Photo Gallery

This past Friday night, Oct. 9, the Binghamton Athletic Department hosted its third annual Alumni Networking Panel.  The event, which is coordinated by both the Student-Athlete Success Center and the Varsity Club, is geared towards current senior student-athletes and presents a unique opportunity for them to get a variety of perspectives on what life after college looks like. This year, the panel consisted of six student-athlete alumni eager to share their stories with the attending seniors.
 
The first alumni was Dr. Andrew Blank, a 1992 Binghamton graduate who was also a wrestler for the university.  He now practices general gastroenterology at Mt. Sinai Hospital and is an assistant clinical professor of medicine at Columbia University College of Physician and Surgeons. Next was Phil Grommet, a men's soccer player who graduated in 2006 who currently practices business law, not-for-profit law, and real estate law as an attorney for Levene Gouldin & Thompson, LLC. Jamie Holliday, who now works as a school-based program coordinator for Big Brothers Big Sisters, played on the women's soccer team until graduating in 2013. Jessie Rubin, who played on the women's tennis team and also graduated in 2013, is now the Social Media Manager for NBC Universal, Inc. Daniel Polhamus, a wrestler who graduated in 2000, is now a managing partner and owner of Food & Fire BBQ. Lastly, Michael Lane, a 1989 Binghamton men's tennis graduate, is the head of Dimensional's Target Income Group. 
 
All six alumni that took part in this event are part of the Varsity Club, an alumni association for any athlete that played a varsity sport at Binghamton University from 1946 until current day. It is overseen by Bette Anne Gaube, the Assistant Athletic Director of Annual Giving. 
 
"It's a really great opportunity for alumni to get engaged and re-involved to give back," Gaube said.  "They are more than happy to talk to our student-athletes and they love the opportunity to help them any way they can."
 
Linda Reynolds was the Student-Athlete Success Center's liaison for the event. She is one of its Assistant Directors and is also a coordinator for the Student-Athlete Advisory Council (SAAC).
 
"The goal is to bring in alumni who would resonate with our student-athletes to get the message to them that there is no right or wrong way to do it," Reynolds said.  "We want them to really emphasize that being a student-athlete is an asset and that it carries a lot of weight as they make their way into the real world."
 
The first hour of the event consisted of each panelist taking turns in sharing first-hand experiences.  They spoke about a wide range of topics, including their experiences with grad school and the interviewing process, with a big focus on how being a student-athlete has impacted their life even years after graduating.
 
"When life gives you an opportunity, you should use all of the things you've built being a student-athlete," Polhamus said.  "All the skills and knowledge you've acquired, your competitive nature and all the things you learned about being part of a team- use it and take advantage of it."
 
The student-athletes were highly impressed by the advice they received and the relaxed and open air displayed by the alumni panel. 
 
"I thought tonight was a great experience," senior men's lacrosse player Mitchell Rick said. "The alumni were all extremely personable and open about their careers and successes. It was insightful to hear how their experiences at BU helped them in the real world."
 
After the first part of the event concluded, the student-athletes were given the chance to meet with the alumni.  In a more engaging, one-on-one atmosphere, this allowed the student-athletes to get better acquainted with the alumni and create possible connections for the future.
 
"Personally, it was great speaking with Dr. Blank and learning about the path he took to get where he is today," Rick said.  "The conversation I had with him definitely helped me a lot in terms of my future plans, and what to expect when entering the medical field."
 
If the seniors took one thing away from it, Polhamus hoped they listened to the direction of the conversation and heard the underlying message.
 
"If I could say one thing- it is to be ready to embrace what life provides for you," he said.  "You should always be a student and be ready to embrace things when they come your way. You should relax.  You should enjoy life- and take advantage of it when it gives you something unexpected and neat because it happens.  That's what makes it so amazing."