By Erin Kelly, News Staff

Five recent graduates of the College of Arts and Sciences discussed their education, co-op, student involvement and post-graduation experiences with about 30 students and alumni in the Northeastern Alumni Center Thursday night.
The panel series, ‘5 Under 25:’ ‘ Young Alumni Success Stories,’ was sponsored by the Student Alumni Association (SAA) and the Office of Alumni Relations, said Sarah Barone, president of SAA and moderator of the event.
This is the third year the Office of Alumni Relations and SAA have co-sponsored a ‘5 Under 25′ panel, and the purpose of the program is to give students the chance to learn about alumni successes, mistakes and transitions to prepare them for graduation and post-graduation, said Jack Moynihan, vice president of the Office of Alumni Relations and The Northeastern Fund.
Barone began by introducing the panelists:’ Alison Galanter and Caitlin Lowell from the class of 2007, and Scott Hultman, Danielle Sievers and Brittany Malitsky from the class of 2008.
Galanter, who received a history degree and a masters in arts for teaching, said she currently works as a teacher at the Health Careers Academy in Boston, where she completed her second co-op.
‘ ‘I am a perfect example of how networking works and how co-op will get you where you want to be,’ Galanter said.
Malitsky, a cinema studies graduate, explained how the connections she made within the Student Alumni Association during college helped her attain her current job with the Office of Alumni Relations, despite her decision to forgo the co-op experience. Malitsky encouraged students to get involved in university activities and programs throughout their undergraduate career to network and make connections.
The panel members took questions from the audience and gave advice concerning the job interview process, getting involved on campus and post-graduation plans.
Danielle Sievers, a political science graduate and current law student at Boston College, advised current students to treat co-op as an opportunity rather than a job.
‘ ‘Some co-ops don’t appreciate the job they have, and your employer is going to see that,’ Sievers said. ‘Your employer is not going to give you better tasks to complete if you don’t put all your effort into your work.’
While a particular co-op job may not be what you want to do with the rest of your life, it can show you what you don’t want to do as a career and help steer you in the right direction, Galanter said.
‘Your first co-op is not your career, but it’s a humbling experience and gets something on your resume,’ Galanter said.
Hultman, a communication studies graduate currently working in an accounting firm, reminded students that degrees are versatile and can be applied to a multitude of different jobs and careers.
‘My message to you guys is if you’re on the verge of graduating soon, don’t be afraid that A, you don’t have a set plan and B, you don’t have a job in your set field. There are always jobs you can apply your degree to,’ Hultman said.
The panel members provided tips for students embarking on the interview process for co-op. Hultman advised audience members to make themselves memorable to potential future employers during interviews.
Lowell, a mathematics major who now works as an actuary assistant for Fidelity Investments, told students to keep in touch with past and current co-op employers, because doing so helped her acquire her second co-op.
‘My advice is don’t settle,’ Lowell said. ‘If you know what you think you want to do, go for it. Co-op is not a passive activity – network as much as you can.’
Kristen Anderson, a freshman English major, said she attended the event because she is looking for alternative careers for English majors and thought the panel might be helpful in this process.
‘Something I got from the panel is that I can go into the communications field or public relations field with my major,’ Anderson said.