Lauren Power - Class of 2004
After graduating from KSC in 2004 I felt like I was ready to take on the corporate world! With a solid education, majoring in Management with a minor in Sociology, I felt very rounded in many different aspects of business. However, I was unsure exactly where I would fit into an organization. How do you take the last four years of your life and apply them to the real world? I found myself back at freshmen year looking to declare a major with all the choices; it's hard to know where you fit into the puzzle. I went on my first ‘real' interview in August of ‘04, and I remember feeling exactly the same way about C&S as I did the first time I visited KSC. It just felt right, felt like home!

The great thing about C&S was that the college recruiting team was just like the career services group at KSC, welcoming and ready to provide me with direction. The recruiter met with me and I really felt as though he cared about finding me the right place within the company. He wasn't interviewing me for one job specifically; he was trying to get to know me so that he could find the right department and the right role for my personality.

Looking back now almost two years later I smile, as I am in the recruiter's shoes today. It's now my job to help recent grads find direction and their perfect role here at C&S. I feel so lucky to have the opportunity that I have today, and I know that none of it would be possible without the four years I spent at Keene State. The classes that I took and the professors who guided me helped mold me into the successful business woman that I am today! If I could give students one piece of advice it would be to take full advantage of the resources available to you. You have a wealth of knowledge at your fingertips, get involved and learn as much as you can from the professors and people around you!!

Jill Rumba - Class of 2003
When I enrolled at KSC in the spring of 2000 I couldn't have been more undecided. However, after taking several introductory courses in the Management Department I found some direction. I particularly enjoyed the finance courses I was able to take and I eventually declared as a Management major with an Economics minor. Once I had officially chosen my path I decided to become more involved in my departments instead of being just another face in the crowd. I accepted invitations to join both Delta Mu Delta and Omicron Delta Epsilon. I became a student tutor for Accounting and Personal Financial Planning as well as tutoring through the Aspire Program. In addition, I joined and became Vice President of SAM (Society for the Advancement of Management). And although my new commitments along with a full course schedule and 2 part time jobs kept me busy, I think it was one of the best decisions of my college career.

When I graduated in December of 2003 I welcomed the break. Instead of immediately joining the work force I decided to take advantage of graduating “off season” and took a few months to relax, visit friends and travel. However, before too long I became restless again and began sending out resumes. I was pleasantly surprised to get a quick response from C&S Wholesale Grocers right here in Keene . Two weeks and two interviews later I was hired as a Treasury Analyst.

I have worked for C&S for just over a year. Never did I imagine that I'd be managing cash for a $15 billion company, but it has been a great fit for me. Never is there a dull day in a company that has been growing an average of 23% a year. Every day I learn something new. And just like at KSC, I have become involved at C&S as well. I have been active with college recruiting efforts, representing C&S at job fairs throughout the area. I have also joined the C&S Employee Contributions Committee, a small group of employees who allocate cash and products to various local causes.

I feel very fortunate for my experiences at both KSC and C&S. I have gained a tremendous amount of knowledge and learned so much myself while meeting and making lifelong friends and contacts and I can only hope that this is still just the beginning.

Alumni and Parent Relations - http://www.keene.edu/alumni