Prepared to excel, the graduates of Bryant’s Class of 2021 are ready for their next big adventure – and to succeed wherever they choose to go.
In many ways, the path to success for Global Supply Chain Management major Erika Ward ’21 began when she met Teresa McCarthy, Ph.D., Professor of Marketing and Co-founder of Bryant’s Supply Chain Management program. “I was telling her about everything I dreamt of achieving in my career and she told me, “We can make all of that happen,” Ward remembers. Now, post-graduation, Ward is set to join the Emerging Talent Rotational program at Amgen, a worldwide pioneer in biotechnology.
In her four years at Bryant, Ward worked hard to make her professional aspirations come true. “Everything from my time at Bryant, from the course curriculum to the opportunities that I was able to take advantage of, I know I’m going to be able to use,” she says. Each experience gave her a new advantage: A trip to the National Retail Federation’s annual conference in New York City, for instance, helped her make important connections. A practicum where she worked with L3Harris Technologies as a consultant on a real supply chain project, gave her hands-on experience navigating a complex field under industry conditions.
“She has so much experience and knows what's required to be successful,” says Ward. “She pushes you to be your best because she has your best interest at heart.
She also gained other insights as well. A directed study with Professor of Management and Coordinator of the Global Supply Chain Management Program Christopher Roethlein on humanitarian supply chains, she says, was especially important. It allowed her to interview CEOs and industry leaders, providing her with a unique perspective and giving her the opportunity to explore what was meaningful to her. “It helped me understand how my skills and knowledge can help companies help people,” she says.
Through it all, Professor McCarthy helped her put all of the pieces together so they added up to success. “She has so much experience and knows what's required to be successful,” says Ward. “She pushes you to be your best because she has your best interest at heart.”
Their efforts paid off when Ward was offered her new position on the first day of her senior year. “It was such an easy decision to accept because of how much I aligned with the company, their values, and their mission,” says Ward. “I am really excited to be able to apply what I've learned in school to the real world.”
“You can really make your time at Bryant what you want it to be. If you want to do something, you have the resources.”
Making an impact
One of Bryant’s strengths, says Finance and Economics major Matthew Caruso ’21, an Incoming Application & Program Analyst at Deloitte Consulting, is its commitment to helping students become their best selves. “You can really make your time at Bryant what you want it to be,” he states. “If you want to do something, you have the resources.”
Especially valuable, he says, is Bryant students’ ability to build a course of study that’s perfect for them. Choosing to pair Finance with Economics helps Caruso bring context to his work. “You’re able to develop a really well-rounded background, which gives you a good understanding of not only the ins and outs, but also the larger purpose of things and how they're used,” Caruso explains.
“Having the ability to make an impact, and a school that listens to students, sets people up for success.”
He also found support in considering his options. The connections he made through the University’s Amica Center for Career Education helped Caruso secure internships with Fidelity Investments and Goldman Sachs. When Amica suggested he attend an informational session offered by Deloitte, Caruso found an organization he was excited to join.
An internship led to a job interview where he had to demonstrate he was ready to handle real world problems. “They gave me a scenario, or the details of a specific project I might work on, and then they asked me, ‘Why is this happening and what would you say is the best solution?’” he explains. Drawing on his Bryant experience, “I was able to show them that I could make a difference and help their company,” says Caruso.
In addition to receiving a stellar education in the classroom, Caruso also developed leadership skills through athletics, activism, and student organizations, which also impressed his interviewers. “My leadership experience was something the company was really interested in,” he notes.
Looking forward, Caruso, who hopes to own his own business one day, is excited for his new job – and all of the future opportunities open to him. “Having the ability to make an impact, and a school that listens to students, sets people up for success,” he says.
“I loved that class because it taught me so much about different cultures, who I am as a global citizen, and what I can do for the world.”
Determining the future of space policy
Global Studies and History double major Alyse Beauchemin ’21 will soon be pursuing her Master of Arts in International Science and Technology Policy at George Washington University's Elliott School of International Affairs. Her time at Bryant, she says, helped her prepare to study at one of the most prestigious graduate schools in the world – and demonstrate what she is capable of.
An aspiring space diplomat and member of the Space Generation policy and law research group, Beauchemin aims to one day work for NASA or the United Nations. Bryant’s focus on international study and travel, she says, has aided her in gaining, and understanding, new perspectives that will help her in her future career working with people all over the world.
A global anthropology course with Professor of English and Cultural Studies Alex Perullo, Ph.D., Beauchemin says, exemplifies the value of that expanded perspective. “I loved that class because it taught me so much about different cultures, who I am as a global citizen, and what I can do for the world.”
“I really wanted to make my graduate school application stand out and I thought this would be a great way to do that. I was able to show that I'm able to do the research and that I was ready for grad school.”
Beauchemin combined Global Studies with History to gain a deeper understanding of the world. She added a minor in Management to translate that knowledge into results. “What I love about studying Management is that you can apply it to basically any field. Whether it’s leading a group project or leading a policy proposal, I know I’ll be using it in the future,” she says.
Through a summer research project, Beauchemin created a space policy resource with Trustee Professor of Management Michael Roberto, D.B.A., the author of a key case study on the Columbia space shuttle disaster as her advisor. Her Senior Capstone Project allowed her to spend a year studying the history of space flight and the political trends and historical motivators that have shaped it.
“I really wanted to make my graduate school application stand out and I thought this would be a great way to do that,” says Beauchemin, who is now a big step closer to her perfect-fit career. “I was able to show that I'm able to do the research and that I was ready for grad school.”
