Left to right: Eleni Lianos, Dara Byrne, Tommasina Faratro, Ermina Chowdhury, Analia Firpo, & Jai Moore.

Meaningful career experiences, like doing an internship or expanding one’s network, make a big difference in finding a good job after graduation, especially for first-generation students. So, at College Allies winter training, CARA led several professional development sessions for Peer Leaders from across our CUNY partner colleges.

Peer Leaders began by creating vision boards to imagine their future ideal life. Then they discussed post-college decision points, their values and non-negotiables, and how to navigate life goals after graduation. Participants also did research about the cost of living in different locations, thinking through different case studies to determine the paths available to someone based on their values, their available options, and the return on investment of different paths.

The day culminated with a panel and structured networking, and included panelists representing the backgrounds of our peer leaders at different points of their career journeys. Panelists shared valuable insights about how their college education – and the critical thinking skills they gained – shaped their career paths. They also discussed the uncertainty of early career stages, and that it’s worth taking the time to find the right fit where you don’t need to compromise on your worth or values. Our peer leaders walked away with so many insights, and excited about the path ahead!