Kickstarting students’ careers with Sophomore Institute 2026

Right before a major snowstorm transformed the campus into a winter wonderland, over 200 Mount Holyoke College sophomores were already heating up their professional futures. Career Readiness at the College’s most recent Sophomore Institute connected more than 300 alums, both in person and virtually, with members of the class of 2028 for a high-energy, four-day experience.

Sophomore Institute 2026 was held from Jan. 21–24, led by the Career Development Center (CDC) and designed to give students their first opportunity to attend a professional conference. Students crowded into Gamble Auditorium for the first day’s welcome.

“Look at all of you!” said Jaime Grillo, associate vice president for career readiness, to the students who filled the auditorium to overflowing. She reiterated why the CDC holds this key event during students’ second year of college. “This is a pivot point. Sophomore year is when you start exploring the opportunities available to you.”

Robin Randall, vice president for enrollment management, reminded the audience that Mount Holyoke College is committed to preparing students for meaningful careers. “We want you to graduate feeling confident and capable, not holding a diploma and whispering, ‘Now what?’” she said.

Sophomores were organized into multiple cookie-named cohorts and could choose from a wide variety of workshops over the four days of the event — including sessions on optimizing their online presence, tailoring résumés and cover letters, mastering professional communication, networking effectively in person, and gaining experiential learning on campus. There was also an overview of the recently redesigned Lynk program.

Students had pre-booked informational interviews with alums in their careers of interest and prepared for an in-person networking event with alums as well as LinkedIn headshot photography sessions.

“Sophomore Institute 2026 exemplified the power of a truly integrated campus effort,” said Grillo. “I am deeply grateful to the President’s Office for their visionary support in scaling this program for institutional reach. This year’s Sophomore Institute has achieved a remarkable breadth of impact. I want to recognize my team, our campus partners and our alums for their pivotal roles in this success. The future of career readiness at Mount Holyoke is bright, and we remain committed to accelerating this momentum.”

Imposter syndrome, squiggly lines and more

Students also had the chance to attend panel discussions with alums. Sessions included “Your Career and Your Identities,” “Conducting Research in Academic, Private and Not-for-Profit Institutions” and “Using Your Career for Social Good.”

Alums imparted many wise words for Mount Holyoke students during these panels. Saturday’s keynote session, “Navigating Imposter Syndrome,” was a wide-ranging discussion about the need for confidence and community support in the face of workplace isolation and aggression. Moderated by President Danielle R. Holley, panelists were Tracy Gilchrist FP ’04, Olivia Velez ’98 and Takiema Bunche Smith ’95.

“Imposter syndrome is simply the feeling that you don’t belong, right?” said President Holley. “So going into spaces where you may be one of the only women in a Ph.D. program, or it may be coming to a college and you’re one of the only Black women who are there. It may be the feeling that, ‘I’m a student who is not the same age as all the other students who are around.’ So that feeling comes from the structural inequalities that we see in the workplace.”

All of the panelists admitted to feeling imposter syndrome throughout their careers. However, each of them fought it in different ways.

“When we participate in imposter syndrome, we are literally upholding power structures,” Smith said. “I’m not going to uphold the power structure in my lifetime, and I don’t want people around me to do it. I want to support people.”

Gilchrist agreed and reminded the students to seek out connections. “Isolation will be the metaphorical death of all of us,” she said. “So, find your people and find organizations.”

The need for community was repeated in the panel “Entrepreneurship, Side Hustles and Passion Projects,” with a special nod to the connections made at Mount Holyoke.

Leise Jones ’01 said, “I do think when you start a business, or you start any kind of venture, you start with your friends and family. My Mount Holyoke friends really stepped up.”

All the panelists agreed that career trajectories were squiggly rather than straight lines.

Looking back on her early career, Allison Cove ’12 said, “I was dead set on being an environmental lawyer. I graduated and I went and worked at the Environmental Protection Agency in Boston. At the time, I thought that was my dream job. And turns out, I really hated it, but I knew I wanted to solve environmental problems.”

Fortunately, Mount Holyoke students are well equipped for undulating career paths. Karena Strella ’90, as she moderated the “Ask A Recruiter” panel, confided to the audience, “We love liberal arts folks because of the critical thinking [they demonstrate], because of [them] knowing all sorts of different specializations.”

Panelists also urged students to lean into learning from every role and to think of Mount Holyoke classes as experience for their résumés.

“Work-study jobs are gold,” said Strella. “Working while going to Mount Holyoke, while doing everything you have to do, really sets you apart [in terms of] time management, discipline and understanding of the working world. So, don’t think that those are just throwaway jobs.”

Sophomore Institute 2026 succeeded in transforming a daunting pivot point for students into a clear path forward, replacing the uncertainty of the future with a toolkit of professional skills and a deepened network of support. By bridging the gap between classroom theory and workplace reality, the four-day event ensured that the class of 2028 would leave Mount Holyoke with a liberal arts education and the resilience and confidence necessary to navigate and lead in an ever-changing professional landscape.