CONGRATULATIONS CLASS OF 2020!
DAY 5
LAW | FINANCE | EDUCATION
TODAY'S SPEAKERS
DIEGO GOMEZ
Law
JENNIFER MILLER PETERS
School Counselor
MARJORIE CRUM
Education
LEYBIS DE JESUS
Finance
CHRISTEL MENDEZ
Recruiting
CHANDRA SAVAGE
Finance
MERLIN PLEIN
Education
GABRIELLE UMANZOOR
Education
AAKASH SHAH
Finance
DIEGO GOMEZ
A young millennial on what it's like to thrive through your 20s, while building his own legacy and making his immigrant parents proud. Diego Gomez is a 25-year-old Brooklyn Law School student graduating this year. Growing up in New York as a son of Colombian immigrants, Diego knew the only way to show his gratitude was by making his parents proud. His early experiences in the service industries of technology and fashion are what sparked his interest in Intellectual Property, Business and Corporate Law. He was accepted to Brooklyn Law School shortly after receiving his first degree from Fordham University in 2016. During his time at BLS he accomplished a lot while still being able to maintain an exciting social life; he interned at Estee Lauder Companies and LVMH. As part of the Latin American Law Student Association, he volunteered along with a small group of BLS students to go to Puerto Rico and provide legal assistance to those affected by hurricane Maria in 2018. He went on to be elected as President of the BLS Student Bar Association in 2019. Although heartbroken by the current situation and not being able to walk the stage, he is looking forward to what the second half of his 20’s will bring.
Amanda LaMontanaro - Working in Live Events Today | Couch Commencement | Day 4
JENNIFER MILLER PETERS
Career and internship counselor Jennifer Miller Peters, who has advised students for twenty years and graduated herself in a recession, talks about the hiring challenges this year's graduating class will face while entering the workforce, and offers realistic advice on how to keep your chin up Jennifer Miller Peters has worked for twenty years as a career and internship counselor at the Fashion Institute of Technology. As an advisor, she counsels students and alumni on how to apply for jobs and accomplish professional goals in their careers. She has also co-authored a career planning textbook, Creating Career Success: A Flexible Plan for the World of Work, to guide students through the workforce, from layoffs to a career-changing game of musical chairs. While advising students is her full-time job, she's also a "self-professed foodie" and has a love for food.
Tyler Porcello - Life in a Less Developed Country | Couch Commencement | Day 4
MARJORIE CRUM
A professor of design and AIGA member, Marjorie Crum explains her career path starting from a foreshadowing in high school to college selection and career choices after graduation. Coming from a professor’s perspective, Marjorie gives empathetic advice on how to find a passion and how you may end up in a completely different path than you originally thought. Marjorie Crum is currently an Associate Professor of Design at Monroe Community College in Rochester, NY and a member of the American Institute of Graphic Arts (AIGA). Born in Ohio, Marjorie didn’t have any idea she was going to end up in graphic design. Now, she has more than 35 years of experience in the industry with lots of knowledge. Marjorie started with an affinity towards photography and newspapers which blossomed into her remarkable graphic design career. Her work has been put up on display in exhibits, and has learned additional skills in business management, networking, and marketing from her experience. She later started teaching at MCC to pass on her knowledge to other budding artists and joined AIGA, an elite networking site for those who desire to make connections in the design world.
Giuseppe Caronna - The Intersection of Business and Fitness | Couch Commencement | Day 4
CHRISTEL MENDEZ
Aerotek's Regional Lead Manager in the tri-state area shares tips and tricks to keep in mind when entering the job market in the middle of a world crisis. From the point of view of a recruiter, Christel shares with us how to set us our Linked-In to successfully land a position, how to make job-searching your full-time job, etc. Christel Mendez, also known as MySistersCurls on Instagram, is a recruiter lead manager for Aerotek in the tri-state area. Christel is also a natural hair enthusiast and uses her Instagram page to unite curls in corporate America. She was born in The Bronx, New York but raised in Monte Cristi, Dominican Republic where she lived for approximately 11 years. After completing middle school and high school in the Dominican Republic, Christel moved back to the United States and went on to complete her bachelor degree at St. Bonaventure University in Allegany, New York. After working many temporary positions post-graduation in the spring of 2013, Christel became the Lead Recruiter at Aerotek in July 2014, and has only escalated since.
Tom Burke - A Rendition of John Mayer’s “In the Blood” | Couch Commencement | Day 4
CHANDRA SAVAGE
Taylor Savastano - Make Your Health a Priority While Juggling a 9-5 | Couch Commencement | Day 4
IG: @coachsav_
MERLIN PLEIN
In the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Merlin Plein reminds us all that upon graduation, it's okay to take the road less traveled. Whether it's the wish of the student themselves to do so, or if economic circumstances are blocking one from pursuing the expected and traditional career path assumed of many students just out of college, he reminds us that it is okay to take a walk down other avenues. Listen to the ‘untraditional’ path Merlin took en route to reaching his goal of becoming a Biology + Chemistry Teacher. Merlin Plein is a 31-year-old Biology + Chemistry teacher. He lives happily in Hamburg, Germany with his wife, Sara, and their 8-month-old daughter. Merlin has lived a full and rich life to date, earning his Master's Degree in Biology and reaching his personal and professional career goals. Merlin has not only traveled to, but has lived in a multitude of countries, and is always looking for life’s next adventure!
Mac Hyppolite Jr. - How I Raised Nearly $20,000 by Riding My Bike | Couch Commencement | Day 4
GABRIELLA UMANZOR
Do thoughts about graduation keep you up at night? Do you have anxious thoughts every time you think about entering the job market? Well, what if someone told you that life after graduation does not have to be stressful and that your major does not have to define your career? In Gabriella Umanzor’s talk, “Life After Graduation: You’ve Got This!”, you will find helpful tips and tricks on handling life after graduation, as well as pieces of advice on how to be prepared to take on life after graduation without any nervousness or anxiety. Get ready to learn more and gain confidence about the next steps of your life! Gabriella Umanzor is a Queens-native, who currently teaches English language at a New York City public high school. She was born and raised in Queens, New York, to a family of medical workers. Gabriella is the youngest of three children, and she is the only member of her family with a degree and an interest in Liberal Arts and creative fields. She graduated Cum Laude from Hunter College in 2015 with a double-major in English Adolescent Education and Dance Education of K through 12. She is currently pursuing a Master’s Degree in English Literature from Queens College. By the age of 30, Gabriella has found success in earning an education in her fields of interest, while also solidifying her career path. Her favorite thing about teaching? “Sarcasm is an asset in a high school classroom.”
OMG Cornelio - Manifest your Dreams | Couch Commencement | Day 4
THOMAS WHIDDEN
Cannabidiol (CBD) has been widely covered in the media, and chances are you have either heard about it, or seen it in some form as CBD stores have begun popping up all over Manhattan. In this video, Thomas Whidden, discusses the scientific and biological aspects of CBD, mainly how it interacts with the human body, and it’s uses in providing an informative summary. Thomas, lives in Los Angeles California and is co-founder of WeedRAR a cannabis manufacturing consulting company that was launched in 2014 as a prop215 concentrate company. He has extensive knowledge and experience in manufacturing CBD products, and has been active in the industry since the late 90’s in conjunction with the Californian Compassionate Use Act of 1996 law, which permits the medical use of marijuana.
Thomas Whidden - Breaking Down CBD | Couch Commencement | Day 4
AAKASH SHAH
2020 has been an unconventional year for all of us and the most important lesson it has taught us is sometimes life can throw unexpected curveballs at you no matter how prepared you are. However, in Aakash Shah's talk, "We don't have to be like them" he explains methods to remain positive through graduation, unique methods of figuring everything out amidst the chaos and spreading positivity. Aakash Shah is an entrepreneur and investor of Indian descent who grow up in Hong Kong, went to NYU Stern School of Business for Business and Finance and further worked in the United States for a few years to follow. He worked in the finance industry in New York for 3 years and then moved to Washington DC where he founded a FinTech start-up with a co-founder. He believes that humans add value to the world in the way they know and good always comes out of it.
Kaitlyn Rafferty - Long Hours at Your Internship Might Just Pay Off | Couch Commencement | Day 4
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