In His Own Words: Steve Frank ’08 Discovers Power of Alumni Network in Preparing Students for Careers

This first-person account by Steve Frank ’08 is complemented by one from David Rappaport ’81, his internship host. Alumni-sponsored internships provide students with professional experience while giving hosts needed help in the workplace. Lafayette interns are motivated workers who bring new perspectives, fresh ideas, and positive energy. Students interested in pursuing internships and/or externships, and alumni willing to post these opportunities, should contact Rachel Nelson Moeller ’88, rmoeller@alumni.lafayette.edu, (610) 330-5115. Alumni who can’t take interns themselves are still encouraged to provide career services with information about available internship programs at their workplaces and how students can apply.

I start my article with its punch lines:

• Lafayette and other small liberal arts colleges are far better than larger schools at providing skills that prepare students for the working environment.
• Lafayette’s tight network of alumni is a great source of internship and externship opportunities.

At the beginning of my fourth semester at Lafayette, I had fully realized the potential of attending a small liberal arts college. My professor, Leslie Muhlfelder ’81, encouraged me, as well as her other students, to seize the opportunity to gain an internship because without actual experience, we would have a harder time reaching our future goals. With her kind words of advice she embarked on her own mission — to sacrifice her time as general counsel, as well as vice president of human resources, in order to sit with each one of us individually and help us obtain these desired positions.

In my own search for an opportunity, Professor Muhlfelder and I scanned lists of alumni located in the New York City and Long Island regions for an internship with a corporation that might sound like an interesting opportunity. Our search reached its conclusion when we came across the name of David Rappaport ’81, president and CEO of Investec United States. Professor Muhlfelder recognized the name from her time as a student of the College and as a friend of hers through their time in Washington, D.C. After a period of much reminiscing about their times spent together, Professor Muhlfelder asked David if he would be willing to allow for another Lafayette student as an intern and he was more then pleased to.

I proceeded by completing a short interview with David and started my job as a lower-level intern. David immediately gave me a project which he viewed as a high priority due to its time constraints. I felt confident in my abilities due to this, and I believe that I was able to further prove to David that the training that comes from a Lafayette College education prepares you for your career.

After my promotion, I was given the opportunity to manage two other interns whom I participated in hiring. Both of the interns attend universities ranked in the top 50 by U.S. News and World Report’s “America’s Top National Universities.” Although clearly knowledgeable, the other interns did not seem comfortable completing the work assigned by David. Due to the favorable student-to-faculty ratio, as well as the small class sizes, Lafayette makes students feel more comfortable when in a conversational position with their older mentors.

One of the more important lessons that students learn at Lafayette is how to be conversationalists, and how to express their ideas freely and confidently, but in an appropriate manner. With this skill, David and I were able to coordinate much of the project without his constant attention being focused on it. He was able to meet his deadlines; my work provided him with time opportunities so that he could move on to his next business venture. With the skills learned at Lafayette, I was confident in expressing my ideas about the project to David and he was confident in the skills that I learned on College Hill.

After our positive work experience together, David offered me the opportunity to come back and work for him next summer. The plans after that period are uncertain; however, I am sure that our friendship, as well as our business relationship, will further progress. I hope to attend law school and afterward even have David consider me a colleague.