St. Joseph’s University, New York’s internship and job fairs allow students who are new to the professional world an opportunity to speak with potential employers, learn what careers are out there, pass along their resumes and brush up on their interview skills.
On the employer side, representatives from companies throughout New York and Long Island can seek out fresh and enthusiastic talent to fill various positions from internships to full-time roles. However, for one young woman, taking part in SJNY’s recent internship and job fair was a full circle moment.
Deena Lopresti ’17, MBA ’21, a product cost transparency adviser for Zebra Technologies in Holtsville, NY, began her journey at St. Joseph’s University, New York’s Long Island Campus. Like many first-year students with a solid plan for their future, she decided to change course after seeing everything the University had to offer.
“I originally started going for teaching and then pivoted and found out that was not my career path,” said Lopresti, who earned a B.S. in Business Administration.
Deena Lopresti meeting with SJNY students during this fall’s internship and job fair.
During her time at St. Joseph’s, Lopresti was well-involved in campus life, serving as a member of the Multicultural Club and work-study student for the Office of Career Preparation and Professional Development. There, she took an interest test, met with a career counselor and discovered that she was more aligned for a career in business than education.
In fact, it was in that same office where she learned of internship opportunities that would lead to her being recruited directly out of school and eventually working at the Suffolk County Water Authority.
“Without the internship program through St. Joe’s and the connections I made there, I probably never would’ve gotten one of my longest standing positions,” she said.
In addition to obtaining invaluable work experience, the Water Authority also gave Lopresti the opportunity to advance her career and return to St. Joseph’s to earn an MBA through the company’s affiliate program with the University.
“I don’t think that without that degree I would have been able to get as far as I am in my career,” Lopresti stated, “With all the knowledge I learned and the professors, some of whom I still keep in touch with.”
Earning an MBA at St. Joe’s led directly to Lopresti being recruited once again, this time by her current employer, Zebra Technologies.
In her role, Deena represents Zebra Technologies at trade shows and conferences across the country.
Now in a senior-level position at the Long Island-based tech company, which designs hardware, software and automation solutions, and services for a variety of industries, Lopresti is in charge of hiring and managing new talent, giving her the chance to pay it forward.
As someone who was once a college graduate herself, Lopresti acknowledges how many students are unaware of the opportunities around them. That is something she is hoping to change with the help of her alma mater, St. Joseph’s.
In the future, Lopresti would like to explore collaborating with SJNY’s career services office, the same office where she was once a work-study, to develop a program that will act as a pipeline between the University and Zebra Technologies to foster talent and put students on a successful career path.
“We have IT, business, supply chain, marketing, finance; all these different roles we’re trying to recruit local talent for internship opportunities,” said Lopresti. “One of our biggest offices is in New York, so why not have Long Island talent?”
And even though she did not end up with a degree in education like originally planned, Lopresti still feels like a teacher in the way she builds and implements policies and trains individuals on how to best benefit themselves and their organization — another full-circle moment as she described it.
Deena is a proud St. Joe’s alumna with hopes to partner with the University in the future.
Looking forward, Lopresti hopes to be viewed as a mentor, acting as a bridge between the next and current generation of professionals and using the skills learned at SJNY as a guide to bettering one’s career path. She also advises students to get as much as they can out of their experience with St. Joseph’s.
“St. Joe’s embodies what Long Island is about. They have the sports and the clubs, and they appeal to everyone. The opportunities are endless for whatever you want to do. If you’re planning to stay and work on Long Island, St. Joseph’s has the resources and connections to make it happen,” Lopresti concluded.
