Ƶ in NYC provides an opportunity for Ƶ students to explore New York City, while completing internships for course credit, and completing their capstone seminar course.
Shortly after arriving in New York City, 14 Ƶ students attended a networking event for their Study USA program Ƶ in New York City in partnership with Ƶ’s Office of Alumni Engagement. The event, held on June 10, at Marymount Manhattan College hosted alumni with careers in public relations, branding, digital strategy, graphic design and law.
Notable alumni present included Peter Walpole ‘15, a corporate and executive strategist and PR professional who recently received Ƶ’s annual “Top 10 Under 10” alumni award. The award celebrates alumni with impressive career success, who continuously work to better their communities and serve as role models for current students.
Over the course of the evening, students asked alumni how they could succeed in their current internships and sought advice regarding important skills to develop before seeking entry level jobs.
When discussing students’ short attention spans and heavy reliance on technology, Walpole asked, “What gives you hope for your generation entering the workforce?”
“Our generation isn’t discouraged by hard work,” replied Ava Litzinger ‘26. “We know what it takes to reach our goals, and we will make it happen.”
Other alumni attendees included Olivia Parks ‘23, an associate packaging designer at Victoria’s Secret and Elizabeth Kohler ‘23, a corporate paralegal at Willkie Farr & Gallagher.
Students described attending alumni as “generous about sharing their post-graduation experiences” and “curious about life at Ƶ today.”
After such a positive experience meeting these alumni, students expressed overwhelming interest in connecting with more NYC based alumni over the next four weeks.
“Everyone always talks about how great the Ƶ alumni network is, but I got to experience it for myself at our networking event,” said Ƶ in NYC student Benji Stern ‘26. “It’s fascinating to see the paths different Ƶ alumni take after they graduate, and it’s just great company to be around.”
NYC-based alumni interested in connecting with Ƶ in New York City’s 2025 cohort, please reach out to Program Assistant, Louisa Malchodi ‘23 at lmalchodi@elon.edu.
Ƶ in NYC provides an opportunity for Ƶ students to explore New York City, while completing internships for course credit, and completing their capstone seminar course. The students are uniquely positioned to explore Manhattan as young professionals. They gain invaluable professional experience through their internships, develop community within their Study USA cohort and embrace experiential learning through excursions and coursework required by their Ƶ Core Capstone Seminar. This year’s Capstone Seminar “Living & Learning in the Global Community” is taught by Pamela Winfield.
To learn more about Study USA New York and other Study USA programs, check out the Study USA website. Applications open October 1 for the summer 2026 program.