Life after graduation can be challenging for many University of Delaware alumni, who are faced with transitions at work and home, a new financial situation and a different set of responsibilities than those expected while on campus.

The New Castle County Alumni Club Board created a workshop, “Life After UD: Navigating Life as a Young Alum in the Real World,” for local alumni to focus on life skills that may not be taught in the classroom but are essential for success after college.

“After college, I suddenly needed to manage my finances, find a place to live, start a new job and try to build a new network of friends and co-workers” says Megan Pettingill, president of the New Castle County Alumni Club Board. “Our friends are all in this life stage, and we could all benefit from classes or tips to help us even a few years after graduation.”

“Life After UD” will be held from 6-9 p.m., Thursday, April 20, at the Westin on the Riverfront in Wilmington, Delaware.

Each attendee will have the opportunity to choose two skills-based sessions from the following: Money Management for Millennials, Finding Work-Life Balance, Networking 10 and Building Your Best LinkedIn Profile. Sessions will be led by UD alumni specializing in these topics.

Young alumni will network with fellow UD grads as well as juniors and seniors from the Alfred Lerner College of Business and Economics. A professional photographer will take headshots for alumni — perfect for use on LinkedIn or other professional needs. Representatives from the UD Alumni Engagement team, Accelerate Delaware and Nationwide (a partner of the UD Alumni Association) will provide resources about local and virtual engagement opportunities with UD, living and working in Delaware after graduation and insurance discounts for UD alumni, respectively.

“Life After UD” is hosted by the New Castle County Alumni Club in collaboration with the UD Young Alumni Network. Young alumni, who attended focus groups at UD’s campus in December, provided feedback to the New Castle County Alumni Club on which life skills sessions would be most valuable to offer for this workshop.

Young alumni interested in attending “Life After UD” can register online. The $20 fee covers the two skills-based sessions, a professional headshot, hors d’oeuvres and one drink ticket. Space is limited. More details about the agenda, workshop sessions and speakers and listed below.

For more information about opportunities for young alumni to stay connected with UD and get involved, visit www.UDConnection.com/YA.

Event Timeline:

6-7:15 p.m.: Registration, networking and headshots
7:15-8 p.m.: Session I
8:15-9 p.m.: Session II

Speakers and Sessions:

Money Management for Millennials. Starting out in the work force can be overwhelming, especially with student debt, a complex company benefits package and a paycheck that can be used in a myriad of ways. Gary L. Ulrich, Jr. BE15, director at the Financial House, will provide insight on untying financial knots, understanding benefits packages, planning for retirement, creating a budget, goal planning and tackling student loans. Ulrich holds bachelor of science degrees in both financial planning and economics from the University of Delaware. He specializes in retirement planning, cash flow analysis, insurance planning and qualified retirement plans.

Finding Work-Life Balance. Many young adults struggle with balancing the demands of work and professional life, which can increase stress and negatively impact mental and physical wellbeing. Dr. Eva Geracimos, AS99, a family practice physician at Stoney Batter Family Medicine, will provide helpful tools for alumni to manage stress, workloads and relationships. Originally, from Joppatowne, Maryland, Geracimos earned a bachelor of science in biology and a bachelor of arts in liberal arts studies from the University of Delaware and continued on to Jefferson Medical College in Philadelphia. In 2003, she started a family medicine residency at Christiana Hospital. 

Networking 101: Networking can be a daunting task, from starting a meaningful conversation to building and maintaining a relationship. Greg Star, BE13, co-founder of Carvertise and author of many articles on networking, will provide valuable tips on how to build and cultivate your professional network. Star earned a bachelor of science in economics from the University of Delaware after co-founding Carvertise through the Horn Program in Entrepreneurship. He is the recent recipient of Delaware Small Business Association’s 2016 Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award, as well as the 2015 Junior Achievement of Delaware's Business Benchmark award. He sits on the Board of Directors for Prestons March for energy, serves on the Delaware State Chamber's Economic Development committee and actively supports the Friere Charter school network.

Building Your Best LinkedIn Profile: LinkedIn is a valuable tool that enables young professionals to build a personal brand, expand a strong network and even find job opportunities. Kelley Bregenzer, AS12, digital communications manager for Drexel University Online, will provide guidance on how to build a unique and memorable LinkedIn profile as well as build and manage professional connections online. Bregenzer is a member of the #BlueHensForever family, and after earning a bachelor of arts in mass communications from UD, she worked in the University’s Office of Communications and Marketing. She currently oversees communications strategy for Drexel University’s online programs and students.