2021
Building Careers:
DelEx 2021 Recap
By Tom Brady
From June 9 through June 28, over 80 rising seniors participated in DelEX 2021, the sixth year of Delbarton’s externship program. This year’s program was conducted entirely through video conferencing platforms. Virtual meetings, each one hour in length, were scheduled and hosted by Delbarton’s alumni and parents including architects, attorneys, Wall Street mavens, entrepreneurs, law enforcement agents, surgeons, and representatives from the United States military. Students signed up to learn about careers in education, agricultural innovation, real estate and construction, tech, our local political system, non-profit, and sports management. Popular host Kevin O’Malley P’24 characterized his students as “smart and inquisitive” and says: “Connecting with young men as they think about their careers is soul-affirming.”
Scott Ruesterholz ’10 concurs: “Sharing career experience and advice to rising seniors as they think about college and career paths is an easy and fulfilling way to welcome them into the community’s powerful alumni network.” Indeed, a primary DelEX goal is to practically reveal just how important the “long green line” can be. Host Dr. Anuj Tolia ’93 also sees the value of the program: “DelEX is one of my favorite speaking engagements of the year. The opportunity to promote one’s profession to such an intelligent group of students at the earliest stage of their careers is truly impactful.” This year’s program began with a Coaching Session on May 24 presented by career counseling experts Elizabeth Ricciardelli P’19, ’21 and Michele Biamonte P’22 who shared lessons on personal branding, self-assessment tools, creating LinkedIn profiles and networking. Next, 60 externship opportunities were shared via the DelEX website, and students researched prospective hosts and selected opportunities that fit their unique interests and schedules. Host Alex Thew ’07 says, “When I was a student, I had a strong idea that I wanted to serve in the military, but not many mentors to guide my decisions. DelEX has
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