Alumni Personal & Career Development Center

Hey Deacs, just a friendly update that we won’t be in this online space next week, June 16-20. Hopefully like all of you, our team members are stepping away for vacation and time away from work to unplug and recharge! 🏖️

While we won’t be posting on or checking Instagram, you can always reach out to our team for career support – whether that be a quick question or request for a coaching appointment – on our website. Visit the link in our bio to get connected with us.

Happy summer! ☀️

https://alumni.opcd.wfu.edu/connect-with-a-career-coach/ …

🎩NEW DEACON SPOTLIGHT🎩

According to Wake Forest alumna Maura Connolly (‘14), her career path has been “one step, one job, one connection at a time.” She graduated with a degree in Psychology and a minor in Journalism, and developed an interest in community service programs while being involved in APO (Alpha Phi Omega) community service fraternity. She began her career post-college in the AmeriCorps program and now works as Project Manager at The Energy Coalition. Check out Maura’s full Deacon Spotlight story to learn more about the trajectory of her career path in sustainability!

Here are some fun facts about Maura:

🏹 When she was at Wake, she was part of the fencing club and the archery club.

📖 She did work study at the WFU Press and met several Irish poets.

🏃🏼‍♀️Maura has run marathons in three different states (soon to be 4, in October!). Plus, she’s won several social league soccer championships.

We’ll leave you with some advice from Maura on the importance of skill development to get where you want to go next in your career:
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“Work on your transferable skills! Think about what kinds of tasks you would want to do on a day-to-day basis, and apply for any jobs, internships and/or volunteer opportunities that involve those skills. Every organization expects to train new hires in the specifics of their sector/organization; being good at the basics will help get your foot in the door, regardless of your education or professional background.”

Read more of our Q&A with Maura at the link in our profile or stories! Plus, you can always check out our past alumni spotlights in the “Deacon Spotlight” highlight reel in our profile.

https://alumni.opcd.wfu.edu/deacon-spotlight/deacon-spotlight-maura-connolly/ …

🎩NEW DEACON SPOTLIGHT🎩

While at Wake Forest, David Willhoit (‘03) studied French and Psychology as well as co-founded Wake Works, which staffed students for events at various venues. Following graduation, he landed his first full-time role in the operations management program at McMaster-Carr. Little did he know that 20+ years later, he’d be leading multiple event marketing and operations teams supporting J.P. Morgan’s Commercial & Investment Banking business across the globe. David’s story proves that the world of finance isn’t just limited to professionals in banking, sales, or research.

Here are some fun facts about David:

🌍 He’s travelled to and spent time in 43 countries (so far).

📥 David was the co-founder of Wake Works, which staffed over 100 Wake students for events jobs at Adam’s Mark and Graylyn.

🖼️ He’s an avid art collector, chef and has a passion for interior design (follow his Instagram account @willhoitdesign!).

We’ll leave you with some advice from David on the importance of a strong work ethic for getting ahead in your career:
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“When I speak to folks about my journey, I always encourage them to get stuck into their roles, become the expert at what they do and build their personal brand so they are the one people want to champion for opportunity – luck or happenstance can land you a role, but hard work and impact are what land you a promotion.”

Read more of our Q&A with David at the link in our profile or stories! Plus, you can always check out our past alumni spotlights in the “Deacon Spotlight” highlight reel in our profile.

https://alumni.opcd.wfu.edu/deacon-spotlight/deacon-spotlight-david-willhoit/ …

Calling all NYC Deacs! Whether you’re hoping to build your network professionally or just take a few minutes to meet someone new, sign up for these 1:1 alumni conversations to get connected with a fellow Deac who lives in New York City!

Here’s how it works:

📆 Register by the end of the day on Wednesday, June 4th.

🤝 Our team will match alumni for 1:1 conversations.

📧 On Friday, June 6th, we’ll connect each conversation pair with a short introductory email.

☕️ Each conversation pair will work to find a time to meet that works for you both. It’s that easy.

Plan to chat for 30-minutes, maybe over coffee or a quick bite to eat! 💥Please note that this is an alumni-only event (i.e. no students or non-NYC alumni).💥

https://wakenetwork.wfu.edu/events/online-nyc-coffee-chat-with-alumni-06-04-2025-0012047 …

🎩NEW DEACON SPOTLIGHT🎩

Prior to the pandemic, Wake alumna Johanna Beach Lyle (‘15) was working as an editor and producer for a video production company. After starting some DIY home design projects and sharing them on Instagram, she began to explore a career in design and eventually made the pivot into a design assistant role with a firm in Chicago! Currently, Johanna is an interior designer and owner of her company Jo Lyle & Co., working with clients in Raleigh, Chicago, and Boston and virtual clients nationwide.

Here are some fun facts about Johanna:

🎭At Wake, she received a seed grant through the entrepreneurship program for a two-woman puppet show that she toured with her sister, performing in people’s homes, after graduation.

🇬🇧 When Johanna was 25, she spent a week in London taking a course on making miniatures.

🧩 Lately, she’s been starting every day with at least four NYTimes puzzles. Wordle and The Mini crossword are her favs.

We’ll leave you with some advice from Johanna about making a career pivot:
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“Don’t be afraid to take a left turn. I danced around a lot of creative careers in my twenties until I found the right lane. I had to start over at the bottom at 28 and it was very humbling. I was the girl getting the coffees again. I was the newbie and it was hard, but ultimately, it was a short amount of painful transition time that has led to a very fulfilling career.”

Read more of our Q&A with Johanna at the link in our profile or stories! Plus, you can always check out our past alumni spotlights in the “Deacon Spotlight” highlight reel in our profile.

https://alumni.opcd.wfu.edu/deacon-spotlight/deacon-spotlight-johanna-beach-lyle/ …