Mindy Nguyen ’29 believes that preparing for a career does not begin with submitting a job application. It begins with making connections, whether those connections are with employers, alumni or other working professionals.
Nguyen was among the 952 attending the University of St. Thomas Fall Career Fair, where more than 120 employers across a wide range of industries came to St. Thomas to meet students seeking internships, full-time positions and opportunities to grow their professional networks.
The strong alumni presence stood out at the fair. Alumni recruiters wore badge ribbons marked “alumni,” giving students an immediate connection to a fellow Tommie who once stood where they do now.
"The alumni network is very crucial for me,” said Nguyen ’29, who is majoring in entrepreneurship and minoring in marketing. “There was a class where I wanted to learn more about operations and supply chain, and I was interested in the role, but I didn't have anyone to actually ask about their experiences. So, I went to the alumni network online and connected with them.”
With more than 120,000 alumni in the St. Thomas network, students and graduates frequently connect and support one another professionally. In fact, 80% of St. Thomas graduates have completed at least one internship while enrolled at the university.
Throughout the year, St. Thomas provides a wide range of career-building experiences and opportunities to connect students with potential employers and alumni.
The College of Engineering’s annual Meet the Engineers reverse career fair is one example. Unlike the traditional career fair, students set up displays of highlighting their projects, experiences, and skills, while employers come to the students to explore potential opportunities. About 90 companies participated this year, with some alumni among the recruiters.
“I'm looking to network with people and start the process of talking to companies,” said Hillary Festvog ’27, who attended both career fairs. “Seeing people who are alumni at the career fairs really tells me that it's sort of worth applying to them in the first place, because it means that somebody likes the company enough to recruit more people from where they went to school.”
at the College of Engineering's reverse career fair in the Anderson Student Center on Oct. 7, 2026, in St. Paul. (Mark Brown / University of St. Thomas)
Meet the Engineers, internships and networking opportunities give students a chance to showcase their skills as well as how a St. Thomas education contributes to their formation.
“We do really well placing our students in jobs, but we are here to equip and empower our students for lifelong flourishing,” said St. Thomas President Rob Vischer during his panel discussion at the Minnesota Star Tribune’s North Star Summit in September.
For example, Festvog, a mechanical engineering major, is also minoring in sustainability. She spent summer 2026 as an R&D Sustaining Engineering intern at Turck USA. Nguyen, who serves as vice president of the St. Thomas Marketing Club, earned second place at the Schulze School of Entrepreneurship Business Plan Competition at the Opus College of Business. Her team’s venture, RE:BORN, collects donated clothing, recycles it into new fabric through partners, and sells limited-edition apparel online.
The early networking, combined with the quality of a St. Thomas education, pays off. Nearly 98% of St. Thomas graduates are employed, continuing education or pursuing other goals within six months of graduation (based on information gathered from 1,072 graduates).
But Vischer said career preparation also means helping students think about “meaning and purpose and a sense of calling and how their gifts may align with the needs of the world.”
