Keynote speaker Ashtyn Duncan ‘13 set the tone for a dynamic and informative Career Day. She shared her experience as a Microsoft executive, her travel goals, and the importance of boldness and resilience. “Have the courage to be yourself!” she told the students.

Senior Cecilia Martinez praised Ms. Duncan’s presentation for emphasizing the power of grit and resilience. “She was so young and relatable,” says Cecilia. “I liked hearing how she had to pivot when her volleyball career in high school didn’t pan out, and later when her first college wasn’t the right fit.”

Following Ms. Duncan’s keynote, students moved through a series of four panels, depending on their interests. Panelists represented all fields, from medicine to entrepreneurs, and engineers to educators. They shared the ups and downs of their careers as well as information about degree requirements, salaries, and opportunities in their fields. The Engineering panel, led by parents Cameron Rempel (Kaitlyn ‘27) and David Gold (Drew ‘23, Devin’ 24 and Dale ‘26) explained cartoonist Scott Adams’ concept of Talent Stacking as a strategy to excel in your career. “While it’s almost impossible to be the very best at one thing, it is possible to be very good at a few things, and that makes you a valuable employee,” advises Gold.

With many alumnae presenting, as well as parents, friends of IWA, and even faculty family members’ children, Career Day provided students with pragmatic suggestions and approaches for shaping bright futures.