After submitting my application, I received an email and phone call stating that I had been selected for a phone interview, which focused on learning why I chose City Year and my personality. Again, I waited a couple of days to a week or so for the next step in this process, which is a Skype interview or face to face if you do not have access or transportation to the location of your choice. This interview was to learn more about my experiences, strengths and weaknesses and solutions to certain scenarios.

The waiting game continued for the next couple of days to maybe two weeks or so. I received a phone call while I was away at the Circle of Change Leadership Conference with peers and staff of CMASS, stating that I had been selected to be a Corp Member for City Year to be stationed in Boston, Massachusetts. I almost cried my eyes out but I couldn’t stop smiling and laughing with excitement about my accomplishment. I encourage students to take on the opportunities that CMASS has to offer, you never know who or what will be waiting for you.

Shana Jeffery
Sociology - 2012

My Visit to the BioMedical Science Careers Program

posted 5/7/2012

The visit to the Biomedical Science Careers Program (BSCP) was an amazing opportunity for me to grow as a student and it wouldn't have been possible without CMASS. I was given the chance to network and meet professionals in my field of interest. The doctors and professionals who attended the program were charming and eager to help students flourish. I will forever be grateful for the connections I made and the individuals I met. The small workshops I attended were very informative and I learned much more than I could have otherwise.

Thank you to CMASS for making this available to students, it is a great project that should continue to take place.

Vanessa Villamarin
2013 Psychology, Neuroscience

Thank you for InRoads Mock Interview!

submitted Mar 14, 2012

I'm very grateful for the opportunity I had to do a mock interview with InRoads. It really allowed me to experience the professionalism and the pressures of a real life interview while receiving constructive feedback that can really make a difference on the outcome of an interview. One thing that I learned was how to stay away from "touchy" topics such as race, gender, class, and more during an interview.

I thought it was going to be intimidating but the representative from InRoads was actually very nice and I could tell that he was doing the interviews because he really did care about our success. Thanks again for such a great experience; I'm definitely going to use what I learned during my internship interviews in the next few months.


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Theresa Eugene
UMass Class 2013, BDIC

Thank you for the mock interviews!

submitted Mar 9, 2012

On behalf of the students here at UMASS I would like to thank Willie Pope and the CMASS Community for their unconditional support. I would like to express our appreciation of the devoted resources and efforts of CMASS and the participating parties in the mock interviews. I feel like this has significantly boosted my confidence with interviewing skills. This has helped shape my networking circle and I have received feedback that I find myself using on a daily basis. Thank you for all your constant support.

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Tachand Dubuisson
University of Massachusetts Amherst- Class of 2012
Vice President - Haitian American Student Association
Treasurer- Soul TV

Thank you for the UMASS Medical Workshop

The UMass Medical School workshop helped me gain a deeper insight into the admission process. I now know, not only what I need to include on my application, but also strategies I can use to obtain/achieve these requirements. For example, after having a one-on-one conversation with Dr. Deborah Hines, I became more aware of what kind of recommendation letters I need, and who to obtain them from. I was also fortunate enough to have her explain to me the ideal way of approaching professors for these letters.

I highly recommend every eligible student to take advantage of the workshops offered by CMASS, as they are very helpful and free. I get weekly emails about workshops, events and field trips to graduate schools or work places that concern all majors. I try to attend the ones that work with my schedule. For example, I will be attending the Biomedical Science Career Program at Harvard on March 31st to be paired up with an expert who can answer any questions I have regarding medical and who can help me obtain an internship.

The truth is that the more students participate, the more CMASS can offer. So please check it out at Wilder Hall!


-Abdallah Jaara
(2013) Junior, Biochem major

Graduate-Undergraduate Mixer

Attending the Graduate and Undergraduate Mixer was a very rewarding experience. At the event, the graduate students that attended really helped me determine the possibilities of applying to grad school and even finding assistantships. They also gave me references to people and advisers that are also available to help guide me through this intimidating process. By just attending this event, I was able to start thinking about how to find resources for graduate school. This helped spark my interest in the Each One Reach One mentoring program. Each One Reach One is a mentoring program which pairs up an undergraduate student and a graduate student. Undergraduate students are able to get help about graduate school from their graduate mentor. The potential knowledge that I will be able to acquire about grad school through this mentoring program will be invaluable and will really help me take the right steps towards my career goals.

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Ines V. Mejia