Join us for our last Fall Open Houses and experience our beautiful, riverfront campus firsthand. Learn more about Marist’s academic experience, the admissions process, and get an inside look at life as a Red Fox! You'll have the opportunity to hear directly from students, faculty, and staff about what makes the Marist Community so special. Register Below:
Join us for our last Fall Open Houses and experience our beautiful, riverfront campus firsthand. Learn more about Marist’s academic experience, the admissions process, and get an inside look at life as a Red Fox! You'll have the opportunity to hear directly from students, faculty, and staff about what makes the Marist Community so special. Register Below:
Join us for our last Fall Open Houses and experience our beautiful, riverfront campus firsthand. Learn more about Marist’s academic experience, the admissions process, and get an inside look at life as a Red Fox! You'll have the opportunity to hear directly from students, faculty, and staff about what makes the Marist Community so special. Register Below:
Join us for our last Fall Open Houses and experience our beautiful, riverfront campus firsthand. Learn more about Marist’s academic experience, the admissions process, and get an inside look at life as a Red Fox! You'll have the opportunity to hear directly from students, faculty, and staff about what makes the Marist Community so special. Register Below:
Campus to Career
Students toured the entertainment company's Manhattan offices, attended an alumni panel discussion, and even sat on the iconic Forrest Gump bench in a day filled with networking and learning how Red Fox connections can open doors in the industry.
by Bryan Terry '12, Assistant Director of Content Marketing and Communications
Video and imagery by Carlo de Jesus, Director of Digital Storytelling
October 28, 2025 — After boarding a coach bus in Poughkeepsie bound for Manhattan, 30 Marist students arrived at 1515 Broadway and stepped into the corporate headquarters of Paramount, parent company to CBS, Nickelodeon, MTV, among many other big names in media and film.
Waiting to greet them were fellow Red Foxes, alumni who are now building careers at one of the world's leading media companies.
It was all part of an immersive networking experience, “Road to the Workplace,” coordinated by the Marist Center for Career Services, giving students unparalleled access to the entertainment industry and showcasing the power of the University’s alumni network.
This was the 41st event in the Road to the Workplace series, which has been connecting students with professional opportunities in many fields since 2017.
The visit to Paramount kicked off with an introduction from Katie Altuz '12, Director of Multi-Platform Content Strategy for the MTV Entertainment Group, who coordinated the event.
“Everyone you're going to meet that's an employee here at Paramount is also a Marist alum,” Altuz said to the group. “Everyone has walked the path that you have and has already been where you're trying to go.”
As part of the visit, students attended presentations on Paramount's internship programs and full-time career opportunities led by Nicole Hallak '18, Manager of Multi-Platform Content Strategy for the MTV Entertainment Group. The group then settled in for an alumni panel discussion, a portion of the day that greatly impacted the students.
The panel featured five Marist graduates spanning from the class of 1994 to 2019, representing diverse departments across the company: Annie Farragher '19, Manager of Ad Sales Operations; John Osborne '19, Senior Coordinator of Standards and Practices; Donna Tine '94, Senior Director of Project Management for MTVE Brand Creative; Colin D'Amelio '15, Editor for MTV Brand Creative; and Meagan Caruso '16, Manager for Global Total Rewards HR.
Osborne encouraged students to take advantage of opportunities when they arise and to seek out mentors with whom they can talk openly.
“They really gave me a big platform to succeed and encouraged me to be myself,” he said. “What comes with people having an open-door policy is you are encouraged to go after it and not be afraid to capitalize on things that you do well.”
Tine, who has spent 25 years at MTV and Comedy Central after starting at Lifetime Television, emphasized the transformative power of internships. She recalled her experience interning with WNBC's promos department while at Marist.
“I learned so much each and every day on my internship,“ she said. “And everything started to make sense that didn't always make sense in a textbook.”
D'Amelio shared how an internship at Paramount—then Viacom—led directly to his current role. A mentor he met during that internship later advocated for him when an assistant editor position opened.
“I’m sure you’ll hear a thousand times, it’s all about connections in this industry,” he said to the students.
For Ryan McGowan '26, a media studies and production major concentrating in film and television, the panel provided just the kind of practical guidance he was seeking as he prepares to graduate.
The key takeaway?
“Reach out to people as much as I can, take advantage of those connections, ask people for advice, because they've all definitely been more than happy to give it,” he said.
The Road to the Workplace series provides opportunities to network with alumni and professionals across various industries. Students have visited companies in New York City, Hartford, Jersey City, Albany, Washington D.C., and other cities.
“The goal of Road to the Workplace is to work with all of the six schools at Marist and provide a career trip experience for the various majors within each school,” said Desmond Murray, Associate Director for the Employer Experience in the Center for Career Services. “The career trips assist Marist students in selecting internships and help guide them in their career and academic paths.”
To participate in a Road to the Workplace trip, students must submit applications to the Center for Career Services and explain how attending the trip aligns with their professional interests and career goals.
Selected students attend a pre-departure orientation where Career Services staff review proper conduct, workplace etiquette, and networking strategies.
For Yahya Khan '28, a business administration major with a concentration in marketing, the application process was worth the effort.
“I think there is a lot to learn about the industry,” said Khan. “I wanted to be part of this trip, network with people, and learn more about how the streaming business works.”
Road to the Workplace Employer Destinations
Goldman Sachs
Madison Square Garden
Bellevue Hospital
Travelers
Penguin Random House
Throughout the day, the strength of the Marist alumni network became increasingly apparent to students.
Caruso shared how connections from her time at Marist continue to serve her in her career.
“Being able to hold yourself up and be polished in a personal, professional setting, be able to converse, be in a social setting is so much more than anything you would learn behind a computer,” she said. “Life is so much about connections and the people you meet.”
Brian Bocanegra '18, Manager of Curation Operations for Network Streaming and Product, was involved in theater at Marist and credited his extracurricular involvement with helping him develop crucial skills and with making a connection that led to his job at Paramount.
“I was very grateful,” he said. “So I wanted to just sort of give back that same opportunity to a prospective student who's looking for some sort of guidance.”
Angelina Ruiz '27, a digital media major with a concentration in animation, felt that sense of community firsthand during the visit.
“Being here and hearing from them and talking about how people from Marist still reach out and still connect — it really proved that the Marist alumni are a big part of going to Marist and they really take pride in the place that they came from,” she said.
Meagan Caruso '16, Manager for Global Total Rewards HR
Angelina Ruiz '27
Bocanegra served as one of the tour guides, leading students through five different floors, each themed around Paramount's portfolio of brands including Nickelodeon, BET, MTV, and Paramount Pictures.
“We have some pretty iconic props and set pieces from various movies and iconographic events under Paramount,” said Bocanegra. “For example, we had the students go sit on the Forrest Gump bench, which they found really cool.”
For Ruiz, the tour offered a possible view into her future professoinal life.
“Just looking around the building, being around the workers and the space, I really could just picture myself possibly working in this environment,” she said.
The day concluded with a networking mixer, giving students one-on-one time with the alumni they had met throughout the afternoon.
“To see their personality and their interests shine through really put a smile on my face today,” said Bocanegra.
This was the fourth time Paramount has hosted Marist's Road to the Workplace event, a testament to the ongoing partnership between the company and the university.
“We have built a strong relationship with coordinating career trips with Paramount and our goal is to do the same with many other employers as well,” said Murray.
“My favorite thing about this event is seeing the excitement and eagerness in the students,” said Altuz. “I'm just so grateful that I'm able to be a part of this Marist community and give back and just continue the Red Fox spirit.”
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