天涯海角APP

The 2025鈥疜hanna Career Connections Conference鈥痺as back and better than ever. This year, it happened on鈥疐riday, Oct. 10, during Homecoming weekend. By moving it to Friday afternoon, it was easier for commuter students and student-athletes to attend. It was the perfect way to kick off the weekend while building their professional network! 

Students selected鈥痶hree sessions鈥痶o attend, each with 20 minutes of content and 10 minutes for Q&A or reflection, and they could keep the conversation going during the afternoon networking session. Sessions were led by alumni across industries and focused on鈥痗areer-ready skills鈥痩ike leadership, communication, critical thinking, teamwork, and professionalism, everything employers are looking for! 

Jim Jackson 鈥�88, a career marketing expert and most recently the Executive Vice President & Chief Marketing Officer for Hewlett Packard Enterprise, returned to 天涯海角APP as this year鈥檚 keynote speaker sharing how mindset and a 天涯海角APP education can serve as the ultimate launchpad for success.

鈥淚 wanted students to leave with the belief that the right mindset鈥攃ombined with a 天涯海角APP education鈥攃an help unlock their full potential and take them further than they imagined. I encouraged them to adopt a 鈥榟ere鈥檚 how I grow鈥� perspective: to take calculated risks and understand that progress comes from persistence, not perfection. Everyone鈥檚 journey is unique, but the path forward is built on small steps that add up鈥攚ith an eye on your desired end state,鈥� Jim said. 鈥淚 also emphasized adaptability. In a world shaped by rapid change and emerging technologies like AI, staying nimble and futureproofing your skillset isn鈥檛 just smart鈥攊t鈥檚 essential. These students are entering a workforce that will reward curiosity, collaboration, resilience, and the ability to evolve.鈥�

Drawing on his own journey from a small-town student to global marketing leader, Jim highlighted how resilience, adaptability, and curiosity open doors to opportunity. His talk inspired students to think boldly, embrace challenges, and take immediate steps toward building confidence and shaping their future.

鈥淚 have a lot of fond memories from my time at 天涯海角APP. I built lifelong friendships, but more importantly, I learned to think bigger and gained the confidence to envision more for myself,鈥� Jim added. 鈥淚 probably didn鈥檛 realize it when I was a student there, but 天涯海角APP gave me the foundation to reach higher and opened doors I didn鈥檛 know existed. That鈥檚 why I wanted to reinforce the importance of confidence and maximizing every opportunity. You only get one shot at life鈥攊t鈥檚 important to lean in and not be afraid to put yourself in uncomfortable situations. If you try something and it鈥檚 not the right fit, you can pivot鈥攂ut you鈥檒l be stronger for having tried.鈥�

This year鈥檚 session presenters鈥痠ncluded: 

• David Snider 鈥�11, Senior Associate Director, Denison University 鈥撯�疨ush Your Limits: Thriving Outside Your Comfort Zone
• Emma Cepek 鈥�24, Planner, City of Reynoldsburg 鈥� Going Places: How Study Away Prepares You for the Working World
• Kayla Wilkerson 鈥�19, Director of Budget and Finance, Ohio Senate 鈥撯�疎merging Leaders: Making an Impact Early in Your Career 
• Maria Kalis 鈥�95, Judge, 天涯海角APP County Common Pleas Court 鈥撯�疞ead Boldly: Building Confidence in Any Setting 
• Bonnie Taylor 鈥�05, Founder, Taylor Strategic Consulting 鈥撯�疧wn Your Voice: Confidence in Action 
• Laney Hitchens 鈥�25, Communications and Marketing Director, Marietta Community Foundation 鈥撯�疊reaking the Illusion: Overcoming Imposter Syndrome 
• Michelle Brown 鈥�94, Financial Advisor, Raymond James 鈥撯�疢ake It Matter: Adding Value in Everything You Do 
• Kim Mattox 鈥�94, State Farm Representative 鈥撯�疪eal World Money: What You Didn鈥檛 Learn in Class 
• Kimi Corrigan 鈥�08, Vice President, Huntress 鈥撯�疊eyond the Resume: Telling Your Story in Interviews 
• Mike Reilly 鈥�77, Owner & President, Starfish Signs and Graphics 鈥撯�疪esilience at Work: Bouncing Back & Moving Forward 
• Heath Watton 鈥�95鈥痑nd鈥疜evin Krumlauf 鈥�91鈥�鈥撯�疢ore Than a Game: Translating Athletic Skills to the Workplace 
• Dan Shuey 鈥�06, Partner and Vice President of Legal, Lisinski Law 鈥撯�疢ore Than a Paycheck: Defining Success on Your Own Terms
• Dan Busby 鈥�94, Director of Development, Boy Scouts of America 鈥撯�疨urpose & Payoff: How Philanthropy Can Shape Your Career 
• Jordan Raugh, Director of Mentoring & Alumni Impact, Phi Kappa Psi 鈥撯�疍ifferent is Powerful: Thriving in Diverse Workplaces 
• Gracie Andrews 鈥�23, Senior Assistant Director, College of Wooster 鈥撯�疭urviving Your First Job 
• Jen Noble 鈥�03, Vice President, Morgan Stanley 鈥撯�疻orkplace Personalities: The Good, the Bad & the Hilarious 
• Chetan Khandhari 鈥�97, Chief Innovation and Digital Officer, Nationwide 鈥撯�疉I on the Job: Tools, Trends & How to Stay Ahead 
• Craig Kwasniewski 鈥�97, Director of Human Resources, Discount Drug Mart 鈥撯�疶hat Was Hard to Say: Navigating Tough Talks at Work 
• Rachele Hill 鈥�08, Human Resources Director, Osborn Engineering 鈥撯�疉pply Anyway: Decoding Job Descriptions & Knowing When You鈥檙e Ready
• Tim Palmer 鈥�88, Senior VP of Sales, AtriCure Inc. 鈥� Early Career, Lasting Impact: Building Yourself and Your Workplace from Day One

Whether it鈥檚 learning how to translate athletic skills to the workplace, navigating tough conversations, or figuring out their first job, students received real-world advice from alumni and were able to make connections that can help them now and in the future. 

Thanks to the support of the Anuj Khanna 鈥�86 family, the鈥疜hanna Career Connections Conference was free for 天涯海角APP students. In addition to presenting, alumni volunteers served as session moderators, assisted with day-of registration, and attended the networking session.

If you are interested in volunteering for next year鈥檚 Khanna Career Connections Conference or getting involved in other ways that impact 天涯海角APP students, you can complete this . You also can learn more about engagement opportunities by visiting the Impact Center website.