Alumni, Students Turn Out for First-Ever “TAC Career Day”

To help students prepare for life after graduation, Thomas Aquinas College’s Career Center and Alumni Association jointly hosted the first-ever TAC Career Day Saturday on the California campus. The event featured visitors from across the professional spectrum — including multiple alumni — for a daylong discussion of the many ways in which the College’s students can put their liberal education to use in the business world.

Presenters came from a wide array of backgrounds: Tom Lawlor (’13) is a senior product manager at Amazon in Nashville, Tennessee, while Anthony Grumbine (’00) is an award-winning architect and principal at the Santa Barbara offices of Harrison Design. Dr. Alex Lessard and his wife, Angela (Grimm ’85), have led pioneering efforts to renew Catholic education, from helping to found St. Monica Academy in Montrose, California, to establishing Adeodatus, a religious nonprofit dedicated to assisting Catholic schools. Raymond Tittmann (’94) is a California “super-lawyer” who in 2020 established his own Los Angeles-based firm, Tittmann-Weix. Shane O’Reilly (’95) worked for a decade at Anthem before undertaking an entrepreneurial career in winemaking.

Delivering the keynote address in St. Cecilia Hall’s Fritz B. Burns Auditorium was Tim Cosgrove (’95), the executive director of food services on the College’s New England campus and the onetime head manager of food service for the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Mr. Cosgrove recounted his meteoric rise through the ranks of Wolfgang Puck Catering, a path that led him from the kitchens of the El Rey Theatre to dazzling Los Angeles icons such as the Wiltern, the Palladium, and the Conga Room — where he managed a $12 million budget.

Over the course of his talk, Mr. Cosgrove described the devastation that he, like so many, faced during the 2008 financial crisis, leading to the soul-searching, cross-country bike trip that inspired him to rebuild his career. In conclusion, he distilled his advice down to four tenets: “Give your fiat” (surrender to God’s will), “be an imperfectionist” (accept that you will mistakes); “eat an elephant” (break large goals into small, achievable tasks); and “be a part of the solution” (help employers meet their most pressing needs).

After Mr. Cosgrove’s address, students dispersed to meet with representatives from numerous visiting employers, including Amazon, Tittman-Weix, Catholic Charities, Elevance Health, Geolinks, Adeodatus, the Alvarez Firm, InvestorTools, VSO, Oxbow Pool and Landscape, Tractor Beverage Company, and the United States Marine Corps. Students spoke with representatives, submitted résumés, and interviewed for future positions.

“It was great to see how many students turned out for our first Career Day, as well as the enthusiasm they brought,” says College and Career Advisor Daniel Selmeczy (’08). “More heartening still was to see our alumni, who gave up their Saturday to mentor our students and help them prepare for their futures. There was great energy all around, and I think students and alumni alike are excited to build on this inaugural event for many years to come.”