Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ÊÓƵ

Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ÊÓƵ this series: Building Brilliance With … is a periodic Q&A in which we shine a light on a Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ÊÓƵ staff member whose work helps support Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ÊÓƵ’s students and the university’s mission.

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Mike O’Connor arrived at Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ÊÓƵ two years ago with a mission to reimagineÌýhowÌýthe school guides students in planning forÌýtheÌýlifeÌýthat awaitsÌýafter graduation.Ìý

He wasted no time after settling in asÌýÑî¹óåú´«Ã½ÊÓƵ’s firstÌýRiazÌýWaraichÌýDean for theÌý. He and his staff have accelerated career conversations for all Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ÊÓƵ students, beginning with first-year students arriving for Welcome Week. They’veÌýlaunchedÌýtheÌýÌýonline platformÌýtoÌýfacilitate interactionsÌýbetween alumni with experience in a particular field and students exploring related opportunities, and theyÌýkick-startedÌýÌýto better organizeÌýand deliverÌýinformation and resources for students.Ìý

The Life After Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ÊÓƵ initiative, supportedÌýby a $2.5 million gift from J. ThomasÌýHurvisÌý’60, was a key componentÌýof the recently concludedÌý.Ìý

O’Connor, director of the CareerÌýDiscovery ProgramÌýat Williams CollegeÌýinÌýWilliamstown, Massachusetts,Ìýbefore coming to Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ÊÓƵ, said the explosion of activity surrounding career planning, mentoring, and access to experiential learning opportunities has been amazing to watch. We caught up with him toÌýtalk aboutÌýall that and more.ÌýÌý

What excites you about the work you do?Ìý

Two things come immediately to mind. First, working with our incredible students and alums—LawrentiansÌýare brilliant yet deeply humble people who want to make the world a better place.ÌýÌý

Second, our team.ÌýEveryÌýteam member has leaned in to support one another andÌýtheÌýbroader institutional goals.ÌýWe’veÌýgrown and leaned on each other so much since COVID hit, and everyone has stepped up,Ìýpivoted,ÌýandÌýflexed in so many ways.ÌýWe careÌýdeeply about making opportunities more equitable and accessible,ÌýandÌýwe push one anotherÌýto make that a reality. Working with them raisesÌýmyÌýbar and makes me strive toÌýbeÌýbetter.ÌýÌý

How have the changes and new initiatives in the Career Center impacted the life after Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ÊÓƵ conversation for our students?Ìý

Great question, and there are so many directions I could go here. But I’d say we’ve made a fewÌýchangesÌýthat have, broadly speaking, made for a better student experience.Ìý

First, it’s the focus onÌýearlyÌýengagement.ÌýLast year, we managed to work with 93% ofÌýfirst-year students—not bad, considering they’re not required to work with us. Generally speaking, earlier engagement leads to more focused outcomes, so I’m particularly proud of our efforts there.Ìý

I’d also point to Viking Connect.ÌýWe’ve actualized a group of 900-plusÌýalumni volunteers to act as mentors and connectors to students in career fields of interest. To date, over 3,000 messages have been sent on the platform; a number we hope to increase substantially in the years to come.Ìý

Then there’s the fundedÌýinternships.ÌýThanks to the incredible work of our colleagues in Development/Advancement—most notably Cassie Curry—we’ve been able to fund more student internships than ever before. Our funding sources are quite varied and broad and allow students to access different levelsÌýandÌýtypes of funding to support their living expenses and needs. Ìý

And, finally,ÌýtheÌýCareer CommunitiesÌýhave changed the conversation.ÌýEach of our advisors manages two Career Communities and acts as the advisor/specialist/connector to opportunities within said fields. Students who signÌýup for a Career Community get a bi-weekly newsletter of internship, service, programmatic, and funding opportunities connected to their fields of interest, along with specialized content, potential alumni advisors, and more. The focus on Career Communities has helped us specialize more deeply, and offer more targeted advice, opportunities, and support.Ìý

What work or life experiences led you to this role at Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ÊÓƵ?Ìý

Quite honestly, IÌýneverÌýpictured myself living in the Midwest. In fact, I hadn’t stepped foot in Wisconsin prior to my Interview.ÌýBut, asÌýsmall worlds go, the recruiter for theÌýRiazÌýWaraichÌýdean role and I had some mutual friends—so I took his call to learn a bit more about Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ÊÓƵ. At the time, my wife and I were both happily employed at great schoolsÌýandÌýexpecting our second daughter, and theÌýthought of moving halfway across the country wasn’t on our radar.ÌýBut when I saw the work MarkÌýBurstein,Ìýwho I’d heard great things about, theÌýtrustees, andÌýtheÌýworking groups were doing with the Life After Ñî¹óåú´«Ã½ÊÓƵ initiative, I became intrigued.ÌýAfter talking with the search committee,ÌýI got really excited.Ìý

I tell people all the time, you never know when life-changing opportunities will present themselves, and you have to be ready to respond.     Ìý

What is one thing you do away from campus that helps you recharge your batteries or otherwise brings you joy?Ìý

I’m a big believerÌýinÌýthe healing power of nature. Being outdoors and exercise are incredible outlets, and I try to experience both everyÌýday. Ìý