Scripps students on a recent Career Exploration Trek visit to the Claremont Lewis Museum of Art. By Caitlin Antonios
When considering the building blocks of a career—from first internship to signing an offer letter—knowing what you don’t want is just as important as knowing what you do. That’s one of the many reasons why Scripps’ Career Planning & Resources (CP&R) takes students on Career Exploration Treks.
The treks happen up to four times a year in major cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco, Washington D.C., and more. Students spend time with alums in the area, meet industry leaders and peers, and bond with their cohort in an environment beyond the College.
Scripps students join Steve Flores, CP&R’s associate director of employer engagement and external partnerships for a Claremont trek
“The experience helped my anxieties toward my professional career,” says Tara Attanasio ’26. “Being in college, it can feel very formulaic, but the panelists chosen for the trek had really interesting backstories of how they ended up where they are.”
This fall’s treks to Los Angeles and Claremont boasted a wide range of employers, including Walt Disney Studios, the Los Angeles Philharmonic, the Huntington Library, Art Museum, and Botanical Gardens, Sustainable Claremont, Empower Yoga, and many others. Of the nearly 60 professionals students met, more than 20 were Scripps alums and family members.
As an art history major with an economics minor, Attanasio’s desire to explore her career goals sparked her interest in attending the recent three-day trek to LA.
“One panelist that stuck out to me was a history major from Pitzer who now works in a marketing position for Center Theatre Group,” says Attanasio. “I really resonated with that because even though she was a history major, she said so many of her skills through writing and analyzing are transferrable.”
A student examines a piece of art at the Claremont Lewis Museum of Art on a recent Career Exploration Trek. During her first year at Scripps, Attanasio worked with CP&R to revise her resume and draft a cover letter for an on-campus job when she heard about the trek and got involved in CP&R’s Emerging Professionals Program. The hybrid program, which takes place partly remotely over winter break, propels students towards career readiness through workshops, career talks, mock interviews, and an in-person networking mixer in the Los Angeles area.
On treks, students visit multiple companies per day, spending roughly two hours at each for a panel session, Q&A, and company tour. On multi-day treks, local alums are invited for a meet-and-greet so students can network with Scripps professionals. Most expenses for a trek are paid for by CP&R, including the room and meals. Stipends are given to some students, based on need, to assist with flight costs.
The trek is an opportunity to learn about the different types of positions within large companies and put students directly across the table from decision makers.
“When we’re curating a panel at a company visit, we ask that it include people who identify as women and represent diversity in age, race, sexual orientation, and occupation. We have vice presidents and high-ranking employees, but also interns who can give students advice on how to be competitive when applying to similar internships,” says Steve Flores, CP&R’s associate director of employer engagement and external partnerships.
Panelists at MMZ Law share insight, experience and answer questions on a Career Exploration Trek visit. The program has a proven track record of success: A recent visit with Sony Pictures Entertainment was led by a Scripps parent and included another Scripps parent and two Scripps alums, one of whom attended a Sony trek just two years ago. Students have visited companies like T-Mobile, Amazon, Disney, the LA Philharmonic, and more since the program began in 2016.
For Maxine Le ’27, a trek was a chance to do something productive during Scripps’ short fall break. Le is a first-generation, international student and sophomore interested in majoring in media studies and cognitive sciences. The recent trek to LA was Le’s second career trek experience—and because CP&R knew she was interested in media studies, they reached out to let her know it would align with her goals.
Students with MPower Yoga founder and Scripps alum Johannah Bradley ’98 on a recent Career Exploration Trek. “I learned so many valuable lessons,” says Le. “In a lot of the companies we heard from, they reiterated that we should embrace every opportunity. Whether it’s a new project, networking event, or challenging assignment, it’s crucial to say yes whenever possible even if it doesn’t initially seem like it’s perfectly aligned because you never know what door it could open.”
Like Attanasio, the trek soothed some of Le’s anxieties about the future. She came away from the event feeling confident that her hard work and dedication would not go unnoticed.
“It was a reminder that every role is important,” Le says.
Interested in helping Scripps students get a head start on their careers? Consider volunteering with CP&R or facilitating a visit for Scripps students at your place of work. Contact CP&R for more information at (909) 621-8180 or [email protected].