GORHAM, Maine  –   In its fifth year of programming, the Huskies' Athletic Department and the University of Southern Maine's Career and Employment Hub are sponsoring the first Husky Pack Chat of the 2024-2025 academic year in tandem with the University's 2024 Homecoming & Family Weekend, October 3-6.
 
A professional development series, Husky Pack Chats provide a path for USM student-athletes at all stages of their collegiate careers with an opportunity to prepare the varied facets of the job hunt and build a connection with USM's Career and Employment Hub.  Tying in with the festive atmosphere of the weekend, the 2024-2025 academic year opening Husky Pack Chat is a Mocktail Hour and Networking Event slated for Friday, October 4 (4-5:30 pm) in the USM Ice Arena. 
 
During this event, student-athletes will have the opportunity to put into practice networking concepts and take advantage of the opportunity to engage with a variety of University alumni and business professionals, and lay out a plan to continue to develop a career plan. 
 
With a blend of student-athlete alumni and visiting employers from a variety of professions and industries, student-athletes in attendance will be able to enjoy festive mocktails crafted by USM coaching staff and practice their networking skills.
 
University of Southern Maine Department of Athletics is excited to welcome back a number of former Husky standouts from men's soccer, softball, track & field, and baseball. Among the notable Husky student-athlete alumni in attendance are men's soccer Hall of Famer Greg Cox '10, softball alumna Brooke (Cross) Sylvia '19, and Riley Peterson '22.  Cox is an Assistant Vice President, Associate Client Advisor at R.M Davis, Private Wealth Management, and Sylvia is Employee Relations Specialist with Abbott Industries. Peterson is an Associate Producer with Garrand Moehlenkamp – a branding agency.
 
Kicking off the event, two current student-athletes Jacob Kindenstin (Barre, Vermont) and Anna Byers, successful Husky Pack Chat participants themselves, will address their peers on the advantages of the Career Employment Hub and utilizing the programming offered by USM Athletics. 
 
A Marketing major and a goaltender of the men's ice hockey program, Kindestin has been involved in the Huskies' Student-Athlete Advisory Committee throughout his career, and currently manages the student organizations social media profiles. During the 2023-24 academic year, Kindestin was the marketing lead for the TrailblazHER Walk for Women honoring the legendary Paula D. Hodgdon in April of 2024. A member of the Huskies' women's lacrosse team, and an Elementary Education major, Byers is also a four-year member of SAAC. During the 2024 season, Byers served as one of the members of her team's leadership group, and was a nominee for the Hodgdon Leadership Award, and the Kimberly M. Turner Award.
 
"This is a tremendous opportunity for our current student-athletes to learn from their peers, our university and student-athlete alumni, and to ask questions about starting their career search from individuals who have had similar experiences while embarking on the beginning stages of their own career paths," said Associate Director of Athletics and Senior Woman Administrator Kimberly Turner.
 
USM's Career & Employment Hub is a resource to multiple audiences, serving University of Southern Maine students, business and community partners, and faculty and staff.  Assisting students in connecting to their future through career exploration, self-assessments, interviewing skills, internship searches and more, the Career & Employment Hub also connects community partners to USM's greatest resource – its students and faculty – to help develop workforce connections, fill service-learning experiences, internship, and volunteering opportunities as well as traditional employment. Located on the Portland Campus on the second floor of the newly opened McGoldrick Center for Career & Student Success (Room 2010). Interested parties can learn more about all the activities, workshops and one-on-one guidance opportunities at https://usm.maine.edu/career-and-employment-hub
 

USM Alumni - Visiting Employers/Alumni  Involved:

Sare' Arnold, Talent Acquisition, Enterprise Mobility

Al Bean, Commissioner of the Little East Conference, former Director of Athletics, USM (Baseball)

Charles Brown, Travel Sports Abroad, ActivSport Travel World

Alex Chou, Strategic Information Leader, IBM

Nathan Cook, Health and Safety Manager, Yale Cordage (Men's Soccer)

Greg Cox, AVP, Client Advisor, R.M.Davis (Men's Soccer)

Heather Dupuis, 5th Grade Teacher, Gorham School District (USM Alumni)

Paul Farley, Implementation Manager, UNUM

Timothy Farwell, Deputy Chief, USM Public Safety

Alexander Gastonguay, Account Executive for Ticket Sales, Portland Sea Dogs (USM Alumni)

Maddie Geiger, Insurance Branch, UNUM

Aaron Hagan, VP, Senior Branch Manager, NorthEast Bank

Will Hay, Scout, Leading Edge Fundraising

Joe Hemmings, Director of Enrollment Management, Bridgton Academy

James Hopkins, Head Men's Soccer Coach/Lecturer, USM Athletics (Men's Soccer)

Martyn Keen, Head Women's Soccer Coach/Lecturer, USM Athletics

Keith Lehigh, Owner, Lehigh Painting Inc. (Men's Soccer)

John Morgan, Co-Owner, Chairman, Roosevelt Soccer Club (Men's Soccer)

Charlie Mull, Personal Trainer, Owner……. (Men's Soccer)

Riley Peterson, Associate Producer, Garrand Moehlenkamp (Men's Track & Field)

Doug Reynolds, Project Manager, Gorrill Palmer (UMS Alumni)

Hannah Shields, Registered Nurse, Maine Health (Softball)

PJ Singh, Senior Associate Director, USM Admissions

Sophia Slovenski, Marketing & Development AmeriCorps VISTA, Strong Girls United Foundation (Women's Track & Field)

Madison Spencer, Account Executive for Ticket Sales, Portland Sea Dogs

Brooke Sylvia, Employee Relations Specialist, Abbott Laboratories (Softball)

Jack Sylvia, Physical Therapist, Back in Motion (Baseball)

 
 
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