Welcome to our 1st Alumni Spotlight of the fall! Today, we are highlighting our VT Alum, Christina Cucinotta. Christina graduated in May 2021, and is now working as Senior Coordinator at Athena Global Advisors. We asked a series of questions, and these are her responses to frequently asked questions by college students like us.

What is the best piece of advice you’ve received while transitioning from college into the workforce?

“The best piece of advice I’ve learned early in my career when transitioning from college into the workforce has been to take advantage of all opportunities. Really have a yes mindset, and as you’re starting your career, look to diversify your skill sets, expand on your current knowledge, and always be looking to learn and take on new opportunities that can help you grow as a person, and also grow in your career. And with that, really knowing that you belong, and trusting your ability and knowing that you have the skills and talents to knock it out of the park, and do a great job as you’re looking to learn more about your future career.”

Tell us a little bit about your current role and what you do on a typical work day?

“In my current role, no two days are ever the same. My role is client facing, so I typically manage 3-5 projects, take client calls, put together decks and project planning documents, etc. I have also been given a direct report to manage, which has been great to explore my leadership/managerial potential.”

How do you handle failure? What would you recommend to students who aren't always hitting the mark, whether that be in internships, grades, etc.? 

“As someone who used to be afraid of failure, this has certainly been an area of focus for me as I’ve started my career. Failure happens – to all people in all positions and stages of life. It’s all about how you adapt, overcome and learn from your experiences. You can learn so much through failure, so it’s important to give yourself grace and the room to grow through it.”

What was your favorite Virginia Tech experience? 

“There are way too many to count but being on the field for Enter Sandman, storming the court for wins against UNC and Duke, and traveling to Kentucky for NCAA Softball Regionals definitely rank among the best!”

What is your favorite project you've worked on so far? 

“The NFL project has been my favorite project to work on so far – so much so that I got to write a blog post about it! See HERE.”

Do you have any advice to offer to college students like us looking for full-time positions?

“Connections, connections, connections. Look to grow your network and build meaningful connections with people you look up to and admire. When building connections, try to find a common interest and build the relationship around that, not just the transaction. Hokies want to help Hokies, so definitely leverage what this university provides when you’re on the job hunt.”

We want to thank Christina again for taking the time to speak with us. She has been an incredible mentor to so many students and helped them receive phenomenal opportunities!