News Article

Six of the brightest Gonzaga University business students will travel to New York City on Wednesday (Sept. 19), embarking on the University’s inaugural New York Trek that will focus on careers in the financial services industry.

Sponsored by the Gonzaga Alumni Mentor Program (GAMP), the two-day New York Trek will give the students access to high-profile opportunities on and near Wall Street. On the itinerary for the Trek, which begins Thursday (Sept. 20) in the Big Apple, will be visits to the New York Stock Exchange, Deutsche Bank, Avenue Capital Group, Capital Research, Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association-College Retirement Equities Fund (TIAA-CREF), and Bank of America Securities.

Students were chosen for the Trek by a committee comprised of Gonzaga alumni, staff and students. Participating students and their hometowns are as follows: Camille Merritt, Oak Harbor, Wash.; Markus Weickenmeier, Hamburg, Germany; Jon Hennessy, Spokane; Garrett Swanburg, Monroe, Wash.; Sean Sosnovec, Portland, Ore.; and Ryan Cooksley, Houston.

In addition to the company excursions, there will be two networking events: A 6 p.m. keynote presentation on Thursday (Sept. 20) by J. Victor Cain, chief investment officer at Treflie Capital Management, to be held at the five-star restaurant Cellini. A social with the recently formed New York City Alumni Chapter at O’Lunney’s Times Square Pub is to begin at 5:30 p.m. Friday. The group returns to Spokane on Sunday (Sept. 23).

GAMP is a mentoring and networking program designed for GU students, alumni and friends. Students are matched with alumni mentors based on similar career fields, geographic locations or other interests. The program aims to establish relationships between students and their mentors, facilitate better career decision-making, and develop a network that can increase job opportunities. For several years, GAMP has sponsored successful treks to Seattle and Portland that have been open to all students and majors. GAMP plans Treks to Denver and San Francisco this spring.

For more information about GAMP, call (509) 323-4048 or visit its Web site. To learn more about the New York Trek, reach students Markus Weickenmeier at (509) 270-7827 or via e-mail; or Camille Merritt at (360) 929-6759 or via e-mail.