Hawks Hit Nation’s Capitol
Networking was the central theme of the latest chapter of the Hartwick Career Overnight Program (HOP), which found students, faculty, alumni, and staff touring the Washington, D.C. metro area last week. The two-day, two-city program connected 19 students with alumni from all manner of fields and graduation years in a series of formal and informal meetings. The schedule was packed during the whirlwind trip and even featured a surprise visit to a television studio.
The morning after an evening trip to Columbia, MD, the group lit out for its first stop of a busy day. Rob Carpenter ’88, who helped underwrite this edition of the HOP, welcomed the Hawks family to his firm, Baltimore-Washington Financial Advisors (BWFA). Carpenter’s “Super Power” presentation made the students realize their perceived weaknesses may also be positives. He also discussed career choices and preparing a “Plan B,” and taking stock of one’s skills.
At lunch, the group separated into two tracks, and the political science track headed off to Washington, while the rest took part in a simulated stock trading exercise with additional BWFA employees.
Once at their Washington hotel, the political science contingent met with several recent graduates, including Edward Holman ’21, Paul Saas ’21, and Trevaughn Smith ’21. The group then made its way to the headquarters of the National Association of Counties. Chief Executive Officer Matt Chase ’93 welcomed the political science track to his office, where he described how his time at Hartwick prepared him to become the lead representative for 40,000 county elected officials and 3.6 million county employees.
The undisputed-yet-unofficial highlight of the trip, however, was a visit to the association’s new television studio, finished just weeks earlier. Students reveled in having the opportunity to have their pictures taken behind an actual news desk.
With the whole traveling party back together in the late afternoon, the group headed to the National Press Club, which served as the site for a panel discussion and additional networking. Chase joined Floyd Adagio ’83, Tanya Cheguer ’95 and Joseph Nolan ’19 on a panel that discussed their careers and how Hartwick helped prepare them for their journeys. Nearly 50 alumni and undergraduates networked before and after the formal program.
Dinner that night brought the Carpenters together with the entire traveling party and offered another opportunity for students to glean advice for the future.
Saturday morning, the group met up once again with the Carpenters and headed over to the White House for one last photo opportunity. It was a beautiful day in Washington, and everyone was eager to make the most of their time there. With several hours before it was time to head back north, the group thanked their hosts and scattered to visit sites like the Air and Space Museum and take advantage of Capital Bikeshare to get the best views of the city’s annual Cherry Blossom Parade.
