PEAK

26 P E A K | FA L L 2 0 1 5 Career Connections program that partners with the college's Career Services office. "Every time Sarah has an announcement she sends it this way," said an appreciative Brooks. "She's posted for two departments within the PGA. "I know she hired one intern and has offered another one. She even helped prep him for his interview." While Knapp didn't land her position through the program Brooks coordinates – contacts she made growing up in Ponte Vedra Beach and in golf helped – other Dartmouth athletes have, including former lacrosse player Kyleigh Williams '14. "She came to my office as an undergraduate trying to figure out what she wanted to do," Brooks recalled. "I remember her telling me that she thought she wanted to be a wedding planner, or to do something in event planning. I started by connecting her to our LinkedIn networks, not just for Dartmouth alumni, but for organizations in the Boston area, where she wanted to be." Shortly after graduation Williams accepted a position as a marketing assistant at Celebrity Marketing, Inc., where among other things she helps coordinate corporate and charity appearances by Boston sports figures. "A lot of Dartmouth kids go into finance and things like that," Williams said. "I kind of knew what I wanted to do but Donnie helped me get a better idea. He would call event planners and used alumni networking. He helped me with my resume and my LinkedIn. What he does for student-athletes is a great service." Appreciative of Brooks' efforts and confident of the type of candidates he would recommend, Williams turned to him when Celebrity Marketing, Inc., was looking for help. "She told me, 'Donnie, I need interns every term. Can you send a posting out?' " Brooks said. Although her company gets "a lot" of resumes, the Dartmouth connection certainly helps applicants' chances. So does the Dartmouth academic calendar according to Williams. "We can definitely use (interns) in the fall and winter, which are our busiest seasons," she said. "Last December we really needed one but it can be hard to find people then. That's when the 'D Plan" is helpful." Just as Williams looks to Brooks for help, he turns to her when he sees a potential fit. "If a student says they are interested in something like event planning she is the go-to person," he said. "When a young woman told me that, I called Kyleigh on the phone and connected them in the moment. Kyleigh said to connect through LinkedIn and that she would love to talk to her some more." Creating a network that would have former Dartmouth athletes like Williams and Knapp helping current Dartmouth athletes was one of Brooks' prime goals when the Career Connections program started to take hold. "That's the message going out the door," he said. "When you respond to me, 'Donnie it worked out,' my message is to pay it forward. Keep the connection going." That's exactly what Maya Herm is doing. A former Dartmouth field hockey captain who played the game semiprofessionally in Amsterdam after graduation, she landed her position as a recruitment analyst at Huxley Banking & Financial Services after learning of the job from a Facebook posting by former Dartmouth lacrosse player Kara Lehman. "I contacted her, sent my resume and things moved pretty quickly," she said. "The fact that Kara played sports and I knew who she was helped with the networking. The whole process took maybe 2-3 weeks." Herm was just the latest in a series of former college athletes hired by her firm. "Three quarters of our current office were athletes at some point in their life," she said. "My manager was a DI baseball player at Holy Cross. There is a Holy Cross football player. Kara played lacrosse and I played field hockey at Dartmouth. There is a St. Lawrence swimmer. There's a football player from a DII college. "It is an industry where being resilient and having that consistent fighting mentality really pays off. And teamwork is huge. That's absolutely a big component. We have such a team in our office. Everyone backs each other up and fills in where other people leave off. It is a big thing that they look for." Which is why Herm has already started paying it forward with a three-person recruiting visit to Hanover, where she spoke with Big Green athletes about career possibilities in Floren Varsity House. "One of the first calls I got this fall was from her organization saying they would like to come up because they've had success with Dartmouth athletes," said Brooks. "When potential students and their parents visit us we tell them they will benefit from the connections here, and it is true. "We have graduated four years of Dartmouth Peak Performance and this is the first time I have had multiple recent graduates come back and say, 'My organization can benefit from having more Dartmouth athletes. How can we help?' That's the magic we talk about. "That's the magic of Dartmouth." "When potential students and their parents visit us, we tell them the will benefit from the connections here, and it is true." "

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