Bottom Line

Worcester State University, Class of 2017

Andrew came to Bottom Line as a high school junior and stayed with us through college.

“The Access program was really helpful in keeping me on track with the application process. I appreciated that my advisor guided me and didn’t tell me what to do.”

As a Success student with Bottom Line, Andrew appreciated the opportunities we provided him for career exploration. “My advisors pushed me and recommended that I attend various events that Bottom Line hosted. Attending the different events helped me figure out what I might be interested in and where I might see myself in the future.”

After graduating from Worcester State with a degree in Business Administration and Economics, Andrew joined State Street Global Advisors. He found the opportunity at Bottom Line Go Far Forum. He connected with a representative at the career fair portion of the eventand got an internship. That internship turned into a full-time position.

At State Street, Andrew learned about what it means to be a professional and how to lead and manage projects. He learned how to work cross-functionally to come up with solutions to improve processes and systems.

Ultimately, though, State Street restructured, and his position was impacted. This allowed him to evaluate what he learned about his role at State Street and how it aligned with his career goals and aspirations.

Andrew is now working at CVS Health as a Senior Strategy Consultant in Product Development and loves it. His team is working on a new product to improve the patient experience. His team has taken the new product from just a very manual process to building out the right operational infrastructure to support the growth of the service, and it has been thrilling. It’s been exhilarating to see the product grow and evolve, and also to see CVS Health is positioning itself in the future of healthcare.

“I’m still figuring out what I want to do when I grow up, but this experience has shown me I want to stay in the realm of product development and entrepreneurship. I am essentially learning how to grow a business and maybe one day I might start my own business.”

Andrew is considering the possibility of going back to grad school at some point in the future.

“Pursuing a college education has really prepared me to enter the workforce and give me a better understanding of what I want to do in life.  A college education allowed me to take part in experiential learning opportunities, such as studying abroad and internships. It’s given me a choice.”

Baruch College, Class of 2020

Shaffiou is a senior at Baruch College who has been in Bottom Line’s program since his first year of college. Shaffiou is an economics major who hopes to pursue a career in finance and – eventually – politics.

He says that his Bottom Line advisors have helped him significantly throughout his time in college, particularly in terms of managing his time, doing well in his classes, and finding internship and job opportunities to pursue.

“Because of my experience with Bottom Line, I have a strong foundation and I am ahead of the game.  And I am just one of the thousands of students they coach, mentor and support.”

His college experience has certainly been a busy one. Shaffiou has held multiple internships and leadership roles. He has also been honored recently as a Forbes Under 30 scholar, signifying his strong record of achievement in academics/leadership/etc., and he has been invited to attend the Cox-State Department Diplomacy Seminar, at which he will explore possible careers in politics and diplomacy.

His internship as a financial analyst with Prudential offered him exciting opportunities to stretch himself professionally – he was tasked with re-working one of the systems Prudential Capital Group (PCG) uses for financial modeling, and though he found the job challenging, and did not know how to approach it at first, he persevered and came up with a new system that the company is now using. He gained significant new critical thinking and data analysis skills through the experience and is already planning to return to Prudential for a follow-up internship next summer.

Shaffiou also attended the Summer Venture in Management Program this past summer, designed to give students from communities who are underrepresented at Harvard a crash course in the type of work done at their business school. Shaffiou spent a week engaging with other students on how to solve complicated problems in project management, strategic planning, etc. He gained a great deal from the experience and is currently weighing his options for applying to Harvard Business School directly out of undergrad.

University of Illinois at Chicago, Class of 2022

As early as elementary school, Alicia’s classmates were pulled into dangerous lifestyles that offered little hope for positive futures. Alicia didn’t want that for herself, and she doesn’t want that for the generations coming after her. “That was the catalyst in me wanting to be involved in criminal justice.”

Alicia is currently a sophomore at the University of Illinois at Chicago and is working toward a degree in criminology with a minor in public policy and psychology.

Ultimately, Alicia would like to be a change-maker in her community – supporting Chicago by helping to keep children out of the correctional system, and by offering guidance and opportunities to those who already are.

Her work in this area is impressive. She currently visits her previous elementary school and works with students through band practice and writing exercises. She believes in using the arts to help teach children motivation, as well as how to set and achieve goals. This mentorship is one of her own creation. Alicia reached out to her old band teacher to ask if there were any opportunities to work with the students – so the school invited to visit when she can, based on her own schedule. “I know what my peers were up against at their age, and I just want to help keep them on the right road.”

Alicia joined Bottom Line as a Success student at the recommendation of her friend, who had gone through the Access program.

While Alicia knows what problem she wants to solve with her career, she’s still exploring the best way to do that. Her advisor has played a significant role in that. She challenges Alicia to be creative and think of all the different avenues she could take to make a change, and what she’d have to do to excel in those different avenues.

“I’m looking at all the different ways I can attack this problem and see which way my skill set and interests can best fit in.”

So far, that line of thinking has helped Alicia into two very different, and eye-opening, internships. With help from her advisor, Alicia has interned with the City Clerk’s office and is currently interning with the Department of Corrections.

At the City Clerk’s office, Alicia was able to see how she could effect change from an institutional standpoint. And, now, she is learning how to make a change on the ground, with individuals already in the system.

Alicia interviews juveniles coming out of Cook County Department of Corrections to see which services they are eligible for upon release. Depending on their eligibility, she then works with them to help get that ball rolling, so they have a plan in place when they are released.

“It’s tough to prepare yourself when you’re going into one of the biggest DOCs in the state, but I’m more motivated than ever. Not only am I learning about prevention, but I’m learning about what happens when crime prevention isn’t there or doesn’t work and what that means for the individuals who are affected.”

This internship lasts for the entire academic year, and she is very excited to learn more and gain more perspective.

“I am looking forward to simply being able to work with people in that environment. It is difficult working in the jail because you see things that not everyone talks about, and I am interested in becoming more aware of what goes on inside the jail. While I am working for a research project, I want to make sure I see these gentlemen as more than just a number or statistic in our research.”

Bottom Line has helped Alicia gain access to these opportunities – by sharing the opportunities, supporting Alicia as she fills out applications, and helping her with the interviewing process.

“The most important thing my advisors have given me is their support. They’ve always been so enthusiastic about exploring opportunities. They’ve been cheerleaders for me.”

For Alicia, a college degree is giving her the freedom to explore her interests and honor her family. “This isn’t just for me, but to thank my family for all they’ve given up for me. Leaving your home and all you know to give your children a better chance is one of the most selfless things you can do. I owe my parents my success.”

“I choose Bottom Line because they make it happen. They practice what they preach – you can see it. They tell you they can help, and they do it, and they’re honest. They make things work with very little. It’s an organization that backs up what they say, and I’m thrilled to be a part of that.”

Rich Pierre joined Bottom Line when he was a teenager attending Boston Latin Academy.

Going into senior year, I was mainly focused on athletics — football and basketball. Sports were my passion, and I didn’t consider college until a BLA classmate mentioned that she knew someone who had worked with Bottom Line and had positive results. I explored Bottom Line because of her suggestion, and it was the best decision I’ve ever made.

At Bottom Line, I found a vibrant community of advisors, peers, and mentors who all wanted me to find success. While my parents were invested in seeing me do well, going to college had never been pushed very much. It was at Bottom Line that I realized the importance of a college degree, and what that could mean for my future.

My advisor, Sarah Place, was the catalyst to encourage me to look at some schools. Sarah was willing to work around my busy athletics schedule and made sure I had no excuses as I weighed my options.

“Rich struggled with finding the time to work on applications during the fall. He was playing on his high school’s football team, so he had practice almost every day and even had games on Saturdays, so it was difficult to meet in person. We did some work by phone and email and then when football season was over he came in almost every week for six weeks until he finished all his applications,” said Place.

Sarah’s motivational phone calls helped alleviate my concerns and kept me accountable. Her patience helped draw my college essay out of me – teaching me how to express myself. Her mentorship and guidance through all aspects of the application process allowed me to apply feeling confident.

When he got his acceptance letters and financial aid awards, he concluded that he wanted to go to Bentley, but the cost was a little restrictive. His parents wanted him to consider UMass Lowell because he would have had almost a $0 balance, but he was determined to make Bentley work.

“He applied to dozens of scholarships. Fortunately, that year Bottom Line was managing a scholarship through the Hayden Foundation, and we nominated him for a $4,000 scholarship which made Bentley possible for him to afford. He never lost sight of his goals, and his determination paid off,” said Place.

Rich continued working with Bottom Line throughout his college journey.

The mentorship and guidance I found from my advisors were integral. I knew that Bottom Line would always have my back. One of the supports that stuck out most was the open phone line that Bottom Line had. I could call the office, and talk to someone – anyone – and they were willing and ready to answer my questions.

Bottom Line also supported me as I applied for a scholarship to study abroad in Barcelona, a life-changing experience. I hadn’t traveled over the Atlantic ocean at that point, but the challenge I found as I learned about new cultures and people took me out of my comfort zone and taught me that I could push myself further than I had ever known.

While in college Bottom Line helped Rich work in five different internships – giving him valuable career experience that he could use to his benefit upon graduation. Rich worked in a few different roles right out of college, and his career path led him to attend grad school at Bentley. He now works for PAREXEL International as a Senior Analyst.

When I was younger, I thought I was going to be in the NFL or NBA. In the neighborhood I grew up in, you’re taught that athletics or rapping were the way to get out. Bottom Line smacked me in the face with reality. This may not be the career path I expected, but I am grateful for where I am today.

Rich continued to choose Bottom Line after he graduated, becoming a Go Far volunteer, a Board of Visitors member, and now a Regional Board member. 

I continue to choose Bottom Line to this day because I want to show students and future board members that the Bottom Line model works. Sometimes students don’t want to listen to their advisors, but I hope that sharing my story will motivate students to find the same success I have. Bottom Line has confidently gotten me to achieve what they told me I would. It’s not a lie. I want to share that story.

I choose Bottom Line because they make it happen. They practice what they preach – you can see it. They tell you they can help, and they do it, and they’re honest. They make things work with very little. It’s an organization that backs up what they say, and I’m thrilled to be a part of that.

by Justin Strasburger and Steve Colón

The Boston Globe’s special report, The Valedictorians Project, brings light to an important issue across the nation. As a community, we’re failing to support students in high school on the path to pursue a college degree and a fulfilling career. We have a personal connection to The Valedictorians Project through the 26 Bottom Line students among the 113 valedictorians profiled. Of those 26 students, 24 have earned a Bachelor’s degree. One works for us today.

The education system in the U.S. has remained largely unchanged for nearly a century. Working hard STILL doesn’t predict success for all students. Students are left behind based on their race, their experience with poverty, and/or their family’s educational history. The broken pathway between high school, college, and career is the challenge Bottom Line has been addressing for years through one-to-one coaching. We believe deeply in the potential of these students and the life-changing impact of a bachelor’s degree.

While focusing on top students underscores the issue in our community, we must view these stories as a window into the experience of a larger group of students with equal potential and realize the opportunity for our community when we invest in talent. We must commit to our students that we will arm them with the skills, support, and access to networks that are proven to drive success in both college and career, but have been inaccessible for too many students simply because of their backgrounds.

A degree is an essential credential to fuel social and economic mobility, but students also need to be able to use their degree to launch their careers. Over two-thirds of college graduates struggle to start their careers and for those who find jobs, the overwhelming majority (85 percent) land jobs through connections. Research indicates that the first job (or first destination) is critical – those who start in a job for which they are overqualified are five times more likely to remain underemployed after five years.

Though we’re embarking on new work, we’ve seen the impact of what happens when we set our expectations high. Over the last two decades, the Lewis Family Foundation in Massachusetts helped us grow to serve more students in the most under-served areas of Boston. They’ve challenged us and other grantees – as well as the corporate community – to be accountable to our student outcomes in the job market, with success. Their most recent report shows they exceeded their 2018 jobs goal, demonstrating the importance of issuing an ambitious vision for students. There is no reason we can’t replicate this in New York, Chicago, and other cities across the country.

Lasting change requires the collective effort of a community united by a common purpose. At the end of the day, no one finds success without support. It is up to all of us as a community to provide support and guide students to it for our communities and industries to thrive. This year as students across our cities walk across the stage to receive their diplomas, let’s work together to ensure that each and every one of them has access to resources that help them achieve success as they navigate their future.

Alcoa executives and Bottom Line students who attended the career event

Every year, January turns into “career month” for our college students at Bottom Line – New York. This month, there were a variety of career events for our nearly 800 college students to attend while they were home on break. In addition to the Go Far Forum, our signature career readiness event that is held annually, we offered a number of smaller career events at the offices of our corporate partners.

One of those events took place at Alcoa, a global leader in lightweight metals technology, engineering and manufacturing. Alcoa CFO Bill Oplinger, a Bottom Line – New York Board member, kicked off the event by reminding students that “where you start won’t be where you end up,” encouraging students to consider jobs that they might not originally have thought about and to stretch themselves professionally – a theme that his colleagues echoed throughout the day.

To learn more about one student’s impressions and takeaways, read Bottom Line student Shaquille Bent’s account of the day and how he plans to apply what he learned at the Alcoa career event going forward.

Name:  Shaquille Bent

College: SUNY Buffalo State

College Year: Senior

You’ve been to a few career events with Bottom Line now – how did this one compare to past ones you’ve attended?

This one with Alcoa was extraordinary. In a way, it was more hands-on because we got to interact one-on-one with senior executives at Alcoa from very different departments and hear about their career path. It was unique because I got personal feedback on things that I did well and things that I can improve on during that one-on-one career coaching.

Shaq receiving one-on-one career coaching from one of our Alcoa volunteers

What were some of your favorite parts of the career event at Alcoa?

I did research before the event because I had not previously heard of Alcoa. So, it was great to learn more about a company that I didn’t know about before. I really enjoyed hearing about people’s career paths, and I learned that what you study in college does not necessarily determine what type of job you get. My favorite part was the one-on-one conversation with Guru (an Alcoa employee), because he had a similar career path to the one I want. He studied mechanical engineering; I’m studying industrial technology. He also has a MBA, and I’m interested in obtaining one too.

What was the most intimidating or most challenging part of the event for you?

I don’t feel like there was a really intimidating part because Bottom Line has helped me really prepare for events like these. If I were still a freshman, I probably would have been much shyer and not known how to interact with everyone. I definitely wanted to make a good impression on the Alcoa executives, though!

What were some of your key takeaways?

First, I remember Sue (another volunteer from Alcoa) saying how important it was to “make sure you stretch yourself and go after all opportunities.” Guru said the same thing – to look into opportunities outside of the state where you live, to be flexible, to take risks, and do things out of the ordinary. All of the Alcoa employees that we met with have achieved professional success; they inspired me to want the same for myself.

Second, Daniel from Alcoa said that you need to find mentors and keep relationships alive. That was really important for me too. I feel like I’ve started to do that, but I’ve struggled with how to keep the relationship alive. They gave us some specific examples for what to do, like sending an email every now and then just to check in, so that you can build “a repository of advocates” as Daniel said.

What types of careers are you considering, and how did this event help you prepare for them?

I’m thinking long-term about becoming a project director or project manager. Right out of college, I think I want to be an analyst somewhere and gain experience in the business world. I can then interact with professionals as well as other project managers and learn from them. Down the line, I also want an MBA.

This event helped me prepare for that by learning about other successful business professionals’ career paths. They shared their stories about how they got to where they are. They all had very different paths, so I realized that you have to be open to all opportunities because you never know where they might lead.

Any advice for students who are graduating from college soon and starting to make plans for their careers?

One thing that I’ve learned throughout my college career is that you have to network. Networking can open up a whole range of opportunities that you never thought existed.

You also have to find mentors and keep the relationship alive. You can learn a lot from mentors because they have lots of experience and the knowledge that they share with you can help you find a career.

This year, Bottom Line-New York placed 50 of our college students in summer internships at a variety of corporate and non-profit partners. Internships provide a unique opportunity for our students to develop professional skills and build their professional networks. All of the internships were paid or subsidized by generous funders. We’re so grateful to each of the companies and organizations that made this possible, including: BRIC, Children’s Law Center, Citizen Schools, The Committee for Hispanic Children and Families, Community Voices Heard, Hot Bread Kitchen, iMentor, The Innocence Project, The Jed Foundation, The Jewish Museum, JUMA Ventures, Methodist Hospital, New Teacher Center, Partnership for After School Education (PASE), People.Co, Safe Horizon, Sapient, Start Elevator, and Viacom.

Below, Kassandra Rosales, a rising third-year student at SUNY Albany, explains what she did this summer and what she learned from her time at Sapient, one of Bottom Line’s corporate partners.

Kassandra Rosales interned at Sapient, one of Bottom Line’s corporate partners.

Name:  Kassandra Rosales

College: SUNY Albany

College Year: Third

Tell us about Sapient and what you worked on there this summer:

Sapient is a consulting firm that works with other companies like tech companies, retail companies, car companies, banks, etc. They help them develop strategies in order to improve their company’s performance – now or 5 years from now.

For my first project, I worked on the finance team. I was inputting data from media plans, contracts and invoices into “wrap-up sheets” for Sapient’s clients. This allowed Sapient to keep track of how much they were paid and how much they spent for each client. If Sapient used less than the amount in the contract, the company could decide if they wanted that balance back or to use it for another project.

For my second project, I worked in the talent department. I used their talent databases to input information about each candidate and feedback from any interviews. I also did research to find recruiting agencies that focused on the specific careers that Sapient was looking to hire for.

What were the 2-3 skills that were most important for your work this summer?

First, I needed communication skills. There were a lot of things that were new to me so I had to communicate with my supervisor if I didn’t understand something or wanted to be sure that I was doing the work correctly. We had meetings every few days to check in on my progress.

Second, I became a lot more familiar with Excel. Most of my work was done on Excel, and I didn’t have a lot of experience with it before this internship.

Third, I needed researching skills. I learned a lot about where to look, the importance of knowing what specifically I’m looking for, and how to pull out key information when doing research.

What was the best part of your time at Sapient? Biggest challenge you faced?

I really enjoyed the finance work and meeting the employees at Sapient. There were all really nice and I loved hearing about how they got to where they are. For instance, maybe they majored in something totally different than what they do at Sapient. I also enjoyed being in a corporate environment because I’ve worked in schools and non-profits before.

My biggest challenge was a specific assignment – the research project. I hadn’t done a lot of research prior to this job and wanted to make sure that I was completing the project correctly. I spoke with Angela, my manager, before I started the work and she helped me break it down and set up a spreadsheet to organize the information that I was finding. Then I would check-in a few times during the project to make sure I was on the right track. Another Bottom Line intern was doing similar work, so I was able to talk to her as well.

If you could do it all over again, what would you do differently?

I would spend more time getting to know people on different teams at Sapient and learn more about what they do. I feel like I didn’t network as much as I wanted to and so I’d do that more next time around.

Any advice for students who are starting to think about internships for next summer?

Definitely do research on the companies that you would like to intern for, talk to peers who might know more about the companies, and practice your communication and Excel skills now. And, when you’re looking into jobs, be open-minded and flexible.

This month Bottom Line – MA hosted Go Far Forum events in Boston and Worcester. More than 300 college students and graduates from Boston and 200 local professionals gathered at the Westin Copley Place Hotel to participate in Bottom Line’s sixth annual Go Far Forum on January 9^th. Lead event sponsors of the Boston Go Far Forum were Blue Cross Blue Shield of Massachusetts, Boston Children’s Hospital, iRobot, Liberty Mutual, and Sun Life Financial. In total, 29 companies, nonprofits, and professional associations had exhibitions at the event. The event also featured a keynote speech by George Foreman III, owner of The Club, boxer, and son of former heavyweight champion boxer George Foreman. Mr. Foreman spoke to students about how to stand out professionally and the importance of building your brand.

Boston Go Far Forum Keynote Speaker George Foreman III conducts a mock interview

Bottom Line Worcester hosted their Go Far Forum at the DCU Center on January 7^th with more than 100 Worcester college students, graduates, and local professionals in attendance. Hanover Insurance Group, Worcester’s second-largest employer, served as the lead sponsor of the event. Staples and UMass Memorial Healthcare provided supporting sponsorships. In total, 18 companies and nonprofits were in attendance.

Students speak to Hanover Insurance employees at the Worcester Go Far Forum

Students at both events participated in mock interviews with volunteer professionals, attended roundtable discussions with human resource professionals, listened to job search panels, and met with representatives from companies and professional organizations at a career fair.

“The Go Far Forum has motivated me to continue working hard in school in order to become a successful person in the future. The mock interviews made me feel confident about the skills I have and helped me prioritize the experiences I will need in order to accomplish my goals,” said Bottom Line student Richard Gonzalez.

The Go Far Forum provides students with an exciting opportunity to explore different career paths, gain professional skills and network with experts in their field.

Bottom Line students at the Go Far Forum in Boston

Click here to learn more about Bottom Line – New York’s recent Go Far Forum event.

On January 9^th, nearly 100 of our college students and over 50 volunteers attended Bottom Line-New York’s Third Annual Go Far Forum. Students had the opportunity to work one-on-one with volunteers to edit their resumés, learn from a variety of professionals about their career paths, and practice their networking skills. Below are three of our students’ reflections on the event and what action the Go Far Forum has inspired each of them to take:

  Name: Taiwo Akande

  College: Brooklyn College

  Graduation Year: 2015

  Career Interests: Lawyer, but now I’m also thinking about other careers after this year’s Go Far Forum

What was your favorite career roundtable and why? The Law and Criminal Justice roundtable was my   favorite. Cristina (a Bottom Line – Massachusetts alum) was a volunteer on the roundtable who stood out to me in  particular. I talked to her one-on-one after the roundtable and appreciated how honest she was with me about  the  good and bad parts of entering the legal field.

What’s one piece of professional advice that you learned at the Go Far Forum? Everyone that I communicated with advised me not to focus solely on the job field that applies most closely to my major. They encouraged me not to limit my options. I used to think that with my Political Science major all that I could do was go into politics; the volunteers helped me open my mind to new ideas.

One next step that I’m planning to take after the Go Far Forum: Cristina encouraged me to start practicing for the LSATs if I really want to go to law school right after undergrad. She told me about a great summer program and I’m planning to apply.

  Name:  Randa Naim

  College: College of Staten Island

  Graduation Year: 2017

  Career Interests: Undecided, but I’m studying electrical engineering right now.

What was your favorite career roundtable and why? I really liked the business roundtable because it was pretty inspirational. There was a volunteer from Nickelodeon and he was telling us about the business of getting stars to sign contracts. I found that really interesting because when you watch Nickelodeon you think about Dora the Explorer and SpongeBob SquarePants, but Joel showed us that there’s a lot that goes on behind the scenes.

What’s one piece of professional advice that you learned at the Go Far Forum? There was a volunteer from Canon during the networking time who reminded us to keep reaching out. He said that it’s good that we’re starting early by going to the Go Far Forum, but that we should reach out and not limit ourselves. We should go for lots of internships and get lots of experience while we’re young.

One next step that I’m planning to take after the Go Far Forum: I was already applying to some internships and fellowships, so now I’m definitely going to finish those applications.

  Name: Tiffany Acevedo

  College: SUNY Albany

  Graduation Year: 2017

  Career Interests: I definitely want to go to law school, but I’m not sure specifically what I want to study – possibly international business.

What was your favorite career roundtable and why? I enjoyed the law and criminal justice roundtable because I really liked that one of the panelists, Adi, said that if you want to go to law school, you don’t have to major in anything specific; you can study what interests you in college and law school will help you with the legal stuff.

What’s one piece of professional advice that you learned at the Go Far Forum? When you’re having professional conversations, there is never a negative attitude. When professionals were speaking to us, they treated us like adults and not just college students. That made me feel really good about myself.

One next step that I’m planning to take after the Go Far Forum: I’m  going to attend more networking events because something good always comes out of them. You could meet someone who will have opportunities that you can take advantage of in the future or you could learn a new piece of advice.