Graduates Enter Strong Job Market

ALBANY, N.Y. (May 19, 2017) -- The University at Albany’s Class of 2017 will transition from students to graduates this weekend with reason for optimism.

This year’s college graduates are stepping into the most inviting job market in years. About 74 percent of U.S. employers plan to hire recent college graduates in 2017, up from 64 percent a year ago, according to a recent CareerBuilder survey. The highest outlook since 2007.

“The Class of 2017 is entering into a strong job market with hiring projections expected to be higher than they’ve been in recent years,” said Noah Simon, UAlbany Director of Career and Professional Development. “Employer presence at both our Fall and Spring career fairs was up this year with many recruiting students for from all majors.”

More than 3,200 undergraduates and graduate students are expected to participate in UAlbany’s 173rd commencement ceremonies from May 19-21. Included is the first 11 students to earn degrees from the College of Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity, along with the first two computer engineering graduates from the College of Engineering and Applied Sciences.

The University’s soon-to-be alumni are embarking on careers in law, international affairs and forensic investigation, while others are taking positions with Fortune 500 companies.

Here’s just a small sample size of this year’s graduates:

Ibrahim Abdalla
Major: Emergency Preparedness, Homeland Security and Cybersecurity
Hometown: North Sudan

Ibrahim Abdalla has come a long way. Forced from their home after the Sudanese government built a dam that flooded his village, Abdalla and his family came to the United States in 2009 as refugees. Today, he and his family are all U.S. citizens, and Abdalla has turned his focus to bettering the lives of those most in need.

After graduation, Abdalla will return to UAlbany in the fall where he will begin coursework toward a master’s degree in international affairs with a homeland security concentration from the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs and Policy. He also plans to continue his two internships at the New York State Division of Homeland Security and Department of Health.

Zainub Amir
Major: Business Administration (concentration: Finance and Marketing)
Hometown: Delmar, N.Y.

Zainub Amir has an instantly recognizable face on the UAlbany campus. An avid social media user before coming to UAlbany, Amir became an official fan ambassador for Taylor Swift in 2012 for her role in building the music icon’s following. But her laurels don’t stop there. She was also honored by the Today Show in 2016 after receiving the New York Women in Communications scholarship.

Amir has accepted a full-time position with Bloomberg L.P. Analytics in New York City.
She will continue to serve as a social media ambassador for Taylor Swift as well as a guest blogger for MTV News and Huffington Post.

Mathew Boll
Major: Chemistry (concentration: Forensics)
Hometown: Lynbrook, N.Y.

A winner of a 2017 SUNY Chancellor’s Award for Student Excellence, Mathew Boll parlayed his success working in the lab of Professor Igor Lednev into a position with the New York Police Department Crime Lab. Once his security check is complete, Boll will serve as a criminalist in the chemistry section, where he will identify and quantify unknown substances that have been confiscated by police. The position was created by NYPD in an effort to combat the disturbing rise of heroin- and fentanyl-related crimes in the city.

David Greenberg
Major: Computer Engineering
Hometown: Hopewell Junction, N.Y.

As one of the first two students at UAlbany to graduate with a degree in Computer Engineering from the new College of Engineering and Applied Sciences, David Greenberg breaking new ground at UAlbany. The Hopewell Junction native took a couple of years to find his home, including spending some time as a computer science major before settling in on his degree program. After completing an internship at IBM over the summer of 2016 where he spent time working on hardware for the company’s mainframes, Greenberg was offered a full time position upon graduation from UAlbany. He leapt at the opportunity, and thinks his switch to computer engineering helped open pathways for him. Greenberg is also excited about what the future holds for CEAS, particularly the engineering program.

Colin Manchester
Major: Financial Analyst Honors Program and Financial Market Regulation
Hometown: Binghamton, N.Y.

Colin Manchester, the UAlbany Student Association Vice President, is all about numbers. He will be working for BAE Systems Inc. starting in June in their Financial Leadership Development Program. It is a three-year rotational, during which they help him pay for graduate school (MBA). He’s also looking to go to England in the second year of the rotation. After graduation, Manchester he will be working in their Electronic Systems business unit.

Christopher Ortega
Major: Latin American & Caribbean Studies
Hometown: Fallsburg, N.Y.

Christopher Ortega has spent his time at UAlbany volunteering to promote equity, diversity and inclusion among the University community. He was also elected as the undergraduate representative for doctoral degree-granting institutions to the SUNY Student Assembly.

Proud of his Mexican heritage, Ortega plans are to go to law school and specialize in immigration law. While he’s waiting for all acceptances before making a final decision, Ortega’s goal is to become an immigration attorney, and hopefully make a positive impact within the immigrant community. As an immigrant himself, he wants to help those that have lived similar struggles.

Katherine Tare
Major: Economics
Hometown: Brooklyn, N.Y.

Katherine Tare has always seemed to enjoy helping others, but her proclivity for numbers has led her to develop a particular interest in helping people succeed in their careers and in life. Most recently a business engagement intern at the NYS Department of Labor, Tare spent time at UAlbany tutoring others in economics, and helping in the hiring and training of students for the University at Albany Foundation’s fundraising efforts. After graduation, Tare will be taking a full-time job with the NYS Department of Labor.

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