From the Head of School: Harlem Academy Hosts a Career Panel for Alumni

1/8/2025

Dear Friends:

Just before winter break, I moderated a career panel for alumni and listened in on the lively breakout discussions that followed. Harlem Academy junior board members and mentors shared lessons from their early careers to help our alumni plan and navigate their own journey. The stories were often funny and always sincere. Each one led to advice that was incredibly valuable – points I honestly wish I’d thought more about as I was finishing up college!

Since we’re fresh into the new year when folks are setting their resolutions, I wanted to share a summary from the session. The points might not be relevant to every station in life, but I’m sure you'll all appreciate what our speakers had to share:

PLAY TO YOUR STRENGTHS.

Figure out what you’re good at and how you can use those strengths to make an impact in your role. It’s even better if you find something that you like doing that other people don’t like or try to avoid — it’s easier to find people to pay you for it!

- Clare Hawthorne, Senior Director of Engineering and Product Operations, Oscar Health

SAY "YES!"

I’ve known from an early age that I wasn’t going to be the smartest person in the room, but I knew that I could advance my career by making genuine connections, listening to mentors, and almost always saying yes to what my team needed. Even in this room, everyone chose to say “yes” when others stayed home! That attitude won’t always produce an immediately tangible result, but it will over time.

- Tanner Powers, Vice President, Niobium

CAST A WIDE NET, AND DON’T WORRY ABOUT THE REJECTIONS.

Right out of college, I had a spreadsheet with close to 100 places where I applied to work. I heard back from only two. The first was a company that ultimately closed and the second was an unpaid internship. It wasn’t an ideal situation, but I took the internship, which ended up inspiring me to go to law school and build the career I have today.

- Craig Campbell, Associate, Sullivan & Cromwell LLP

EARLY IN YOUR CAREER, IT'S OKAY TO NOT HAVE THE ANSWERS.

At first, I was worried about not knowing something, but then I realized that I would be appreciated for asking the question. People generally want to help you learn. At some point, the window of enthusiasm for not knowing shrinks, but it’s longer than you might think and important to use.

- Kris Rodgers, Managing Director, Sixth Street

KEEP LEARNING.

I started at Google as a computer programmer, but I leveraged my skills in music and foreign languages to advance to more interesting projects and greater responsibilities.

- Aaron Wade, Creative Technologist, Google Creative Labs

I’m confident that this advice will help our alumni, and our eighth graders who were also able to attend, continue to realize the Harlem Academy mission and make their mark on the world. And I’m grateful for another wonderful example of people who care about the school coming together to make a difference.

With best wishes for the new year,
Vinny Dotoli
Head of School

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