Long Before Graduation, SUA Students Step Into the Professional World

This spring, programs across Soka University of America offered students more than resume-writing tips — they created space for students to imagine who they might become and how to get there.

The Career Development Office organized a week of talks and workshops leading up to the annual spring career fair, and Bridges to Business (B2B) sent 10 students to the greater Seattle area for a spring break packed with company visits, networking, and real-world discovery. Both programs push students to think not only about what they want to achieve, but about how they want to contribute.

SUA Launches Its First Career Week

The Career Development Office hosted SUA’s first Career Week this spring, expanding its regular career fair into five days of programming designed to introduce students to potential career paths, help them build financial literacy, and prepare to meet employers at the fair.

The week kicked off with a talk and workshop on careers in cybersecurity and AI, led by retired FBI intelligence analyst Dr. Edna Reid. An informal lunch chat with Reid the following day allowed students to talk with her in a more relaxed setting.

For Bemnet Alemayehu Tefera ‘28, one of the key takeaways from Reid’s talk was how employer demand is growing for the kinds of interdisciplinary skills that students like him are honing with a liberal arts education at SUA.

“Dr. Reid emphasized the importance of combining analytical thinking from the social sciences with technical awareness of AI tools,” he said. “I also found it insightful to learn about real-world applications of cyber intelligence and how career paths in this field are evolving.”

Career Week programming covered a range of other topics, from a session on optimizing LinkedIn to a workshop on financial wellness led by a vice president branch manager from Poppy Bank.

Dylan Hanzaki ‘29 attended the career fair prep workshop with a specific goal in mind — there was going to be a company at the fair that he wanted to approach about an internship. He credits the workshop with helping him brush up his resume and practice networking so he could attend the career fair with confidence.

“I learned how I should present myself at the career fair,” Hanzaki said, “and about the kinds of questions I should ask employers.”

Over 125 students attended the fair — nearly 30% of students currently on campus, as half the third-year class is currently studying abroad. Jonathan Wray, director of career development and internships, says this year’s career fair hosted organizations from the widest range of industries yet, including several graduate programs and the Orange County Fire Authority.

“Employers are consistently impressed with Soka students and how prepared they are,” said Wray. “I think the career fair represents the best of what Soka has to offer. Many students walked out with interviews for jobs and internship opportunities.”

In addition to these outcomes, what Wray hopes students get out of Career Week is a sense of how broad their options are.

“There is a wealth of opportunities out there,” he said. “And Soka students can compete with anyone on the planet.”

Broadening Horizons: B2B Leadership Circle in Seattle

This semester, students also experienced career development opportunities beyond SUA’s campus. B2B, a leadership and professional development program that teaches meaningful skills in innovation, entrepreneurship, and business, took its Leadership Circle cohort on a week-long trip to visit 12 major companies, startups, and community organizations across the greater Seattle area.

The B2B Spring Break Business Bootcamp’s itinerary included visits to the Port of Tacoma, Nintendo of America, Microsoft, the Amazon Spheres, and an array of independent businesses in maritime and agricultural technology, marketing, consulting, and retail.

“I want students to meet leaders and hear their college-to-career trajectory,” said Mary Patrick Kavanaugh, director of innovation, entrepreneurship, and special projects, “and discover that these people are more similar to them than they are different.”

The 10 students in this year’s Leadership Circle cohort come from five different countries — Ghana, Nepal, South Korea, Vietnam, and the United States — and represent a diverse range of academic concentrations, from life sciences and humanities to social and behavioral sciences.

The itinerary was shaped by Kavanaugh’s network of contacts in the region — and by a particularly strong Soka community presence in Seattle. Ray Elliget ‘06 led the tour at Nintendo, and Mawuli Fiagbe ‘24 welcomed the cohort to Microsoft’s campus in Redmond. Alankrita Chhikara ‘09 M.A. ‘16 co-led the trip in Seattle, with her husband Raj Budhiraja facilitating the Amazon visit. Director of Alumni Relations Margaret Kasahara joined for several days to connect with alumni and the Leadership Circle cohort, helping students visualize how they, too, can support future SUA students after graduation.

The group also shared dinner with Soka donors Les and Mia Hayward.

“What struck us most was the vision and wisdom you so openly shared with us,” wrote Calleigh Sakai ‘29 on behalf of the group in a thank-you letter to the Haywards. “Thank you for reminding us of our own worth and for reigniting our passion to give back.”

Students came away from each experience with what the B2B program calls “Wisdom Bombs” — the standout insight from each host that really landed. At a post-trip debrief meeting back on SUA’s campus, each of the students described how they were newly inspired to undertake entrepreneurial projects that contribute to their communities.

Siyeon Hong ‘28 will submit a brand marketing pitch for a beauty company competition in South Korea, and Uget Hagan ‘28, inspired by the group’s visit to Maritime Blue, is brainstorming ideas for an AI system that would link ports in Ghana. Kaylee Choi ‘29, who is focused on a career in arts and entertainment, found unexpected inspiration at HALO Branded Solutions, realizing that there are many more opportunities than she had previously imagined to apply her creative skills.

Students found particular meaning in the tour of the processing plant at Suquamish Seafoods, a tribal-owned enterprise on the Kitsap Peninsula. Elder and tribal council member Luther “Jay” Mills led the tour and shared the story of the Suquamish tribe’s remarkable journey, from overcoming decades of hardship to running successful businesses that fund education, healthcare, and elder care in the community. In a thank you note to Mills on behalf of the students, Eselasie Akpablie ‘29 wrote that Mills’ account reframed their ideas about “what resilient leadership actually looks like.”

“Learning about how tribal members can work together around shared values and mutual understanding to run a thriving enterprise was eye-opening,” Akpablie wrote. “It expanded what we think is possible, both for communities and for ourselves as future leaders.”

Kavanaugh sees this kind of transformation as the whole point of this immersive experience. “They move from ‘other people can get jobs like this’ to ‘I can access these opportunities,’” she said.

Students are already applying to internships they learned about on the trip, and the group is now preparing to pass on the wisdom they gleaned through special programming for peers back on campus.

‘Everyone Here Wants to Make an Impact’: Building the Foundation for a Contributive Life

What Career Week and the B2B bootcamp share is a belief that career development isn’t something that happens after graduation — it’s a process that begins the moment you arrive at Soka, and it’s most powerful when students engage early and often.

“We’re here from the first day that they arrive until after they graduate,” said Wray. “The career journey is a process … Don’t be afraid to change. Don’t be afraid to explore. And the single biggest thing: don’t be afraid to fail. This is the environment in which you want to try new things.”

SUA’s mission to foster global citizens who positively contribute to their communities makes it a uniquely supportive environment for students to find their professional path.

“Everyone here wants to make an impact in one way or another,” said Puja Khatri ‘28, who applied to the B2B Leadership Circle after hearing about other students’ positive experiences.

And while the Career Development Office also offers assistance to alumni, Hanzaki encourages his fellow students to check out the career resources available at SUA long before commencement in order to take full advantage of the opportunities.

“Becoming familiar with the Career Development Office early in your years at Soka will set you on the right trajectory,” he said. “Everybody in that office is rooting for your success.”

Students interested in SUA’s career resources can check out the Career Hub for more information on programs offered by the Career Development Office and Bridges to Business.