SUNY Old Westbury welcomed 60 companies and organizations to campus for its Spring 2026 Career Fair, providing meaningful networking and career exploration opportunities for nearly 400 student participants across a wide range of academic majors.
The largest career fair in campus history, the Spring 2026 event brought together employers representing industries such as banking, healthcare and human services, technology, finance, law, media, insurance and more. Students had the opportunity to engage directly with recruiters, learn about internships and full-time positions, and practice professional networking skills in a supportive on-campus environment.
“This event is an incredibly important opportunity for our students,” said Jerilyn Marinan McLaughlin, director of Career Planning and Development at SUNY Old Westbury. “It allows them to learn about career paths, make connections with employers, and experience speaking about their skills and goals. These are all experiences that are critical for them as they work to move into the careers and lives they want for themselves.”
We encourage students to get involved in career planning activities as soon as they come to campus... The sooner they start, the bigger the impact it can have on their futures.”
-- Jerilyn Marinan McLaughlin, Career Planning & Development
Aidan Adycki ’27, a Psychology major with plans to become either a child therapist or guidance counselor, agreed.
“Being here today made me more confident talking to people in different career paths and seeing the different opportunities that people either had or are taking,” said Adycki. “It definitely made me want to push forward and pursue my dreams a lot more.”
Tyler Sammer ’28 noted that the importance of his communications skills became very apparent during the fair.
“When you are looking at someone with direct eye contact, a smile on, and confidence backing you up, you can go a lot of places,” said Sammer, a Business Administration major interested in pursuing a career in sales management. ”All that is under that umbrella of communication is really what matters. It's key.”
In addition to benefiting students, the Career Fair served as a valuable recruitment and branding opportunity for participating organizations.
“We’re looking for individuals who are interested in Brookhaven National Laboratory and in learning what we can contribute to the world and the future of the world,” said Lilit Piramzadian, senior talent acquisition specialist at the laboratory. “This is a good way to introduce them to our laboratory and the opportunities we have available, which are pretty diverse -- engineering, technical, operations, scientific, accounting and more. So, we get really thrilled about having them do a site visit, do internships with us, and eventually be able to join our laboratory and succeed.”
The Office of Career Planning and Development serves as host for career-focused events throughout the academic year, including employer panels, resume and networking skills workshops, and internship information sessions. These initiatives are designed to support students’ personal and professional growth and to strengthen partnerships between the University and the Long Island and metropolitan New York area professional community.
“We encourage students to get involved in career planning activities as soon as they come to campus,” said Marinan McLaughlin. “By doing that, they are better able to home in on what they’re most interested in and to begin preparing for work after college. The sooner they start, the bigger the impact it can have on their futures.”