Manhattanville College Encourages Careers in Public Service

PURCHASE, NY, March 18 – Manhattanville College hosted “Pathways to Public Service” on March 13, a panel discussion aimed at sharing career insights with students interested in public-sector jobs.

Organized by Manhattanville’s Center for Career Development, the panel featured former New Rochelle Mayor Noam Bramson, executive director of Sustainable Westchester; Joanne Fernandez, chief of staff to New York’s Secretary of State; Deputy County Executive Ken Jenkins; and Wilson Kimball, president and CEO of the Yonkers Housing Authority.

“Careers in public service can be rewarding and are a great place for young people to make an impact on the betterment of society,’’ said Frank D. Sánchez, Ph.D., President of Manhattanville. “Manhattanville places a strong emphasis on service and giving back to our communities and is proud of the work done by our students in the college’s Clark Center, many of whom would be perfect candidates for careers in public service. We thank these accomplished public servants for comping to campus and sharing their experiences with our students.’’

The event’s panelists reminded students that any career that they want to pursue in the private sector can be found in the public sector.

“No matter what your passion is, you can actually find that opportunity inside of government,” said Jenkins.

Kimball shared that her initial career choice out of college was a bad fit. “I was making a ton of money in real estate, it was ridiculous, and yet at the end of every month, I was totally not fulfilled,” said Kimball. “So, I started working for the governor…and I loved every minute of it.”

Fernandez encouraged the students to use internships and fellowships as opportunities for networking and self-discovery.

“You might be at the stage where you are not sure if a particular area might be of interest. I would highly recommend and strongly encourage utilizing internships and fellowships as part of your learning experience,” said Fernandez.

Bramson warned that public service is not the realm of instant gratification, noting how the transformation of downtown New Rochelle happened slowly.

“It was the product of many, many years of patience and persistence, which I would say are probably the qualities one needs most in order to succeed in a field like government,” said Bramson.

The Business Council of Westchester (BCW) co-sponsored the panel after outreach from the college.

“This started as a conversation between us and connections at the Business Council of Westchester about the importance of bringing in new, fresh, highly motivated, highly educated talent into the government space,” said Chris Thunberg, the director of Manhattanville’s Center for Career Development.

BCW president and CEO Marsha Gordon reminded the students that they represent the future.

“What we hear from our members, from our businesses, from our public sector tonight is that we really need young, creative people to enter the workforce,” said Gordon.

About Manhattanville College

Manhattanville College is a private liberal arts institution dedicated to academic excellence, purposeful education, and social justice. For three years in a row, “U.S. News and World Report” has ranked Manhattanville the number one private, non-profit institution in New York among Top Performers of Social Mobility in Regional Universities North. Located 30 miles from New York City on a 100-acre suburban campus in the heart of Westchester County, Manhattanville enables easy access to entertainment offerings, educational resources, and business opportunities for its primarily residential and diverse student body. The college serves more than 1,300 undergraduate students and nearly 1,000 graduate students from more than 44 countries and 33 states. Founded in 1841, the college offers more than 75 undergraduate and graduate areas of study in the arts and sciences, education, nursing and health sciences, business, and creative writing, as well as continuing and executive education programs. Graduate students can choose from over 70 graduate and certificate programs. Extracurricular offerings include more than 45 clubs and activities and 22 NCAA Division III teams.