Alumni Offer Industry Insights to Trinity Students in ‘Connect 2026’ Career Mentoring Program

This spring, 140 Trinity College alumni volunteered to be matched with current juniors and seniors through Connect 2026, a four-week industry-based mentorship program offered by Trinity’s Career and Life Design Center. Students were paired with alumni based on their career goals, professional interests, skills, and desired location.

“The Connect program is designed to match current juniors and seniors with alumni in their fields to gain an inside perspective on not only the job market, but what the career is really like,” said Vera Agresti, employer and alumni engagement coordinator. “We also have students who are on the fence between fields, and being able to connect them with an alum who has similar interests helps them discern what they truly want to do following graduation.”

Initially launched in 2020 to support recent graduates in the difficult job market brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, the program continues to help students navigate changes within their prospective career paths or industries. According to Maria Dyane, associate director of strategy and student development, the program is focused on empowering Trinity students with access to industry professionals in a rapidly evolving world. “There will always be changes in the job market; the way we approach preparation for our students is really based on the skills, the mindsets, and the connections that they’re building,” said Dyane. “Those are the tools that they will be able to use in the face of any change.”

Programs like this help contribute to Trinity student success after graduation. A recent survey conducted by Trinity’s Career and Life Design Center showed that 98 percent of Class of 2025 alumni are employed, continuing their education, serving in the military, volunteering, or pursuing other successful outcomes, based on information from 83 percent of 2025 graduates.

Below, read more about the experiences of two alumni-student pairs in the Connect 2026 program.

Brittany Branning ’97 and Bella Chirkis ’27

Brittany Branning ’97, a middle school English teacher in California, mentored Bella Chirkis ’27 in the Connect 2026 program. Chirkis is an English and theater and dance double major, with a minor in medieval and Renaissance studies. Branning offered guidance in navigating potential career paths in both education and publishing, and helped coach Chirkis through successfully applying for a summer publishing internship with Brave Kids Books.

Branning: When I started at Trinity, I had no idea I wanted to be a teacher. I thought I wanted to be a fashion designer or a foreign language interpreter. I advised Bella to become comfortable with discomfort and to seek out information from people who have been working in her fields of interest. The greater your willingness to ask questions, the more you’re going to find the path that you’re meant to be on.

Chirkis: I matched with Brittany because she was an English literature major and she’s working in education. When we met together, she told me that she had been in the same boat as me and had also been interested in publishing before ending up in education. It’s been really helpful to have insight into both of those branches for my career.

Branning: Bella and I talked about the possibility of shadowing a middle school teacher, or how she could pursue something at the intersection of education and publishing. When we talked about that, I think it helped her realize that she really wanted to get a taste of the publishing industry. We discussed how having a personal connection—a particular person to call or a résumé to put on someone’s desk—increases your chances of securing an internship. In Bella’s case, that connection was a friend of her mother who had published with the company where she eventually secured an internship.

Chirkis: I honestly was feeling overwhelmed because I felt like all the people around me already had a summer internship. But Brittany gave me great advice, helped me draft emails, prepare for interviews, and gave me so many new ideas about potential career paths that branch between education and publishing. I’m very grateful that we were paired together.

Lisa Bohman ’82 and Sunny Shi ’27

Lisa Bohman ’82, executive director of the Avon/Canton Chamber of Commerce, mentored sociology major Sunny Shi ’27 in the Connect 2026 program. Bohman helped Shi explore how she could apply her passion and skills to administrative and human resources roles in the elder care field.

Bohman: When we got together for our first meeting, we explored where each other was coming from and our backgrounds. I explained to Sunny that I took sort of a crooked path after graduation. I think that in a liberal arts environment, students may major in something that speaks to them, but it’s not necessarily a direct path to what they eventually do for a career.

Shi: This was a very meaningful experience for me because I learned a lot from Lisa’s insight. I wanted to have a clearer plan for my career path so that I can start preparing in my senior year. Before starting the program, I was interested in learning more about elder care and assisted living but wasn’t sure how I can connect what I had learned academically to potential roles in the field.

Bohman: I asked Sunny to choose one thing that she really wanted to do right now—forget about what you’re majoring in. She replied that she really wanted to work with seniors. So, I started to talk to her about how sociology could fit into working in human resources and working with various constituencies. No matter where she ends up in that field, it all comes down to being able to work effectively with people and being able to read people.

Shi: Lisa first encouraged me to take on more volunteer work while searching for relevant opportunities, as we can develop practical skills and build connections with people during the volunteering experience. Also, because I’m not from the United States and I’m still getting to know Hartford, I really appreciated her introducing me to the local environment of elder care and the different types of assisted living facilities. It was a valuable experience for me to talk to Lisa, because she gave me a lot of support and helped me to recognize my qualifications and build confidence in pursuing these roles.

Learn more about Trinity’s alumni and employer partnership opportunities here, or contact Vera Agresti.