This fall, the Career Center has been buzzing with excitement and inspiration! Get a glimpse into the incredible experiences shaping our students — from global internships and research to invaluable alumni mentorship. Plus, discover ways you can support our students right here on campus, whether through donating to the Student Food Corner or contributing professional attire to the Career Closet.

Summer Experience Fair

F&M hosted its annual Summer Experience Fair Friday, Oct. 24, and more than 50 sophomore through senior students presented their summer internships, research and off-campus study experiences. They discussed a wide variety of experiences from coast-to-coast and in more than 10 countries, including everything from. oncology to investments, AI to advocacy, hospitals to hostels, and sustainability to social media. More than two-thirds of the students who participated in the Summer Experience Fair represented donor-funded experiences. Together with them, we are extremely grateful for the impact of those gifts on the personal and professional development of our students. Summer Experience Funding applications for Summer 2026 experiences will open to current students in January.

Alumni Lead: One Generation of Change-Makers Speaking Directly to the Next

On Tuesday, Nov. 11, we will welcome Vassilis Coutifari ’09, a senior officer at the Delegation of the European Union to the United States, as a speaker in the Career Center’s Alumni Lead Speaker Series. Vassilis was foreign policy program manager at the Brookings Institution; Center for European Studies program manager at Harvard University; and international strategy analyst at MetLife. In addition to earning his bachelor’s degree from F&M, he earned a master’s degree from Georgetown University, as well as a master’s and a doctorate from Johns Hopkins University.

On Oct. 30, we welcomed Elizabeth Eide ’88 back to campus as the first speaker of this academic year in the Alumni Lead series. Elizabeth is an executive director of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, and spoke to students about the mentors she gained and lessons she learned as a lacrosse athlete and geology student at F&M, her career trajectory, and her approach to leading fellow thinkers and scientists in a nonpartisan and collaborative community. 

All Alumni Lead guests are interviewed about their lives and careers by a current student, with time given to questions from students and other guests who attend the talk. These events not only showcase our phenomenal alumni, but also examine the critical role that storytelling plays in helping students both understand and chart their professional journeys.  

Student Food Corner

As the season of giving approaches, we invite F&M parents and families to help support the Ware Institute for Civic Engagement’s Student Food Corner. This space provides essential food and personal care items to students who are experiencing any level of food insecurity. If you’ll be visiting campus or would like to send your student back with a donation, it will be much appreciated. Donations are collected in the lobby of Harwood Commons. Your generosity helps ensure that all students have access to the resources they need to thrive. Donations of nonperishable foods, toiletries and other basic necessities are always appreciated, including: tuna, canned chicken, canned black beans, pasta, orzo, rice, international foods, protein bars, and feminine hygiene and personal hygiene products. If it is more convenient for you, we also gladly and gratefully accept donations. Thank you, in advance, for sharing these essential items and care from your family to the current students at F&M! We are F&Mily!

Career Closet Donations

If you are planning a trip to campus at any time this year, please consider donating gently used professional clothing to the Center for Career & Professional Development’s Career Closet. The Career Closet offers full and free access to all the professional attire students need to succeed, and is open every day of the week. We appreciate your gifts of new or gently used suits, shirts, ties, blazers, skirts, dresses, blouses, belts and shoes so that we can ensure every Diplomat looks and feels their best while taking advantage of the many professional development opportunities available to them throughout the year.

The Center for Career and Professional Development

F&M’s Center for Career and Professional Development cultivates professional development experiences that embolden students and alumni to design and navigate fulfilling careers with courage and curiosity.

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