Alumni of the Week: Jessica Flam ’13

One of the most amazing things I can say about Whitman is how much the faculty and staff encourage their students to go abroad. Chances are, if we have ever spoken, you have already heard me talk about my amazing experience with the SU abroad program. I have talked to so many people who ultimately chose not to study abroad because they felt they wouldn’t be able to graduate in time. I still feel so fortunate to have found a school with such an incredibly established abroad program, and I know my experiences during my time abroad have and will continue to have an immeasurable impact on my future success.

After my semester in Madrid learning about international business, new cultures and how to live outside of my comfort zone, I felt like I had a truer sense of what I was capable of accomplishing. This newfound confidence fueled my desire to experience a summer working in New York City.

The Whitman career fairs were an integral part of my development as a young professional. Looking back, it would have been difficult to put myself in the position to do so much networking without opportunities like the career fairs literally right in front of me. Walking the atrium as a freshman and sophomore was overwhelming to say the least, but, by junior year, I walked in knowing the candidate I wanted to show the recruiters. It is these “outside the classroom” opportunities that I think truly separate Whitman from its competitors.

After meeting the Ross recruiters at the spring career fair my junior year, I interviewed and then accepted a summer buying internship at the New York buying offices. The Syracuse network in New York City is strong and evident, so I was excited to find a new home in the city. My internship experience was a great one, and I was happy to accept a full-time offer from Ross by the fall.

Now after two years at Ross, I love seeing the Syracuse alumni network continue to grow within our company. Being in a city with such an extensive alumni presence has a lot of advantages, and my advice for any current or future alumni would be to find an alumni network near you (regardless of size) and continue to stay involved after your time at Syracuse.

Connectt with Jessica:

Twitter: @jflammy

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/pub/jessica-flam/a1/b14/a64

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Jessica Flam

Jessica Flam is an assistant buyer in the bed and bath division at Ross Stores, Inc. Flam graduated from Whitman in 2013 with a double major in marketing and supply chain management. During her time at Whitman, she was actively involved in the Delta Sigma Pi business fraternity as well as the Whitman Ambassador program where she participated in informational sessions with perspective students and their families and led tours of the school. Currently, Flam lives in New York City and, in her free time, enjoys traveling.