By Medha Raman | LSJ Communications Assistant
Photos by Alexa Sinclair Photography
For many college students, the thought of graduation is fear-inducing. After years of carefully scheduled classes and activities, having to step out into the unknown without a safety net can be scary.
Thankfully, LSJ’s Career Night Panel and Mixer on Wednesday, February 8th was there to reassure students about their futures. Alums Marcellina Deschamps (LSJ & POL S ’15), Georgina Olazcon Mozo (LSJ ’08), Peyush Soni (LSJ & POL S ’14), and Mikayla Svob (LSJ & ANTH ’15) returned to campus to share their stories, career trajectories, and graduate school experiences, giving helpful advice to students along the way.
These tips for students ranged from how to decide whether law school was right for them to what kinds of positions to apply for right after graduation.
“Do your research. Look for companies that do work you like,” shared Soni, a Legal Assistant at Law Offices of David B. Zuckerman. “Highlight the baseline foundational skills that you have. Say you’re motivated and willing to learn.”
The diversity in career choices of alumni, from non-profit work to employment in private firms, also demonstrated to students the variety of paths they can pursue with an LSJ degree.
“I never thought I wanted to be an immigration lawyer, because I thought I couldn’t separate work from my own personal story as an immigrant,” said NW Immigrant Rights Staff Attorney, Georgina Mozo. “But I love my job and every time I see a client walk through the door, I see myself, I see my family.
Still, no matter the position, all alums shared a commonality in that the skills and connections they made in LSJ were instrumental in furthering each of their careers.
“The LSJ major taught me about thinking outside the box and how to apply that to different situations and contexts,” said Deschamps, previously a Community Development and Membership Recruiter at Girl Scouts of Western Washington. “Learning to think outside the box is crucial in any career.”
Svob, Program Assistant at University Beyond Bars, echoed this sentiment, adding, “LSJ brings a lot of social capital. I’ve met a lot of really great people that are into connecting you and are into creating this wonderful community.”