Leadership Institute Hosts Annual Buccino Panel Discussion With Institute Alumni

On Friday, April 4, the Buccino Leadership Institute (BLI) hosted their annual Buccino Guest Speaker event, this year featuring a panel of five graduates of the Buccino Leadership Institute who discussed the impact of their time in the Institute on their career journeys and shared career advice for students transitioning to the workforce after graduation. This panel was cohosted by the Institute’s Collab Student Initiative and emceed by BLI Student Council President, Sydney Cowhig, a Psychology student in the class of 2027.

The five panelists included Aidan Kelly – a 2024 business graduate, who is an Analyst with Goldman Sachs Asset Management XIG; Mason Walszak – a class of ’24 Nursing graduate, who is an Emergency Room Nurse at RWJBH/Somerset; Wesley Kopituk – a 2021 Diplomacy graduate, who is a Talent Acquisition Specialist with TAQA Group in Abu Dhabi; Audrey Pennington – a 2022 Communications graduate, who is a Senior Post Support Technician at NBCUniversal; and Lauren Aranguren – a 2009 Business graduate, who is a Deputy Attorney General, NJ Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor.

The panelists spoke at length about their experiences in the Buccino Leadership Institute, and how the Institute helped in their leadership development and career readiness. Some key questions directed at the panelists included “Connect the dots between your work as a leadership student and how that has prepared you for the career that you are in?”; “What advice would you give to current students who are struggling to get their foot in the door of competitive industries?”; and “How has your leadership experience set you apart from other candidates and colleagues that didn’t undergo the unique program you did?”

Each panelist shared their own unique leadership journey, and while their experiences varied greatly, their lessons learned, regardless of their college or major, were applicable to all. The panelists emphasized skills they learned in the Institute that have been impactful in their careers, including adaptability, communication and public speaking skills, interpersonal relationships and networking, confidence, learning one’s leadership style, time management skills and more. But their specific experiences in the context of their individual majors and fields of study resonated differently with each member of the audience. This diversity of panelists and their experiences spoke to each and every individual of the audience, while also highlighting that idea that leadership can be interdisciplinary.

The panel shared the Institute programs that have been most impactful in their professional lives, including the one-on-one professional leadership enhancement coaching program with ICF certified coaches, the DISC assessment that describes individual’s communication and behavioral styles and how to interact with people of different styles, the Ideas and Trends project which allows students to navigate uncertainty and adaptability and the mentoring they received by peers, staff and professionals.

The panel was followed by an informal networking session, where students and panelists were able to connect and talk about some of the lessons and insights learned from the panel. This panel was an enormous success and gave students lessons they could carry with them as they continued their journeys in the Institute.

The Buccino Leadership Institute website is a selective and comprehensive four-year co-curricular program for undergraduate students at Seton Hall University. Anchored in experiential learning theory, the Buccino Leadership Institute delivers comprehensive, interdisciplinary leadership development that enables leaders to accelerate in any field they choose.

Categories: Business, Campus Life