Hillsdale College’s career services office took 11 students to New York City, during spring break, to network with alumni and showcase opportunities for Hillsdale students in the Big Apple.
Director of Student Activities and Program Development Anthony Manno and Executive Director of Career Services Ken Koopmans chaperoned the trip that was hampered with wintery weather.
A snowstorm caused Koopmans and three students to miss their 9 a.m. flight on Monday, forcing them to catch one later in the day and arrive in New York several hours behind schedule. Bad weather on Tuesday forced several businesses in the city on the group’s itinerary to close.
Despite the conditions, Koopmans said the trip was still a success.
“We had a great alumni networking reception with 11 Hillsdale students and about 35 alumni,” Koopmans said in an email. “We also received an incredible tour of CNN and met with an alumnus at Deutsche Bank at his office.”
Sophomore Nour Ben Hmieida visited New York City for the first time on the trip. Although, as a science major, she said she didn’t think the city held her best options, she enjoyed the trip, despite the weather.
“The chaperones did a really good job substituting everything, during the storm,” she said. “Even though this was a networking trip, they were very lighthearted, and we had a lot of fun.”
Instead of touring more businesses in New York, the group trudged through the snow and sludge to Times Square, the Rockefeller Center, and Grand Central Station.
“I feel like we didn’t mind the weather,” junior Andrea Lee said. “It was just part of the adventure.”
Students who were able to make the early flight on Monday also attended the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, and on Wednesday, the group took a boat ride to see the Statue of Liberty.
Manno summed up the trip, saying the uncontrollable aspects of the big city visit just made this year’s Living and Working in NYC trip special.
“This trip was all about adapting. The blizzard was harsh, which re-routed some of our plans, however, I believe we recovered very well,” Manno said in an email. “Student morale remained high throughout the trip. We like to think the weather made it even more memorable.”