The Bentley Buzz

For years, a cornerstone of Bentley’s student support services has been the Pulsifer Career Development Center, which regularly ranks among the top five best career services offices in the country by Princeton Review. Each semester, the dedicated center staff help students navigate internship opportunities, host undergraduate and graduate career fairs and provide resources covering topics ranging from how to dress for an interview to best practices for standing out on LinkedIn.

For close to 30 years, Kristine Vidic has played an integral role in supporting career development efforts on campus, where she has built close relationships with students to help them launch successful careers no matter the field or industry. Building on her years of experience, Kristine has recently taken on a new role within the career development center as senior associate director and career equity and access specialist to support an expanding demographic of Bentley students — first-generation students.

“The demographics of students are changing, and that’s the same for Bentley,” said Kristine. “In the spring, President Chrite spoke about the importance of developing an ecosystem of wrap-around services for first-generation students. He shared that it was crucial to ensure that every student admitted to Bentley not only succeeds but thrives. In career development, we started to think about the role we could play in this support system, and we said ‘Okay, we need someone to take on this responsibility of career, equity and access.’ I was happy to step into that role.”

As a first-generation college student herself, the shift in focus to this student population was an easy one to make. “This was absolutely in my wheelhouse,” remarked Kristine, “because I'm so passionate about this underrepresented population. I’m always thinking, how can we help them more?” 

For the first-generation students of the Class of 2026, a group that makes up an impressive 25% of the total incoming student population, Kristine’s support was front and center before they even arrived for orientation. In her new role, one of her first responsibilities to the new cohort was to make sure they and their families knew what kind of resources were available on campus related to career development. Alongside staff members from Student Affairs and Academic Affairs, Kristine was part of a webinar for students and parents to talk about the support systems that are available on campus specific to first-generation students.

And when it comes to career development, Kristine’s efforts show that it’s never too early to begin thinking about the next step. “It's all about giving students the faith to really ideate and think about what they want their life to be,” explained Kristine. “Most students think there's only one way and one journey that you can take, and that's not true. We really try to get them to think about designing their own path early on.” 

Even before assuming her new role, Kristine has long been focusing on how she and the Pulsifer Career Development Center could make a difference in the lives of first-generation students. After taking a course at Stanford University on life design related to career development, education and psychology, she brought to Bentley a new way to help students think about their career goals in the form of workshops called Designing Your Bentley and Beyond. In these workshops, Kristine worked closely with students to equip them with the tools to design their own career roadmaps. 

After a successful pilot program, Kristine’s workshops were integrated into Career Design 201, a class she’s taught at Bentley for years that integrates career development into student’s academic schedules. Raising career development from an optional program to one rolled into the class schedule has proven to help students think more intentionally about their career goals. “What that’s done is help students see their career development as part of their growth while they’re in college, and not as an outside service that they need to do. We’re embedded in the curriculum and I really think that’s why we’re so highly ranked,” said Kristine. 

Outside of her work at Bentley, Kristine’s passion for helping others find meaningful and rewarding careers has impacted countless young adults. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, she and a friend working in the judicial system in the Merrimack Valley created an eight-week program designed to provide career navigation and career readiness options to at-risk teens and young adults involved in the legal court system. The program, known as the Altman Career Development Program, operates out of the nonprofit Debbie’s Treasure Chest, where Kristine has served as board member since 2018. While enrolled in the program, participants work with Kristine to build career literacy and self-awareness by engaging with speakers from a variety of professions and backgrounds. Once finished, the participants are given a fresh new start as completion of the eight-week program counts toward any community service requirements young adults may have required to complete. 

In addition to her work with those in the legal system, this past summer Kristine began working with Methuen Arlington Neighborhood, Inc. to help teens explore their own career aspirations based on their strengths and interests. 

Her work with these two organizations and on campus with Bentley students has impacted countless lives, including her own. “I know a lot of people say this, but I absolutely love working with our students,” reflected Kristine. “It's the best part of my job, because every student I meet with is really different and unique, and I love working with them to develop their strengths and show them their interests. They become really passionate about what they want to do, and they're really focused on how they want to change the world. That’s extremely rewarding.”

As our community continues to explore new ways to support first-generation students on campus, it’s clear that dedicated staff like Kristine are already having an impact on our newest additions.

On Oct. 17 from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m., faculty and staff are invited to join a livestreamed panel discussion in which President Chrite and Boston-area business leaders will discuss the findings of the Bentley - Gallup Force for Good Survey. This first survey from our multi-year partnership with Gallup will help us to understand how Americans feel business is doing to make a positive impact on society. The nationwide survey of more than 5,000 Americans includes answers to questions like, “Do most Americans believe business has a positive impact on society?” and “What’s more important for a company to do – increase profits or make the world a better place?”

President Chrite will be joined on the panel by Liberty Mutual Executive Vice President and Chief Administrative Officer (and Bentley trustee) Melanie Foley, MBA '02; State Street CEO Ron O’Hanley; and Deloitte Deputy CEO of Strategic Initiatives Alicia Rose. Gallup will also provide an overview of the survey results and insights into how the report will help guide the future of good business.

Register for the Livestream

Hometown: I was raised in Milton, Massachusetts, have lived all over the U.S. and now reside in Kennebunk, Maine.

Years at Bentley: 5 years

Favorite spot on campus: Wilder – because that’s where my students become presentation superstars.

Favorite place to grab a bite to eat on campus: Pass. Just kidding, I’m a LaCava regular.

Favorite Bentley memory: So many. The one that tops the list is the time a student – who I had in several classes and who had spent a lot of time in my office working on issues around trust, confidence and other factors – came to my office for the last time before graduating, gave me a handwritten note, watched as I read the detailed stories about the impact I’ve made on her life, and then shed tears at the exact same time that I did. Such a profound moment.

Hobbies: Running, cycling, strength training, and freezing my butt off year-round watching my 9-year-old play hockey.

Hidden talent: I can sleep through ANYTHING (Less of a talent now that I’m responsible for the vitality of a child).

Favorite movie or television show: The Sound of Music! Forever my favorite…

What are you looking forward to this academic year? Hoping that I can leverage the thought leadership of our institution to create positive change in our society.

The Pulsifer Career Development Center was glad to bring its annual career fair back to campus for the first time since 2019. More than 1,400 students stopped by the Arena dressed to impress prospective employers and internship coordinators. In total, 126 companies hosted information booths to connect with Bentley students as they prepare to enter the workforce through internships or in full-time positions after graduation. 

Congrats to the Pulsifer Career Development Center and their campus partners on a successful career fair! 

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