Recent Graduates

Building a Career during Covid: Recent Graduates Share their Stories

By Jessica Berger, Director of Communications, Office of Alumni Engagement & Development

Entering the job market is never an easy task, but the corporate shut-downs and sudden stop to in-person interviews made that crucial transition even more difficult. We asked recent graduates how they got around the barriers. Here are their inventive journeys: Taking a Chance, They Launched a Business

Caitlin Sorensen ‘19 and Kylie Wetzel ‘19

First-generation college graduate Caitlin Sorensen has always known she wanted to start her own business. Working with a small business owner for her internship at Menlo, followed by full time employment with Trustee Andy Cunningham’s group the Cunningham Collective (whom she met through Cunningham’s course Marketing Menlo) after graduation only served to reinforce her goal. Where others might have found the prospect of starting a new business during a pandemic daunting, Caitlin recognized an opportunity to put her skills to work helping small businesses survive lockdown: “I noticed a lot of businesses were going online and they needed help with their digital marketing.” Caitlin had met Kylie Wetzel through the Student Government Association at Menlo, where they worked together on events, giving them valuable experience in project management. “I never wanted to start my own business,” Kylie relates, “But Menlo is so entrepreneurial that I knew I had the exposure and just needed to get over the imposter syndrome.” So when Caitlin reached out to her with a plan to start a marketing firm, she decided to take the leap. Together, they launched the Hustlin’ Honeys marketing and design agency. They have also created an online community called the Hive, understanding that some small business owners can’t afford to hire marketing consultants but still need marketing support. While Kylie recently returned to Menlo College as Digital Marketing Manager, Caitlin is now running the agency fulltime. Caitlin says, “I want to have an empire where we empower small business owners to thrive and inspire others to launch their own businesses, too.”

He Led a Team to Protect Patients

Greig O’Connor ‘13

Greig O’Connor ‘13 began his tenure at Kensington Place Redwood City, an assisted living facility, as the Business Office Manager. He did not anticipate that he might become an Executive Director at an early age, but the opportunity arose for him to step into the role in March 2020. “My initial thoughts were two-fold: protect the patients and prepare the team - physically with PPE and protocols, and mentally that an outbreak might happen,” he shared. “Leading a team when you yourself don’t know is a challenge. I had to figure out how to motivate the team to take on the task and become their counselor in addition to running the business.”

Greig and his team rose to the challenge, turning the situation into an opportunity to get to know the residents and their needs better: “In many ways the team have become the residents’ loved ones. We saw the opportunity to use this time to see what we could really do.” Greig credits his time at Menlo for preparing him to lead. “At Menlo I was on the football team, a Resident Assistant, and the President of the Hawai’i Club [now the Pacific Islander Club]. These roles taught me how to work hard, relate to people, and be organized.” His courses also gave him the broad management skills needed to be an effective Executive Director. “Menlo has a special place in my heart; it was the catalyst to what I am doing now.”

Tackling Real World Problems with her Research Skills

Managing Unpredictability Between Jobs and in A New Job

Giselle Martinez Collado ’20

Having excelled in her psychology studies at Menlo,Giselle Martinez Collado’20 decided to specialize in macrological health and was accepted to Stanford University’s Masters of Science program in Community Health: “I took a leap of faith and decided that I wanted to experience the program within the pandemic. This degree is important - right now - and will have an impact sooner rather than later.” “We’ve had lectures on the response to Covid-19 with representatives from the CDC, and have helped with translating and information sharing with different communities - all while never stepping foot on the Stanford campus,” she related. Giselle shared that she is also interning with a social media start-up called Hope Lab, studying how social media can be used for health interventions. Giselle feels her experiences at Menlo have prepared her to succeed in this rigorous program: “I have the experience writing an undergraduate thesis at Menlo during my senior year, which many of my classmates do not.” And after she graduates? She hopes to travel the world working on global health projects and perhaps pursue a doctorate.

Stewart Haller ‘19

Stewart Haller ‘19 came to Menlo to play baseball and study Marketing and Sports Management. He worked hard at both during his time on campus. He was a Resident Assistant and Peer Tutor. In his senior year he landed a coveted internship position with the San Francisco Giants, and he converted that internship into a full-time Marketing and Advertising position upon graduating in May 2019. “Baseball is my favorite sport and I grew up watching the Giants,” Stewart said; “It was a dream come true to work for them.” Then came Covid-19. “I knew something was going to happen when Covid took off,” Stewart related; “All the customer-facing work slowed right down.” When he was let go, Stewart was disappointed, but not beaten: “I came to accept that losing the position wasn’t anyone’s fault. Then I sat down to articulate what I learned and what I was able to accomplish with them.” Now Stewart is working at a FinTech startup as a Sales and Partnerships Coordinator. The adjustment to his new role has gone smoothly, thanks to the skills he learned at Menlo: “Menlo taught me to be open-minded about products and consumer behavior - it’s a thought process. There’s a lot of overlap between startups and sports; they’re both steeped in unpredictability.”