Big Opportunities in the Big Apple

By Molly Sheets '24, August 18, 2023

Students Attend Spring 2023 ‘Meet the Firms’ Trip

Students visited several firms in New York City during their trip, including Consolidated Flooring, where David Meberg '85 serves as president and CEO.

(Photo submitted)

Nearly 20 students from Ithaca College’s School of Business met alumni from some of the world’s biggest companies in New York City during the annual “Meet the Firms” trip held at the end of the 2022-23 academic year.

The goal of the twice-yearly trips is to help students explore an array of career opportunities by learning about different businesses and connecting with IC alumni. The spring semester visits are focused on students interested in learning more about thme arketing and management sides of businesses. On this most recent trip, students were able to learn about companies such as Times Square Alliance, 5WPR, Amazon, and Consolidated Flooring.

Alumni including Gabrielle “Ellie” Kukor ’22, marketing coordinator at Consolidated Flooring; David Meberg ’85, CEO of Consolidated Flooring and current member of the Ithaca College Board of Trustees; and Taylor Varga ’17, director of production and operations at Times Square Alliance, were on hand to share their experiences in the field with the next generation of IC business leaders.

The visits are organized by Ed Catto, instructor of management in the School of Business. He said the trip is a favorite of students and is a great way to help them think about internships and future employment opportunities with these companies.

“You're sending out thank you letters, you're talking with people via LinkedIn after the conversations, and all those things are all about building your network and building your personal understanding of the business world,”

Ed Catto, instructor of management

“You're sending out thank you letters, you're talking with people via LinkedIn after the conversations, and all those things are all about building your network and building your personal understanding of the business world, and I think those are the things that make [Meet the Firms] super important,” he said.

“Very quickly, they realize what a great opportunity it is.”

In preparation for the event, students attended professional development training sessions and created questions for the executives that they would be meeting.

Once there, students met with company executives to hear about their personal history, how they got to their current position, what their current roles and responsibilities are, and the challenges they face as they navigate professional careers. This was followed by tours of the businesses and a question-and-answer period where students could ask the executive for advice.

Students got to meet with IC alumni at their stops, including Stephanie Siok '20 and Lily Donoghue '20 at 5WPR.

(Photo submitted)

That was a major plus for Nina Singh ’24, who felt that being able to network with alumns was an invaluable experience.

“Getting to meet those alumni and getting your foot in the door is important in the business world. I think for you to get a job, especially in business, networking is critical,” she said.

Catto says that another benefit of the trip is that it helps ease students’ stress about their post-college futures.

“I think when you're in the middle of any part of school, it's easy to put it off or just get anxious to say, ‘Well, you know, look, I'm going to deal with that next chapter later. Let me get through midterms,’” he said. “All of a sudden, you're meeting with people, you're seeing what you might like to do after you graduate, you're seeing what you might not want to do, and all of that is important.”

Not only does the experience benefit the students, but Catto said the alumni benefit as well.

“Every alum who meets with our students is grateful that they took part,” he said. “Typically, they get reinvigorated about their relationship with IC, because this helps them connect with their school. Our alumni are very special in that they love to give back. They're great at offering ideas, answering questions and being a resource for the students.”