UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. – Penn State Global and Career Services, supported by the Alumni Association, hosted the Global Careers Institute (GCI) on March 17 and 18. The event, which connects current students with Penn State alumni, was the first iteration of the institute since February of 2020. More than 140 students, representing 12 campuses and 26 countries, attended this year’s GCI, in addition to a litany of alumni speakers.

Global Careers Institute is a professional development program designed to help Penn State’s international and domestic undergraduate and graduate students prepare for career success in the global marketplace.

The two-day event started with a dinner and networking reception held at the Penn Stater on Friday, March 18. Students also had the opportunity to have professional headshots taken. Saturday saw a full slate of activities, beginning with a breakfast and a plenary session before moving into breakout sessions, selected by students based on their interests.

Breakout sessions were hosted by speakers and facilitators such as Brandon Short, a former Penn State football player who currently serves as the executive director and portfolio manager for PGIM Real Estate and as a member of the Penn State Board of Trustees; Ken Graham, a senior adviser for the Rowhill Consulting Group who has served on the Penn State Global Advisory Council and is highly active with students in leadership and career development; and Wesley Payne McLendon, the executive director of McLendon Research Group.

For the speakers, the overwhelming message was one of giving back.

“I’m grateful to you and your team for putting on a phenomenal program. It was a privilege to be a live and interactive resource on offer for students,” said McLendon. “They were an impressive and inquisitive group.”

“It was a rewarding experience and I am looking forward to staying connected for future events,” said Carl Delcato, who graduated with a degree in mechanical engineering and has diverse career experiences which he shared with students.

“Three years ago, I attended GCI as a student with many doubts about my future,” said Bingxin Zhang, a business analyst and a visual data enthusiast currently working as a program management specialist at Audi of America. “So when I got invited to GCI again, I knew I had to come.”

Zhang knew the value of the institute from her time there and also understood the students’ experiences and challenges.

“I was in their shoes six months ago, getting rejected and ghosted by hundreds of recruiters. At that time, I couldn’t help but think I wasn’t good enough,” she said. “I just wanted them to know that they are competent and valuable.”

“You’re good enough, and don’t stop trying,” she added.

Natalie Neptune, one of the students who attended the event, got the message.

“It was so awesome listening to inspiring speakers,” she said. “One of the sessions in particular, I was able to realize the privileges I have as a domestic student…I continue to learn how to be a better global consultant.”

A key player in organizing the event was Kelly Morgante, associate director for global alumni relations and stewardship in Penn State Global. Morgante, who took the role on February 1, thinks it is a vital program for students who are interested in global careers.

“These students are at an age where they’re so impressionable,” she said. “To hear them talk about what they were getting out of it, it was amazing.”

On the student side, Morgante hopes that all attendees will travel in the near future.

“There’s something that happens when you leave the comfort of your own home,” she said.

On the alumni side, Morgante views this as a first of many forthcoming alumni engagement events. Since taking the role, much of her work has been around crafting an engagement strategy for international alumni and alumni living abroad. She envisions at least three major international events per year – one in Europe, one in the Middle East, and one in Asia.

“But you can’t do one-off events,” she said. “That doesn’t work. You need to make sure these are consistent events that alumni can count on. That’s our goal.”

In the immediate term, Morgante helped to organize a four-city India tour which took place in late April where representatives from Penn State Global spoke to both alumni and prospective students. The long-term hope is to connect with some alumni who may have fallen away from the University.

“We want to recapture our alumni,” she said. “We’d love to reconnect them not only with us, but with their colleges. Alumni can be an invaluable resource.”

If an alumni wants to get involved with Penn State, she said, there are many ways to do so beyond the Global Careers Institute. She suggested a few methods for getting involved, such as attending Penn State events (either locally or traveling to Penn State), or supporting students by sharing knowledge and experiences – whether through classes, Q&A sessions, or possible mentorship programs.

Overall, though, Morgante wants to listen more than tell. Her office is planning to send a survey to alumni asking what they want from Penn State.

“We want to cultivate those relationships,” she said.

As far as the Global Careers Institute, her team is already planning to host two GCIs next year – one at University Park and one at the Great Valley campus. To keep up with information on these, be sure to check out the Global Careers Institute website. 

For more information on getting involved as a global alumni, contact Kelly Morgante at ksm18@psu.edu.