Attending Merrimack College’s Professional Development Retreat (PDR) was a defining moment in Daley Tegan’s ’23 Merrimack journey. She shared how the PDR helped her step into the professional world, build confidence and ultimately secure an internship.
“The PDR was extremely beneficial to my overall career,” she said. “It allowed me to get used to business attire and use some of the language used to make conversations advocating for myself.” She described how the retreat made the workplace feel less daunting, especially for someone like her, who was concerned about being the youngest in the room. “At the PDR, every student was in the same boat, and we were able to approach potential employers easily at the reception. It was as if we were ‘trying on’ being new hires of multiple different job opportunities.”
One of the standout moments for her was meeting a representative from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in Boston. “Fortunately for me, a representative agent from DHS was attending. I had known about the DHS student internship program that was open for applications during that time and had an influential conversation with the representative on ways to make me stand out as a candidate.”
“This worked, and I got into this exclusive internship, which was the best semester of college, hands down,” she shared. During her internship, she learned about Pathways, a program for students aiming for federal careers. “Pathways is a program for students who can work as full-time employees and convert to an agency without the hassle of a two-year clearance waiting period and higher pay grade on the GS scale.” She added that this opportunity allowed her to enroll in a graduate program, and she was accepted into the Pathways program in February.
As of May, she is living in Washington, D.C., working with the U.S. State Department in Consular Affairs, all while earning her master’s degree in homeland defense. Reflecting on her journey, she said, “The PDR was an amazing domino effect that worked in my favor very well.”
For students hesitant about attending the retreat, she offered her advice: “Just go! You are going to create so many different connections that can be extremely beneficial in the future.” For her, the PDR was not just an event—it was the beginning of a series of opportunities that shaped her career. “It sounds cheesy, but I would not be where I am today without attending the PDR,” she concluded.