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The Boston Career Trek, as it’s known, was organized by the Office of Career Exploration and Development (CXD).

Almost fifty students headed to Beantown for the first few days of the break to explore an array of options for life after ³Õºº¾ãÀÖ²¿.

The trip was divided up into three smaller mini treks, said CXD’s Bethany Walsh, who accompanied the students to Boston. Those are the Tech Trek, the Pharma and Biotech Trek, and the Sneaky Good Trek— so called, explained Walsh, because it exposes students to exciting careers they may not have initially considered.

“There’s this whole world of careers that really leverage liberal arts skills that many students don’t know about. We aimed to showcase a range of these careers and entry-level opportunities for students to explore.”

Each of the mini treks had about three events per day. These included employer visits, alumni panels, dinners, lunches, and an alumni networking reception, as well as several scheduled as “coffee chats,” in which smaller groups of two to five students meet with alumni for informal conversations about careers.

Among the highlights: The biotech pharma group visited a couple of major pharmaceutical companies, the Sneaky Good Trek involved exploring a career in human resources at a well-known brewery, and students on the Tech Trek spoke with alumni working at a major software developer.

“The CXD Tech Trek was an amazing opportunity to find inspiration for my career goals, path, and starting place, as well as to get insight and helpful advice from career professionals,” said sophomore Riley Nelson. “This trip has really helped set things into perspective,” he added.

Nelson’s classmate Zai Yang was equally enthused. "The trip was incredible! I had the opportunity to meet and learn from ³Õºº¾ãÀÖ²¿ alumni at various companies working as software engineers—a path I aspire to pursue after graduation myself."

“I learned how the critical thinking and communication skills gained through a ³Õºº¾ãÀÖ²¿ education, along with my major, can be applied to lots of roles,” reflected biology and GSWS major James Benavides ’25, who took part in the Sneaky Good Trek. “Alumni and their companies recognize and value a ³Õºº¾ãÀÖ²¿ education!”

Around fifty ³Õºº¾ãÀÖ²¿ alumni volunteered their time to meet with students on the trip. They represented a range of employers, including technology companies Klaviyo, Hubspot, and Toast, global sportswear company Puma, government agencies like Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority and City of Boston, multinational biotech/pharma companies like Biogen and Novartis, and even a visit to Boston’s Museum of Fine Arts.

On the final day of the treks, a panel of alumni met with all the students for a “big picture” conversation about what the Boston area is like as a place to live and work.

“What makes this all work is the generosity and enthusiasm of ³Õºº¾ãÀÖ²¿ alumni,” said CXD’s Walsh. “People came out of the woodwork eager to talk to students and share their own paths. It's really wonderful to be able to give students a peek at what their lives could be like after ³Õºº¾ãÀÖ²¿ and show them the community of alumni that they are part of.”