On Feb. 22, eight alumni and 35 students participated in Connect@Wes 2019 in Beckham Hall. The fifth annual event serves as a practice networking event for Wesleyan students of all class years.Students rotated through short sessions with alumni mentors in different industries to practice their version of a personal pitch. The mentors used their expertise to critique the pitches and provided advice and insight on how to build a personal network.
Pictured at the back of the table, Nasim Khoshkhou ’07, COO of Argus Portfolio Management, was one of the eight alumni to serve as a mentor during the event.Matt Winn ’92, pictured in the red shirt, is a managing member at Win Winn Consulting. He heads Wesleyan’s Real Estate Network and is vice chair of the Alumni Association.The format offered the opportunity for alumni to meet with several students in a short period of time and allowed students to build confidence for networking in the future.Michael Zazzaro ’13, pictured in the striped shirt, is a volunteer leader for Wesleyan’s Real Estate Network and senior associate at AION Partners.Karl Mergenthaler ’92, at left, is a financial advisor at Morgan Stanley.Stephen McCarthy ’75, at right, is managing director at KCG Capital Advisors and co-founder and national chair of Wesleyan’s Alumni in Philanthropy and Public Service Network (WAPPS). The other alumni mentors included Jaime Bachrach ’93, head of operations for The Wine Trust and communications chair for the Wesleyan Lawyers Association (WLA); Ryan Meier ’14, an analyst at Brookfield Asset Management and volunteer leader for Wesleyan’s Real Estate Network; Brenda Reny ’78, managing director of TD Private Client Group, and Karl Mergenthaler ‘92, financial advisor at Morgan Stanley. Sharon Belden Castonguay, director of the Gordon Career Center, also attended and met with students. (Photos by Olivia Drake)
Olivia Drake
Mike Mavredakis
Ziba Kashef
Andrew Chatfield