Student Organization Spotlight: Career Fellows W&L Career Fellows offer peer-to-peer support for students exploring their career aspirations.

By Kelsey Goodwin
March 6, 2025

It’s never too early in a student’s undergraduate career to begin creating a resume, learning to network and exploring careers. And Washington and Lee University students have the benefit of beginning their career journey with a little help from their friends, in the form of the peer-driven Career Fellows program housed within the Office of Career and Professional Development (CPD).

The Career Fellows comprise 38 students committed to serving as career advisers to their peers in coordination with CPD’s professional staff of career advisers. The group is available for appointments in the office or over Zoom to work with students on resumes, cover letters and other aspects of career planning and navigating their job searches.

The Career Fellows program began to take its current form in 2014, with an initial cohort of three students. Brooke Peccie ’17, associate director of career and professional development, serves as the Career Fellows program manager and works closely with students to train incoming Career Fellows, field questions they may encounter during appointments and connect students to further resources available through CPD. Peccie said the program has evolved into an increasingly competitive position on campus; last year, there were 110 applications for 38 spots. The group also fields more appointments each year.

“When we first started, our fellows were seeing 200 to 300 appointments per year, whereas now they’re doing close to 1,600 appointments,” Peccie said. “That’s the equivalent of two additional full-time career advisers in our office.”

Abid Jeem ’26, Sophie McCauley ’25 and Yewon Shin ’25 serve as Head Career Fellows and meet regularly with Peccie to strategize. McCauley, a global politics and sociology double major with a minor in data science from Dallas, said she was inspired to become a Career Fellow to empower fellow students to follow their interests.

“My career interests are very niche,” said McCauley, who is interested in data science in the context of informing urban planning and public policy, “and I wanted to work with other students so that they knew no matter what they’re interested in, your skill set will apply. You just have to learn how to speak about yourself in a confident way.”

Jeem, a physics and computer science double major from Dhaka, Bangladesh, said his experience as a Career Fellow has shaped his own path as much as the students he has worked with over his three years in the program.

“I love talking to people,” said Jeem, “and the more conversations I have with people, the more I’ve realized what I want to do with my own career.”

Shin, a neuroscience major and philosophy minor from Orange County, California, said her first meeting with a Career Fellow inspired her to explore classes outside her pre-med focus.

“I wanted to take a philosophy class and wound up pursuing the minor,” Shin said, adding that she has appreciated the chance to pursue her curiosity at W&L while preparing for the future.

Career Fellows stay informed on emerging career trends and industries, collaborating with career advisers to ensure the program provides relevant information for students. The group is adept at leveraging technology; students can now access a Canvas course with interactive elements that offer career development resources, such as resume templates and interviewing tips, in addition to their appointments with Career Fellows and advisers. The organization regularly gathers student feedback to understand their changing interests and needs, adjusting their offerings accordingly in coordination with the CPD office. First-year students enrolled in the university’s FYE 100 courses, designed to help first-year students transition to their college experience, are now required to make appointments with a Career Fellow during their time in the class and complete a resume review. McCauley said this has helped increase the program’s visibility.

Gibson Ward ’27, an economics and sociology double major from Chapin, South Carolina, said he has learned how to showcase his personality and abilities more effectively in interviews after working with Career Fellows on his interviewing skills.

“I found the time working with the Career Fellows extremely helpful in making me more confident going into interviews,” said Ward, who now regularly schedules practice sessions with Career Fellows to prepare for interviews.

María José Pérez Aguirre ’27, an economic and global politics double major from Oaxaca, Mexico, said that helping others find their path at W&L is what inspired her to become a Career Fellow.

“I know that is a hard conversation for some students, so I wanted to be part of that conversation and help other students find their career paths outside of a classroom environment,” Aguirre said.

Molly Steele ’04, dean of career and professional development, said part of the program’s success is its commitment to reaching as many corners of campus as possible.

“We’ve been very intentional about reaching different pockets of students around campus,” Steele said. “We’re also interested in collaborative and supportive applicants who take pride in building their appointments over the course of the year. They also go through robust training, and they have mid-year reviews, so we try to make it as professional an experience as possible for the students themselves.”

Many Career Fellows have remained connected to the program as they have transitioned into their professional careers. During CPD’s recent annual career trips to New York City, an annual offering for students to explore industries such as health care, finance, technology and “AdMarComm” (advertising, marketing and communication), former Career Fellow Emma Shaughnessy ’24 hosted two groups of W&L students at her current employer, FTI Consulting — a company she also visited on a career trip as a student. Shaughnessy said her time as a Career Fellow was invaluable preparation for her professional life and that she was excited to continue to give back to W&L students.

“Having gone on the AdMarComm trip myself, I enjoyed being able to pass down some of the great advice I received from the alums I met who guided my CPD journey, plus some advice based on what I’ve personally learned on the job so far,” said Shaughnessy, who now works as a crisis communications consultant. “Having been a Career Fellow has made me want to help current students that much more because I loved reviewing resumes, helping prepare for interviews and other aspects of the job.”

Peccie said she enjoys watching students like Shaughnessy move through the program and into their careers with confidence and a willingness to be engaged alumni.

“My favorite part of the program is seeing the confidence Career Fellows gain in advising other students as they recognize that they do have valuable insights and skills to share with their peers, even if they’re still in the process of exploring careers themselves,” Peccie said. “I get a lot of feedback from Career Fellow alumni who say that this confidence that they gained in mentoring their peers is incredibly special and valuable — and that they still use these skills today.”

Students interested in the Career Fellows program are invited to attend a panel with current Career Fellows on March 11 at 7:30 p.m. in Huntley Hall 221 or contact bpeccie@wlu.edu for more information.