Cross County Partakes in Career Treks Event in Boston

BOSTON, Mass. -- Career treks are a great opportunity for Wake Forest student-athletes to learn about companies, industries, careers and meet alumni in a personal setting while traveling during competition. Last week, the men's and women's cross country teams competed at the ACC Championship in Boston, Mass. This trip proved their hard work as endurance athletes, but also their desire to succeed in life after the game.

Student-Athlete Development, in collaboration with the Deacon Club, worked together to create the format for this unique learning opportunity.

"We began by collecting all of the majors/minors and future career goals of our team," said Ashley Wechter, Assistant Athletic Director of Student-Athlete Development.
"From there, Development solicited alumni who were willing to take a few hours to network with our driven and highly motivated student-athletes and serve on a panel discussion. Finally, we met with the cross country team to prepare them for their trek. This included a group session on updating their resumes, discussing appropriate attire and proposing research to do on the front end that would create more intentional conversations."

Westin Galloway, ASICS Global Product Line Manager ('06 Track & Field), hosted the distance squad at their East Coast headquarters after the meet. The trek also showcased five alumni representing various industries and careers, including, Kelly Dostal, Director of North America Dell EMC Technologies ('05 Field Hockey National Champion and Hall of Famer), Jon Hilsabeck, Founder of Shellback Capital ('92), John Nugent, Licensed Attorney in MA and NH ('12 BA, '16 JD), Chip Rives, Chief Executive Officer of Riddle & Bloom ('87 Football, '89 MBA), as well as Deacon parents, Jennifer Fulton, Director of the Americas undergraduate program at Bain & Company and Mike Turner, Executive Vice President and General Counsel at Allied Minds.

"Our goal is to allow them to engage with alumni in different industries, expand their network and increase their awareness of what's out there," said Wechter. "We have a young roster with a lot of undecided and undeclared majors. These opportunities are extremely beneficial for their growth."

"We are very fortunate here at Wake Forest to have alumni and friends of the program that give their time to visit with our student-athletes, share experiences and their career paths," said track & field/cross country head coach John Hayes. "This unique opportunity gives our student-athletes an advantage in their life after college. This is just a testament to the department's mission to develop champions."

One of the best ways to invest into our student-athletes is to set them up for success after college. The Student-Athlete Development department is seeking individuals who have a heart for giving back in a meaningful way. Click HERE to get involved as a future host of a career trek, attend our annual career night, offer an internship, or become a career connector.

"It's an incredible opportunity when we are able to connect loyal supporters of Wake Athletics and our student-athletes," said Associate Athletic Director Mike Piscetelli. "Engaging alumni in various industries is important when we have a roster full of future business men and women, doctors, lawyers and leaders that are going to do great things once they leave Wake. The Career Trek's allow our supporters the front line visibility into what they continue to support and invest in - it's an opportunity to see the product beyond on the field and understand the total person Wake Forest and athletics continue to develop."

Wake Forest Athletics

Cross County Partakes in Career Treks Event in Boston

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