HW Works hosted Career Day, an opportunity for sophomores to shadow school alumni and parents in their professions June 10.

The event took place both virtually and in person, as some students traveled to their assigned parent or alumnus’ place of work, while most participated through the online platform Gatherly. Consistent with past years, sophomores filled out ballots several months earlier indicating their interests, after which students were grouped together and matched with mentors.

HW Works Program Director Zaakirah Daniels ’10, who organized the event, said while coordinating two separate Career Day formats was a challenge, it was a necessary measure to ensure that all involved could participate.

“We were blessed to have the option to hold on-site opportunities, but not every mentor could accommodate that with such short notice,” Daniels said. “So, we piloted a virtual Career Day option with one single platform, instead of coordinating multiple Zoom links and phone calls across various email domains and phone numbers, for those students and mentors who felt a remote opportunity was more manageable.”

Daniels also said it was difficult to spread the word about Career Day this year, resulting in less sophomore participation than in years past.

“I attribute [fewer students participating] to the majority of the year being remote, which didn’t allow for me to build relationships with sophomores and tell them about HW Works program offerings as I normally do,” Daniels said. “I usually have bulletin boards and Wolverscreen announcements on campus, conversations with students who visit my workspace and announcements in-class meetings, but we did our best this year.”

When asked to reflect on her Career Day experience, Izzy Daum ’23 said she was thrilled by the chance to interact with Dr. Dorie Weiss, a clinical psychologist.

“Being able to talk in such a small group with Dr. Weiss was really helpful in giving me a sense of this career path,” Daum said. “I have never had the opportunity to really get to know a person in this profession, so this experience was definitely worth it.”

Sophia Rascoff ’23 said her discussion with Smokehouse Pictures executive Rebecca Arzoian was fulfilling and helpful as an introduction to the entertainment industry.

“It was a great learning experience and I highly recommend it for all students,” Rascoff said. “Even online, it was inspiring talking to a mentor at the top of her field, and I look forward to reaching out to her in the future.”