“Night of stars” connect students with alumni

Night of the Stars, an alumni/student networking program held on Nov. 30 from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. started off with a big bang. With over 250 students on the register and more on the waitlist, Kean alums and current Kean students of all majors and years gathered to network and make a connection.

The night of stars started last year with an idea for alums and current students to connect, find a better job, and learn skills in their field.

“We live in a global economy and it’s very highly competitive, so therefore we need to give our students leverage. In order to give them leverage, we bring in successful alumni so that they can actually partner and give the students feedback and knowledge that they’ve learned and share their successes throughout their years [of working in the field],” said Blanca Rosales-Ahn, Career Coordinator for the Career Development and Advancement at Kean University.

There were more than enough people who needed and wanted feedback from 20 successful Kean alums who are in their field.

Jacob Aristizabal, a junior graphic designer at Kean University, praised the networking night.

“This is my first networking event. It’s direct contact with people who have found success in their field. I’m definitely excited about doing that and just getting my name out there, meeting different people.”

This year, the Office of Internships and the Office of Career Development and Advancement were both able to partner up with the Alumni Association for a chance to invite more alums to give more opportunities for attending students.

“This year we were able to collaborate a little more with the Alumni Association. As you can see, it’s definitely amazing for all the students and alums as well,” says Blanca Rosales-Ahn.

Linda Baron, a double graduate from Kean University in 2010 and 2011 is a Colombian born doctoral candidate who received her bachelor’s degree in psychology and her master’s degree in communications. As a woman of color with odds against her such as being an [[undocumented immigrant]], she has worked her way up into the world and created a name for herself as the Founder and Executive Director of Bright Futures Club Inc.

Steve Fastook, senior Vice President of CNBC, recounts a funny story from his early days as a broadcast engineer has worked her way up into the world and created a name for herself as the Founder and Executive Director of Bright Futures Club Inc.

She advised students to use their voice and to speak, listen, process, and then speak again.

Steve Fastook, the Senior Vice President of CNBC is responsible for Saturday Night Live, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, Dateline, NBC Nightly News as well as the Thanksgiving Day Parade hosted by Macy’s. Not only did he speak about his love for Kean University, but he also spoke about what he would look for in a person to hire as the Senior Vice President. He advises “The most successful people are the ones who are good with everybody.”

After both speeches, students were allowed to speed network for an hour in 15 minute increments. Bustling students searched for certain successful alumni who could help them with their career.

“I thought the Alumni/Student Networking Night of Stars was a great event! It provided a platform of networking and sharing that most of our current students highly benefited from… As well as providing our Alumni a wonderful opportunity to give back to our Alma mater.” Rosales-Ahn said.