Stony Brook Athletics Hosts Turning Pro Week

The Stony Brook Athletics Student Development Team held Turning Pro Week on April 11-15 and May 2-4. Turning Pro Week served as an opportunity for student-athletes to work on various areas of their individual professional growth in preparation for transitioning beyond Stony Brook University.
 
Over the course of the two weeks, student-athletes had the opportunity to meet with recruiters from numerous companies and employers who provided professional advice and discussed realistic next career steps.
 
“Turning Pro Week was very beneficial to me because it gave me the opportunity to speak to employers and find more about what I am interested in doing in the future. It connected me with employers who are willing to help newly graduated students and lead them into the direction that they want to go. It gave me the opportunity to talk about what I enjoy and how I can apply that into my newly graduated life. I am very happy with the experience that I received, because it reminded me that there are so many different options out there and that I will find my way,” said McKenzie Bushee, a graduate on the women’s basketball team.
 
“Turning Pro Week was a great opportunity to use my skills that I learned in the classroom and apply them to a real-world experience. After Turning Pro week, I have been blessed with the chance to hone my career skills while finishing my degree. Four Seasons Sunrooms is doing everything in their power to accommodate my football schedule so I can get the best of both worlds,” said Matt Mirabito, a redshirt junior on the football team.
 
Student-athletes were able to receive immediate feedback in the following four key areas: Resume/Cover Letter/LinkedIn Review, Mock Interview, Sponsor Spotlight, and Financial Planning Post Stony Brook.
 
“For my Turning Pro week session, I chose to have a spotlight sponsor with LankTek. I met with someone who works in the Human Resources Department (Robin – super nice) at the company and she explained the different branches of the company to me and I also described my background so that we could meet somewhere in the middle. I was surprisingly drawn to a department in the company that had nothing to do with my major or what I thought I wanted to do in the future. We are currently in the works of figuring out an internship, so that was awesome! This experience showed me that I don’t always have to look for opportunities in my field and sometimes they find you in places you would never expect,” said Ranae Ward, a senior on the women’s soccer team.
 
As a result of Turning Pro Week, two Seawolves received summer internship offers. Senior Twon Grannum from men’s soccer was offered internship opportunities with Redefine Meals and Four Seasons Sunrooms. Mirabito landed a paid summer internship with Four Seasons Sunrooms.

For the full story, visit stonybrookathletics.com.