Jefferson Students Set Up for Success

Continuing a longstanding trend, the vast majority of recent Jefferson alumni have found success following graduation.

The University’s latest First Destination Report showed that 98% of the Class of 2024 are employed, enrolled in graduate school or taking a gap year. The Marianne Able Career Services Center on East Falls Campus surveyed 376 undergraduates in the Kanbar College of Design, Engineering and Commerce, College of Architecture and the Built Environment, College of Health Professions, College of Humanities and Sciences and College of Life Sciences.

“It’s awesome,” says Career Services Center Director Tracy DePedro on the annual report’s results. “The professional nature of our degrees sets up students to succeed. They’re hardworking and goal-orientated.”

For example, Class of 2024 mechanical engineering grad Juan Bahena interned with DuPont in 2023 and had a co-op with them during his last semester at Jefferson.

“That impressed my managers,” he says. “From there, they offered me a full-time position.”

Bahena now works as a reliability and equipment engineer for the company. He ensures the machinery and equipment run smoothly and the timely completion of work orders and maintenance for dozens of buildings at DuPont’s Wilmington site.

Along with his early work experience, Bahena attributes advisement from Dr. Brian George, director of Jefferson’s engineering programs, and the University’s emphasis on real-world learning with providing an edge. His senior capstone focused on using hemp material to remove microplastics from water. For the project, he worked with the Philadelphia Water Department to develop a sustainable, affordable microplastic filtration system.

Jefferson’s deep industry and alumni connections also aid students, DePedro says. Graduates often return to campus to speak at panel discussions, and the University hosts several major career fairs throughout the year, with roughly 1,250 students attending events in 2023 and 2024 on East Falls Campus. Over that time, the Marianne Able Career Services Center reviewed nearly 950 resumes.

“Students know us,” DePedro says. “We’re part of the curriculum for the first-year and writing seminars, and faculty constantly work with us on different programs. We’re not hidden or lost in the shuffle like you might see at some other schools. We’re an integral part of their world.”

Jennifer Hanley, associate director of industry relations, plays a key part in guiding students, DePedro notes. She uses her industry connections and HR background to connect them with the right opportunities in various fields.

“Since I’ve worked on the hiring side, I understand what recruiters look for and what makes a candidate stand out,” Hanley says. “That insight helps students sharpen their skills, build strong networks and confidently navigate the job market.”

Jefferson’s smooth pathway to grad school benefits undergrads as well. Class of 2024 valedictorian and accounting alumna Nicole Hrbkova thought early in her University days she would earn her MBA at Jefferson. Taking the pre-MBA minor cemented the idea.

“I believe an MBA opens doors for progressing in your career, and it’s a good base before obtaining other more specialized professional credentials, such as the CPA,” says Hrbkova, who will graduate in May with her MBA with a CPA concentration.

She thanks her academic adviser for helping her maximize her time as a student-athlete. Last year, the tennis team captain became the 12th Ram in school history to reach 100 career wins.

While at Jefferson, she interned with USA Tax Service and Ernst & Young and recently accepted a full-time job with the latter as part of its audit staff in Manhattan.

Like Hrbkova, Class of 2024 landscape architecture alumna Kristina Kvavle-Slay knew early on at Jefferson that she had made the correct decision in her career path. She took landscape ecology from ecologist Scott Quitel in her first year, and it quickly became her favorite course.

Kvavle-Slay kept in touch with Quitel, who founded Philadelphia’s LandHealth Institute. She joined the nonprofit’s board and began working there after graduation. 

Now managing director, Kvavle-Slay oversees a grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to plan nature-based solutions to flooding in Philly neighborhood. As part of the work, she’s assembling a natural resource inventory of area waterways that will serve as a reference guide for communities.

Among her many other responsibilities, Kvavle-Slay manages LandHealth’s native plant nursery and summer high school program for future environmental scientists and stewards. She also works on community educational programming, such as nature walks, fishing and kayaking.

“We’re proud of our free kayaking program that allows Philly summer campers to paddle the Schuylkill River, an experience that has largely belonged to rowing clubs and university rowing teams in the past,” says the mother of four from Portland, Ore. 

Along with thanking the faculty for their encouragement, she says she appreciates the open-mindedness of her younger classmates.

“I started Jefferson at age 41 and graduated at 45,” says Kvavle-Slay, the first woman in her immediate family to earn a four-year degree. “Most of my peers in the program were 18 years old as freshmen. They allowed me to sit alongside them in that learning and experimental phase of life as we explored successes and mistakes together. It was a privilege to be in their presence and to advocate and be advocated for by them.”

See the full First Destination Report here.