Ella Kitchens, Asst. News Editor–
A Midwestern hub of arts, culture, and booming businesses, Chicago is an ideal setting for discovering the professional opportunities available after graduation.
The Global Commerce department made the most of this promising destination over fall break, bringing students and faculty to Chicago. Students left campus on Oct. 16 and returned on Oct. 20. Participants were able to explore potential career paths and meet with Denison alumni.
The trip was created and planned by Jane Palmer, associate director for the global commerce programs, and put into action with the help of Dr. Oksana Grabova and Dr. Julie Mujic, assistant professors of global commerce.
“Our alumni pursue such a wide range of careers,” said Grabova. “We want our students to see firsthand how the skills they develop in our department can be applied in the real world.”
The group first visited JPMorgan Chase, a multinational finance company with over 14,000 employees in the Chicago area. The visit was hosted by alumni Ariela Katz ’22, a commercial & investment banking strategy analyst. It also featured three other alumni: Emily Sonneborn ‘19, an acquisition associate, Gabriele Mickus ‘18, a software engineer, and John Stoll ‘05, a managing director.
“The meeting was career focused,” said Keesha Joseph, a junior double majoring in global commerce and psychology with a minor in creative writing. “It was interesting to see JPMorgan in Chicago versus what I’ve experienced in Columbus and New York.”
The group then visited two other large companies: Morningstar, a financial services firm headquartered in Chicago, and Edelman, a global PR company. At Morningstar they met with two alumni, Ethan Horgan ‘22, a team lead, and Max Curtin ‘21, a manager. The Edelman visit was hosted by Julia Miller ‘19, an account supervisor.
The group also visited a smaller nonprofit organization, the Simmons Center for Global Chicago. The Simmons Center works to build international connections for nonprofit groups in Chicago. Denison alumni Fabiola Avila ‘22 is the community manager at the Simmons Center.
“The Simmons Center is more mission driven,” said Joseph. “JPMorgan also does a lot of work with small businesses and whatnot, but as a nonprofit group, the Simmons Center is able to go more into depth about their mission statement.”
The group also had a lunch and a networking event with alumni who work at corporations including GroupM, Metrosquash and McMaster-Carr. In addition to the career focused opportunities, there was time to explore Chicago, with students attending The Second City Theater’s 48th Revue Live Sketch Comedy Show and a Chicago Blackhawks hockey game.
“We had several goals in mind, and I believe we achieved them,” said Grabova. “We also wanted to give our students a chance to explore Chicago. Many of them aspire to work there someday, and it’s where a significant number of our alumni are based.”
While other schools have international business programs, the global commerce major is unique to Denison.
“With the way the degree is set up, we’re getting the hard skills, but it’s mostly the soft skills that help us think for ourselves,” said Joseph. “We can really adjust no matter where we go.”
“We give them all kinds of ways to learn those technical skills along the way. But really what’s important to us is that they come into post-graduation career with an understanding of how the world works and an understanding of how any business that they join fits into that world,” said Dr. Julie Mujic, assistant professor of global commerce.
A global commerce degree can prepare students for a large variety of careers. While it started in 2016, the program is still adapting and changing.
“I think the global commerce major will always keep its core mission at its heart,” said Mujic. “But it is really good to have a major that can also be a little flexible and responsive as our alumni become an important sort of feedback loop for us.”
The trip to Chicago allowed students to better understand how a career in global commerce could unfold. The trip emphasized the flexibility and variability a global commerce degree can have in the current job market.
“We learned that things can change at any time,” said Joseph. “Businesses will always be there, and if you feel like you need to switch things up, then you can.”
