The WesConnects Podc(A+)st aims to provide compelling content for current and former student-athletes in search of career experience and achievement. Listen to host Brian C. Adams '04 (lacrosse), President of Excelsior Capital, talk with alumni about their athletic experience and career paths. Get inspired learning tips and best practices on everything from networking to resume writing.
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EPISODES
Episode 26: Sports and All Things Intellectual - Ralph Savarese '86 (men's tennis), Writer, Poet and English Professor at Grinnell College
Roger Maynard Award winner Ralph Savarese ‘86 discusses teaching and coaching at Deerfield Academy, briefly living in Poland, the skills he learned from playing an individual sport, and his current position as an English Professor at Grinnell College.
Episode 25: Find that Balance - Jenna Flateman Posner '04 (field hockey, track & field), VP of Digital at SNIPES
Seven-time All-American Jenna Flateman Posner '04 talks about being inducted into the Wesleyan Athletics Hall of Fame and winning a national championship, being opportunistic while entering the workforce and her current role as VP of Digital at SNIPES.
Episode 24: Live a Life of Meaning - Jeff Jorve '04 (men's lacrosse), Writer and Formerly with the World Bank
Brian talks to his former lacrosse teammate Jeff Jorve about how he found his way to Middletown from Seattle, WA, his post-college career in China as a writer, working at the World Bank and, most importantly, how you should always follow your heart.
Episode 23: Try New Things - Tim Gallivan '15 (men's basketball), Math Teacher at Saint Catherine of Siena School
Tim speaks about his unhappiness in financial services, how playing a sport in college builds resilience, and his current job as a full-time math teacher and part-time DJ.
Episode 22: Know Your Resume - Julie Bennett '00 (women's basketball | women's rugby), Director in the Institutional Clients Group at Citi
Julie Bennett chats about participating on the undefeated women’s rugby team at Wesleyan, the importance of knowing the ins and outs of your resume and what sales and trading is really like.
Episode 21: My Differentiator - Nick DiNardo '05 (football), Regional Vice President of Enterprise Sales, Higher Educations at Salesforce.org
Nick addresses getting rejected from all six of his first interviews after college, working in the publishing industry, feeling like a failure and his current position in Higher Education at Salesforce.
Episode 20: Be Strategic - Henry Martellier Jr. '19 (men's lacrosse), Account Representative at Bloomberg
Recent graduate Henry Martellier Jr ‘19 highlights the non-profit organization Prep For Prep, being a walk-on to the men’s lacrosse team and working for Bloomberg.
Episode 19: Rely on Your Wesleyan Family - Maggie Feldman-Piltch '14 (cheerleading), CEO and Founder at #NatSecGirlSquad
Maggie Feldman-Piltch ‘14 describes how she found a way to be involved in everything, receiving her Master of Arts (M.A.) in Security Studies, and her own start-up company #NatSecGirlSquad.
Episode 18: Insatiable Curiosity - Noah Schlesigner (men's soccer), VP of Bernstein Private Wealth Management
International Student Noah Schlesinger ‘13 unravels his journey from the United Kingdom to Wesleyan, how he started a bowling league within the U.S. Trust and the tight-knit group of friends that came with it, and working in Private Wealth Management.
Episdoe 17: Purpose Driven - Sam Ebb '13 (cross country | track & field), VP of Business Strategy and Analytics, Philadelphia Flyers/Wells Fargo Center
Sam Ebb '13 reveals how playing a spot in college gave him structure, what turned him away from Law School and towards Business School, his time at Deloitte, and his transition to his current role in the sports industry.
Episode 16: A Cardinal for Life - Joe Edmonds '16 (men's basketball), Director of Business Operations, Blockchange Ventures
Joe discusses his college transfer process, landing summer internships in the sports industry while at Wesleyan, and some basic BTC knowledge.
Episode 15: Life in Private Equity - Charlie Munzig '07 (baseball, golf), Principal: Equity Opportunity, The Carlyle Group Inc.
In Episode 15 of the WesConnects Podc(A+)st, host Brian C. Adams '04 talks with his old friend Charlie Munzig ‘07 about his natural business interest from a young age, the benefits of having a mentor, and the typical 2-2-2 path to get into private equity.
Episode 14: Fight for What You’re Worth - Catherine Taibi ‘13 (women's lacrosse), Head of Social & Audience Dev. for Bloomberg Quicktake
Catherine Taibi ‘13 (women's lacrosse) highlights being a Senior Interviewer for Wesleyan University’s Office of Admissions, her fellowship at the HuffPost and the imposter syndrome that came with it, and her biggest achievement of receiving a Forbes 30 Under 30 award last year.
Episode 13: Get to Know People, Get to Know Everyone - Caleb King '17 (club sports - men's basketball PA announcer), Columbia Law School Student
In this interview, Caleb King ‘17 talks about transitioning from prep school to the Wesleyan community, his choice to attend law school, and the importance of a summer associateship.
Episode 12: Don't Be Afraid to Reach Out - Ryan Hendrickson '07 (men's hockey), President at Boston Harbor Wealth Advisors
In this episode, Ryan Hendrickson ‘07 (men's hockey) explains the benefits of failing while you’re young, his day to day life in financial advising, and how there is always someone willing to help.
Episode 11: Should I Go to Graduate School? - Bernadette Doykos '04 (women's lacrosse), Educator and Organizational Learning Partner at Catalyst: Ed
In this informational interview, Bernadette Doykos '04 discusses the pros and cons of entering graduate school and describes her personal journey earning a Ph.D. and the myriad of ways it has affected her life.
Episode 10: Fostering Exploration Through Your Network - Ellen Paik '15 (women's squash), Innovation Fund Manager at New Story Charity
Ellen Paik '15 shares how Wes allowed and prepared her to explore her passions from intending music major to investment banker and social entrepreneur helping the homeless secure home ownership.
Episode 9: Networking & Resiliency is No Joke - Whit Harrison '06 (men's lacrosse), Production Designer at Comedy Central
Whit Harrison '06 talks about his athletic experience as a lacrosse goalie to day to day life as a freelance editor with stints at Harlem Films and Time Magazine to Scholastic and Comedy Central.
Episode 8: From Internship to Job Offer: A Student Journey - Babila Fomuteh '21 (football), President of the Wesleyan Student-Athlete of Color Leadership Council
Football senior captain and President of the Student-Athlete of Color Leadership Council Babila Fomuteh '21 talks about his path from prospective student to campus leader, Patricelli Fellow and nonprofit founder. He further explains how during the pandemic he was able to secure an internship which led to a job offer after graduation.
Episode 7: Networking Misconceptions and Pitfalls - Michael Dorsey '08 (men's hockey), Portfolio Manager at The Boston Family Office
Portfolio manager, Michael Dorsey '08 (men's hockey) talks about the personal experience which motivated him to always be prepared, two common misconceptions about networking, and how 10 years later, a college summer internship impacted his career.
Episode #6, Networking Horizontally – Make Like a Tree and Branch Out | Corey Aviles '19 (men's lacrosse), Commercial Real Estate Analyst
Commercial real estate analyst, Corey Aviles '19 submits effective networking begins with your peers. Networking with teammates and other student-athletes who share similar career aspirations is some of the most important work that you can do when first developing your network. A broad tree of relationships within your peer group empowers you with a wealth of information which can help decision making (including class selection) and accomplishing career goals. P.S. GPA does matter in landing that first job.
Episode 5: Put In The Work Exercising Your Networking Muscles - Chris Meade '05 (men's lacrosse) and Matt Wheeler '05 (men's lacrosse), Co-Founders of SportsRecruits
Entrepreneurs Chris Meade '05 (lax) and Matt Wheeler '05 (lax), co-founders of SportsRecruits, speak about the importance of using resources available on campus, repetition in developing your networking skills, and being open to a wider breadth of career opportunity. The more chances you have to talk about yourself and tell your story, like working out, will pay off down the road.
Episode 4: Networking - It's Not Just For Careers in Finance | Dr. Ellen Prager '84 (field hockey, women's lacrosse), Marine scientist and author
Marine scientist and author Dr. Ellen Prager '84 (field hockey, lacrosse) speaks on her Wesleyan athletic experience, and how she combined personal passions with professional acumen AND NETWORKING in developing a successful career making science entertaining and understandable for people of all ages while also building a national reputation as a spokesperson for the earth.
Episode 3: Taking the Informational Interview to New Heights - Chad Malinowski '19 (men's hockey, men's lacrosse), Investment Banking Analyst at J.P. Morgan
Chad Malinowski '19 (hockey, lacrosse) takes host Brian C. Adams '04 (lacrosse) through his informational interview process - viewing networking as a fifth class to knowing which questions to ask and etiquette after a connection is made.
Episode 2: Informational Interviews in Practice - Madeleine Lundberg '19 (volleyball), Consultant at Trinity
Madeleine Lundberg '19 speaks with A+ host Brian C. Adams '04 (lacrosse) about her Wesleyan athletic experience, non-traditional path to finding a major and what worked in her transition from college to a career in life sciences consulting.
Episode 1: Alumni Networking 101 - John Gannon '86 (men's hockey, men's crew), Director of Development & Alumni Affairs at the Hackley School
Host Brian C. Adams '04 (men's lacrosse) talks with John Gannon '86 about his Wesleyan experience as a student and an athlete, his career path ad provides advice and best practices on how to leverage the alumni network in securing work experience.
