CU-Bloomsburg Prepares Students for Their Professional Climb at Career Intensive Bootcamp

Commonwealth University students participated in an intense professional development program this fall at the Greenly Center in downtown Bloomsburg.  

During the three-day Career Intensive Boot Camp (CIBC), students strengthened their professional skillset through team building and personal branding exercises, alumni panels, and employer presentations, as well as a networking lunch and etiquette dinner. Topics included everything from navigating career paths and money management to student loan repayment and job searching. 

Students also had the opportunity to have their resumes reviewed and practice their interviews, as well as become comfortable with professional networking.

“Transitioning from being a student to a professional is especially challenging through the many adjustments and sudden shifts during COVID”, explained Wren Fritsky, Director of Career & Professional Development at Bloomsburg University. “Online classes, canceled internships, and other missed opportunities to connect with faculty, alumni, and employers have been a challenge, and we wanted to help the students get some of that back.” 

Participants included:
 

• Chaitanya Choudhary, a  business administration/finance major from CU-Bloomsburg
• Benjamin Consigli, a  business administration/finance major CU-Bloomsburg
• Rebecca Cykosky, a mathematics major from CU-Bloomsburg
• Elizabeth Diehl, a mathematics major from CU-Bloomsburg
• Ethan Gasper, a business administration/marketing major from CU-Bloomsburg
• Henry Gonzalez Jr., a digital forensics and cybersecurity major from CU-Bloomsburg
• Vivian Hopkins, a business administration/accounting major from CU-Mansfield
• Lenna Kidd, an English major from CU-Bloomsburg
• Oleh Krupko, a computer information systems/computer science major from CU-Mansfield
• Alexander Lehigh, an environmental, geography, and geological sciences major from CU-Bloomsburg
• Estrella Mendoza, a mathematics major from CU-Bloomsburg
• Andy Molina, a business administration/marketing major from CU-Bloomsburg
• William Shader, an interdisciplinary studies major from CU-Lock Haven
• Kristen Southwick, a business administration/marketing major from CU-Bloomsburg
• Emma Zellers, a business administration/management major from CU-Bloomsburg
• Sheila Zhu, a music major from CU-Mansfield

Bloomsburg alumni and organizational partners volunteered during the event to serve as mock interviewers, resume reviewers, panelists, and presenters. Some of the volunteers included:

• Laura Bruaw ’19, Intermediate IT Product Analyst, PPL Utilities
• Hakeem Thomas ’17, Information Security Project Manager, Celerity
• Keara Klose ’14, Social Media Manager, TTEC Digital
• Billy Stump ’13, Sr. H.R. Business Professional, Bechtel Corporation 
• Ed Brouse ’91, Senior VP, Air Methods
• Jennifer Daddario ’89, Regional Vice President, Service 1st Credit Union 
• Pam Halstead ’84, Risk Analysis Manager, Bank of America
• Nick Hoffman ’16, Manager of Manufacturing, Crayola
• Josh Sonntag ’14, Geospatial Data Engineer, Comcast
• Katie Turner ’19, Assistant DA, Center County.

Nearly 600 Bloomsburg University students have participated in the CIBC since it was piloted by the Bloomsburg Department of Alumni and Professional Engagement in 2016.