At St. Bonaventure, we root for each other’s success and happiness. So it shouldn’t surprise current students that faithful Bona alumni have jumped at the opportunity to share career advice and experiences with them.

Bonnies4Bonnies is a new career networking event aimed at connecting students and alumni and is planned for 3 to 5 p.m. Friday, Feb. 12, in Doyle Dining and Board of Trustees Rooms. The event is hosted by St. Bonaventure’s Career and Professional Readiness Center (CPRC).

Registration for the networking event is now open at www.sbu.edu/Bonnies4Bonnies. The deadline to register is Wednesday, Feb. 10.

Following a keynote talk on “The Power of the Bonaventure Alumni Connection,” students will have the chance to meet and mingle with alumni representing a broad spectrum of professional roles, from freelance writer to corporate executive.

“Our alumni are passionate about supporting our students after they leave the university, whether it be through opportunities or professional recommendations and connections,” said Pamela Ferman, assistant director and employer relations coordinator at the CPRC. “Our alumni have gone on to excel in the job market, and having the ability to bring them back to talk to students is invaluable to their career success.”

Alumni participating in Bonnies4Bonnies represent many major urban cities and an impressive mix of companies.

The CPRC will have representation from New York City, Washington, D.C., Buffalo, New Jersey, Pittsburgh, Charlotte, Rochester and companies like SiriusXM, New York Life, Toyota, Nissan North America, Scholastic, Constellation Brands, Rohrbach Brewing Company, Fisher-Price and M&T Bank, said Ferman.

For students undecided about a career path, Bonnies4Bonnies is an opportunity to find out more about a particular profession from someone in the field who is willing to speak candidly about its pros and cons.

Addressing students and alumni in the keynote address will be alumnus Kevin Cleary, marketing manager of sponsorships and promotions for Nestlé Waters North America, the global leader in the bottled water industry.

Cleary has worked at Nestlé Waters for 11 years in various sales, communications and marketing roles. Based in Stamford, Conn., he manages day-to-day responsibilities related to Nestlé Waters North America partnerships, including the Boston marathon, Universal Studios, and select Major League Baseball teams, including the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees and Texas Rangers.

Managing a multimillion-dollar budget, Cleary oversees partnership opportunity reviews, provides leadership for integrated marketing plans, and manages multiple outside agency teams.

Cleary, a marketing major at St. Bonaventure, earned his undergraduate Bachelor of Business Administration degree in 2002. He is a member of the university’s National Alumni Association Board, serves as president of St. Bonaventure’s New York City Alumni Chapter, and is a member of the Bonaventure Athletic Fund Advisory Board. In addition, he was recently named to the board at Mt. Irenaeus.

For more information about Bonnies4Bonnies, visit www.sbu.edu/Bonnies4Bonnies or contact Ferman at pferman@sbu.edu.

______________

About the University: The nation’s first Franciscan university, we believe in the goodness of every person and in the ability of every person to do extraordinary things.  St. Bonaventure University cultivates graduates who are confident and creative communicators, collaborative leaders and team members, and innovative problem solvers who are respectful of themselves, others, and the diverse world around them. Named the #5 best college value in the North by U.S. News and World Report, we are establishing pathways to internships, graduate schools and careers in the context of our renowned liberal arts tradition. Our students are becoming extraordinary.