On November 15, Christendom’s Career and Professional Development Office hosted its final Life on Tap of the semester. Alumni Daniel Llera ’22, Gail Peterson ’21, and Peter Cermak ’21 shared their insights with the student body about their successes working in project management.
Llera is a Project Manager at Level 1 Property Solutions in Winchester, VA. Peterson has worked with Virtual Service Operations (VSO) since graduation and now leads her team as the Project Manager, working remotely from her home in Texas. Cermak is currently a project manager with Clark Construction Group, a general contractor in the commercial construction industry in McLean, VA.
Project management is a broad position that operates in a variety of fields, including construction, IT, marketing, and healthcare. While the details and practices vary from industry to industry, all three of the alumni noted that project management centers on communication and organization between various groups and subcontractors. Because communication between various parties is so critical for project management, Llera and Peterson emphasized the benefit of having concrete, hands-on experience through internships in their particular field, prior to becoming a project manager.
Though each of the alumni works with different companies, all of them connected with their current employer while at Christendom. Peterson took advantage of an employer visit to campus while Llera met with Mrs. Stephens about a posting on the Christendom Job Board. Cermak sought out a summer internship with Clark Construction following his sophomore year.
All three alumni emphasized the many applicable skills they learned through their Christendom education. They agreed that one of the greatest benefits was learning to communicate clearly and professionally, with faculty as well as their fellow students. Cermak also stated that leadership is a rare skill in high demand, and Christendom provides ample opportunities for students to take initiative in the numerous clubs, organizations, and jobs on campus. Peterson further noted that the academic rigor of Christendom’s curriculum encourages students to manage their time effectively, a crucial skill in project management and professional life.
The Christendom liberal arts curriculum, far from limiting its graduates in their future careers, opens the door to a world of possibilities in every major field. Through the study of the Catholic liberal arts, Christendom’s students encounter a universal study of knowledge — through mathematics, history, literature, classics, and political science — unified by the central role of philosophy and theology.
The Life on Tap series connects successful alumni in various fields with current students, demonstrating the paths that countless alumni have taken to succeed after graduating. The Career and Professional Development Office typically organizes three Life on Tap events every semester which are open to all students.