The best piece of professional advice I got was from my MATH 304 (Linear Algebra) professor, Dr. Quincy Loney. During classroom hours, I timidly answered a question and the jargon was not correct. He said — “Speak what you mean and mean what you speak.” That has stuck with me till this day. Many problems we encounter in our professional life can be solved with viable communication and storytelling.
Elaine Braunshweiger
Student Experience Consultant & Peer Consultant Intern
Junior, English Literature and Comparative Literature, she/her
What’s your role in the Fleishman Center?
Senior Peer Consultant
What are you passionate about?
I am passionate about access to literature and creative pursuits! On top of that, I love to spend time outside and listen to live music as often as I can!
What’s your best piece of career or professional advice?
My best piece of career/professional advice is to network with everyone you meet! Find out what they are interested in, and present yourself as someone they should want to get to know as well. Every connection you make could one day be an opportunity you never expected!
What clubs/organizations are you involved in?
I’m very involved with the Binghamton Chabad! Additionally, I’m in the Poetry Club and love to attend any and all English/Creative Writing Department events.
Elyssa Chen
Senior Peer Consultant
MBA student, She/Her
What’s your role in the Fleishman Center?
Senior Peer Consultant
What are you passionate about?
Helping others succeed
What’s your best piece of career or professional advice?
Don’t wait for someone else to advocate for you. You are in the driver’s seat when it comes to your career.
What clubs/organizations are you involved in?
Business Fashion Society
Adrian Chobot
Assistant to Administrative Staff
Junior, Psychology, she/her
What’s your role in the Fleishman Center?
I am an Administrative Assistant aiding all Fleishman staff in any way I can.
What are you passionate about?
I am most passionate about research, development, wellness, and balance.
What’s your best piece of career or professional advice?
My best professional advice is to chase what you love and trust that everything happens for a reason.
What clubs/organizations are you involved in?
Outside of my time at Fleishman, I am also a research assistant at the Binghamton Mood Disorder Institute and a member of the Binghamton Student Psychological Association.
Hapsatou Deme
Junior, Double major in History & Economics, She/Her
What’s your role in the Fleishman Center?
Senior Peer Consultant
What are you passionate about?
I am passionate about TV, movies, baking, and spending quality time with my loved ones. I also enjoy learning about different people, cultures, and ways of life.
What’s your best piece of career or professional advice?
To always seize opportunities because nothing is guaranteed.
Janmariz Deguia
Senior Peer Consultant
Senior, Human Development, 4+1 student in Higher Education and Student Affairs they/them
What’s your role in the Fleishman Center?
Senior Peer Consultant
What are you passionate about?
Disability, Queer, Health Education and Advocacy. Theatre, Nature, and Teaching!
What’s your best piece of career or professional advice?
Much like college- many experiential education opportunities are what you make of it. So when you’re engaging with an event or activity: stay mindful, be curious and explore, and lastly reflect so you can identify how you feel, what services you best, what skills you gained! No job/position is useless when it comes to building and expanding your toolbox.
What clubs/organizations are you involved in?
Disabled Student Union President and Founder, Former Orientation Advisor and Mentor, Accessibility Liaison and Director of Public Relations for Vice President of Student Success office, Public Service Learning Community Volunteer, and Pet-Sitter.
Don De La Cruz
Diversity Initiatives Assistant
Junior, Double Major in Economics Graphic Design &, Minor in DIDA & Spanish Language, he/him
What’s your role in the Fleishman Center?
Diversity Initiative Assistant
What are you passionate about?
Diversity Equity and Inclusion, Dancing, Social Media Marketing, Traveling
What’s your best piece of career or professional advice?
Don’t ever get too comfortable. Even if you are in a stable place in life and are happy or content where you are at the moment, always try to strive for more or accomplish more because you never know what can happen.
What clubs/organizations are you involved in?
Treasurer for Dominican Student Association, (CRO) Chief Regulatory Officer for the Men of Color Scholastic Society, Public Relations Chair for National Association of Black Accountants, Member of Quimbamba Latin Dance Team
Winifred Fosu
Junior, Psychology, She/Her
What’s your role in the Fleishman Center?
Senior Peer Consultant
What are you passionate about?
I am passionate about positively impacting others, learning, haircare, and engaging in my hobbies (i.e., reading and arts and crafts).
What’s your best piece of career or professional advice?
Try to get involved! Whether it’s through a club, volunteer work, an internship, etc., it’s helpful to gain experiences and explore potential careers.
What clubs/organizations are you involved in?
Binghamton Aiding Hearts
Lara Ozben
Senior, System Science and Industrial Engineering, She/Her
What’s your role in the Fleishman Center?
Career Peer Mentor for International Students
What are you passionate about?
As an international student myself, I am deeply passionate about helping other international students navigate their career journeys. I love sharing everything I’ve learned along the way to guide them, ease their transition, and help them build confidence in the U.S. job market.
What’s your best piece of career or professional advice?
Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there and network early—every conversation is a chance to learn, and building genuine relationships is just as important as having a great resume!
Madelyn Hartmann
Sophomore, Political Science, she/her
What’s your role in the Fleishman Center?
Senior Peer Consultant
What are you passionate about?
I am passionate about baking, making friends, singing, advocacy, tennis, and reading.
What’s your best piece of career or professional advice?
Seize every opportunity you can, even if it’s not exactly in line with what you envision yourself doing. You can always find a new passion or build connections in areas you never thought to explore.
Raunak Roy
Senior, Mathematics & Economics, He/Him
What’s your role in the Fleishman Center?
Peer Industry Mentor helping students aiming for finance and banking jobs
What are you passionate about?
Most passionate about problem-solving, data analytics, and always learning new things and skills in general.
What’s your best piece of career or professional advice?
Jasmine Shek
Junior, Nursing, she/her
What’s your role in the Fleishman Center?
Decker Senior Peer Consultant
What are you passionate about?
Trying new restaurants and cafes, visiting museums and parks, going on walks, and connecting with others
What’s your best piece of career or professional advice?
You’ll never know what will happen unless you try!
Rowen Smith
Senior Peer Consultant
Sophomore, Biology, she/her/hers
What’s your role in the Fleishman Center?
Senior Peer Consultant
What are you passionate about?
Activism, Reading, Animals
What’s your best piece of career or professional advice?
Every person’s journey is different and will get them where they need to be on their own time. There’s no need to compare yours to another!
Nicole Stephanie Pentecostes
Junior, Global Public Health with a Concentration in DIDA and French Minor, she/her/hers
What’s your role in the Fleishman Center?
DEI Initiative Assistant
What are you passionate about?
I am passionate about healthcare equity, fashion, thrifting, and sleeping!
What’s your best piece of career or professional advice?
My best piece of advice is to always put yourself out there and be open to learning new things in every experience, big or small.
Marni Tobin
Graduate Student, Social Work, She/Her
What’s your role in the Fleishman Center?
Graduate Student Career Readiness Assistant
What are you passionate about?
Passionate about raising awareness for mental health and educating students on all the on-campus resources Binghamton has to offer.
What’s your best piece of career or professional advice?
Push yourself out of your comfort zone. You never know what you are truly capable of until you try something new.
Jessica Zhang
Sophomore, Business Administration (Concentration in Business Analytics), She/Her
What’s your role in the Fleishman Center?
Senior Peer Consultant
What are you passionate about?
Cooking, Solving Puzzles, and Helping Others
What’s your best piece of career or professional advice?
Every experience is an opportunity for growth. You likely know more than you realize, so please acknowledge your progress and give yourself credit for all the wonderful things you do.
What clubs/organizations are you involved in?
Fujianese Union
