Moving Ahead!

Connecticut State University System students and alumni from across the system’s four universities have gained invaluable work knowledge and experience through internships and co-ops during their college career. Their career placement at businesses, nonprofit organizations, and schools pays dividends for students, employers and the state.

Experience Through Internships

Amelinda Vazquez, a business administration major at Eastern, has held four internships during her undergraduate career. She worked with Eastern’s Career Services to find potential employers and gain valuable workplace experience a student cannot get in the classroom.

Vazquez explored career options through internships that included proposal development, sales, pre-screening job applicants and testing website usability. Vazquez now works at the Metropolitan District Commission where she sat on a Grant Selection Committee and collaborated with professionals. In her second internship with Eastern’s Career Services, Vazquez helps plan and promote student career fairs. She is also developing a “reverse career fair” in which recruiters visit table displays to speak with students.

At Career Services, Vazquez also maintains a job posting database and acts as the liaison between employers and Eastern, helping students find internships and full-time employment.

Graduating in 2010, Vazquez hopes to someday have her own business and use her internship experiences. “Doing internships changed my life and made me into the person I am today,” said Vazquez.

A Livable City Initiative

For Soto, this job began as an internship while he was earning a political science degree. He now works with residents in New Haven neighborhoods to improve communities and is now organizing a Neighborhood of Choice project in New Haven to focus on neighborhood clean-up and beautification this summer. “The goal of this project is to raise up the camaraderie of the neighborhood and get the community involved in its revitalization,” said Soto.

Soto works in The Hill section of New Haven with district managers to reduce vacant housing and blight in neighborhoods. Soto reminds owners of the need for property upkeep, and monitors for illegal activities and dumping on vacant properties. He helps spread news of community programs that provide funding assistance for energy efficient home improvements, answers questions about services and maintains a good relationship with the community.

His internship began after he did economic, reconstruction and humanitarian work as part of the U.S. Army in Iraq; he then returned to complete his education at SCSU. During his final semester at SCSU, Soto worked with the Livable City Initiative as an intern, jumping into the role of neighborhood specialist. After his experiences with helping communities abroad, Soto said, “I wanted to come home and do it here.”

Back to School

Most students rarely want to return to high school, but Kathy Peirce, a Central Connecticut State University (CCSU) graduate student did and is enjoying every minute of it.

Peirce, who is earning a master’s degree in school counseling, will graduate from CCSU this spring witha 10-month internship experience at East Lyme High School where she graduated in 2003, and hopes towork with high school students after graduation.

After finding this internship, Peirce asked Michelle Dean, her former high school guidance counselor, if she would take her on as an intern— and she did. Peirce works in the Guidance Department where she creates student schedules and oversees students.

“I had a great connection with my school counselor, who is actually my internship supervisor,” said Peirce. She credits Dean, her colleagues, parents, boyfriend and friends for their support and has gained much confidence in her field.

Peirce assists Dean with Senate meetings, presentations, student support and student-teacher meetings. She has taught three classes in the Freshman Academy and presented a program called Naviance to students who were learning it for the first time.

Peirce also works with students after school at the Lighthouse Voc-Ed Center, participates in the “Girls Group” for girls with disabilities and “Fridays Friends” for students with Asperger’s Syndrome. She would like to implement “Rachel’s Challenge,” a program for the prevention of teen violence.

Paying It Forward

Tony Cirone began his journey on becoming a Certified Public Accountant while at Western Connecticut State University (WCSU) and is paying it forward by sharing his experience with a new generation of students.

Cirone put himself through school and worked four years at a Danbury accounting firm while earning his bachelor’s degree at the Ancell School of Business in 1988. After graduation, he went to a larger firm and then came back to the Danbury firm and bought it.

That firm has grown since he and fellow CPA Joseph Equale formed Equale & Cirone LLP in Danbury in 1999. His partnership with Equale and Derek DeLeo now employs 20 at offices in Danbury and Wilton.

Cirone’s firm also works closely with the WCSU Career Development Center to recruit WSCU students for internship and co-op positions. The Equale & Cirone internship program introduces students to the fundamentals of bookkeeping, payroll and tax preparation.

Cirone also participates in the annual WCSU Accounting Association forum that provides students with information and advice from professionals in accounting, business and government.

As a member of the Ancell School of Business Advisory Board, Cirone has encouraged local businesses to get involved in WCSU’s co-op program.

Equale & Cirone also introduced an annual recruitment program with the CDC to interview student applicants on campus for full-time employment after graduation. “We have five WCSU grads on the team right now,” said Cirone. “Western has been very good to me, and it’s good to give students experience in the field they enjoy.”