Mount Mercy Academy hosted its second group of speakers on careers last week. These sessions featured talks on broadcasting/journalism, scientist/medical school student, exercise physiology and the law. The speakers allow students an opportunity to learn about various careers and receive advice from successful women.
Junior Madison Serafini (Buffalo) found the speakers to be very helpful. “I already have a good idea about what I want to be when I’m older, but listening to Mary Lynn Ryan helped me realize I’m interested in other things and I might want to explore more things in college and change my career choice,” Serafini said.
Ryan, a ’79 graduate of Mount Mercy, spoke virtually to the students about her career in broadcast journalism. She is currently vice president of GPB (Georgia Public Broadcasting) News.
Junior Kennedy Cerrone (Colden) was impressed by Ryan’s presentation. “What impressed me about Ms. Ryan’s talk was that even though the stories she was following were not the happiest events, she always had a good outlook and knew that in some way her story would make a change to some other human out there; no matter if it was one person or a hundred,” Cerrone remarked.
Stephanie Newman, a graduate from the Class of 2012, spoke to the students about her career as a scientist and her studies in medical school. Newman originally worked in research at Roswell Park as she attained a master’s degree. At that time, she realized she had a passion for medicine and enrolled in UB’s Medical School.
Senior Aubrey Monaco (Buffalo) found Newman’s talk to be helpful and informative. “I learned that the healthcare field has many paths or directions that people can take in order to find what they are truly passionate about,” Monaco stated. “She helped me realize that having multiple ideas of what you want to go into for a career is okay. Along the way, through different classes and opportunities, you will find your true passion in a given field.”
Maggie Fuentes, co-owner and general manager of IFS (Impact Fitness Systems), shared her career path with the students. She began her career in cardiac rehabilitation but soon discovered a passion for athletic performance.
“I learned that no matter where you are going for a job, you are going to take many different steps to find your career, and that is okay,” senior Marissa Kurucz (West Seneca) commented. “The great advice offered helped me with information I need to help make my college choices.”
Lee Williams is the lead lawyer for the Dent Neurological Group and she educated the students about the various fields of law and what they entail. Sophomore Avery Walker (Hamburg) learned that multiple degrees can be beneficial in the career of law.
“I have considered the law as a possible career and hearing about Ms. Williams career and the requirements for being a lawyer has increased my interest in the law,” Walker stated.
Junior Corsignana Nardello (Derby) found Lee’s talk to be inspirational. She commented, “The message that I took from Ms. Lee was that it may be a long journey, but you really just need to trust the process and do anything and everything you can to achieve your goal.”
