On Feb. 1, Harpur Edge hosted a speaker event featuring Hannah Westerman, ‘15, a graphic designer and a Binghamton University alumna. The class of 2015 graduate owns a graphic design company, Avenue West. Westerman spent an hour on Zoom with a small group of students detailing her experiences and answering questions.
The session was led by Megan Konstantakos, assistant director of Harpur Edge. Harpur Edge holds various alumni relationship events. Through a connection with a former colleague, Harpur Edge found Westerman and set up the call.
“We are really working to try and balance out what alumni we are bringing in to offer every student in Harpur [College of Arts and Sciences] the opportunity to connect,” Konstantakos said.
Westerman started her talk by giving an overview of her work, including her connections with TEDxPhiladelphia and the Philly Music Fest. She creates everything from logos to giant banners for her clients. She also shared her screen and presented some of her art from its beginning stages to the final product.
This led her right into a discussion about her childhood and how she chose this career.
“I have always been someone who has had a hard time sitting still … so when I was thinking about what I wanted to do with my life, I really thought about finding a job that allowed me to do something different every day,” Westerman said.
Westerman continued telling stories, talking about her first client, her company’s namesake cafe and the importance of networking and finding the right job. She also took some time to talk about her struggles with mental health throughout her life, detailing her difficulties with a misdiagnosis and depression.
“I now refer to that time as my blue period, just like Picasso, just with a little less paint but probably equally as much suffering,” Westerman said.
As the session finished up, she shared where people could find her work around the Binghamton area, including a mural in Mountainview College and shared some of her favorite BU memories. From there, Konstantakos took the reins and led a Q&A session, with questions coming from her and the students.
Looking back on the event, Konstantakos felt that the event went well considering the Zoom format. With about eight students in attendance as well as Westerman’s friends and family, the attendance numbers were perfect for creating the smaller, personal feel of a real conversation and connection. While Konstantakos did wish that more students had asked questions, she was prepared with backup questions in case there were moments of silence.
Abigail Andruss, a sophomore majoring in business administration who was in attendance, felt the event went great and was very helpful.
“Honestly, I see myself in her shoes, so I very much wanted to go to the Zoom [meeting],” Andruss said. “I liked her personal story, and how she was very candid about a day in her life, what that looked like. She was also able to explain really well how [BU] helped her get there.”
Additionally, Andruss highlighted how BU does not have a business minor, making it hard for her, as an art student, to learn how to market herself in Harpur College. She said she liked how Westerman also discussed her own struggles with learning the business side of art, giving her validation.
Events like Westerman’s discussion are a common occurrence through Harpur Edge, happening almost every week. All of those events can be found on B-Engaged. Konstantakos added other ways in which students can get involved with Harpur Edge.
“We are sort of the advisers for everything outside of academics, so if students are confused with a major or career path or they need help with a job search or resumes, we are there to help, along with hosting events,” Konstantakos said.
To learn more about Harpur Edge, the office is holding two “New Student Mixers,” where students that are new or do not know much about Harpur Edge can stop by the office from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. on Tuesday, Feb. 8 and Wednesday, Feb. 9.