NYC Semester Leads to Job for Recent Grad

Ambition + Drew immersive experiences = Job

August 2019 – Drew University’s New York Semesters immerse students in the culture and professional opportunities of the Big Apple. For Chris Morville C’19, the experience led to a job.

Morville participated in one of Drew’s six New York Semesters, and was introduced to his future employer, SmithSolve, a healthcare communications agency.

We talked to Chris about his NYC experience and his career.

The NYC Semester on Communications & Media awarded me with exposure and a foot in the door, as well as real-life introductions to modern day industries in the communications world. You get a real sense of how things work in your field of interest by registering for the NYC programs that Drew offers.

During the semester, we had a visit to SmithSolve’s office that (Associate Professor and Director of the NYC Semester on Communications & Media) Lisa Lynch planned. We were informed about the type of work they do, who they are, and what they represent. I made it a point to stay after the visit and talk to their COO. She told me to keep in touch, and that is exactly what I did!

I followed up with emails about my research and projects that I was doing about healthcare communications, and made sure to make it clear that my interest in them was unwavering. It took me many follow-ups and check-ins to get an interview, but a little over a year after my initial visit, I was offered a job!

My NYC Semester was the most worthwhile part of my educational experience at Drew. From what I’ve heard, the Wall Street, London and United Nations semesters are equally as worthwhile. The NYC semesters are what sets Drew apart academically from other schools of their size and structure.

Lisa Lynch was my mentor throughout the Communications & Media major. Whether it was with my capstone projects, internship opportunities, or career and project advice, Lisa always made time to listen and provide valuable input to make sure that I was in the best position possible to have a successful career out of college.