Alumni Profile: Jamie Bacon
When Jamie Bacon came to North Park, she knew that she wanted a career in business and events, but wasn’t sure how to get there. With the help of her business professors and University staff, Jamie’s North Park experience led her straight to her desired field.
Jamie was able to tailor her education, experiences, and extracurricular activities at North Park to fit her intended career path. “After meeting with the Career Development and Internships Office and discussing my interests, they forwarded me an opening as soon as it was available,” she says. Jamie was placed in a special events internship in Swedish Covenant Hospital’s development department.
When her University internship ended, Jamie was asked to return to work as an intern for the hospital’s annual gala event. After she graduated in 2011 with a business degree with a concentration in management, Jamie was hired as Swedish Covenant Hospital’s full-time development and events coordinator. She credits North Park with helping her succeed by connecting her with meaningful work and a great employer. “North Park gave me a personal education with the access to a broad network of nonprofits in Chicago.”
The business faculty and staff also served as an important resource to Jamie. Her professors encouraged her to pursue an internship and a certificate in nonprofit leadership, which she earned alongside her degree. “Professor Al Kamienski was a constant guide throughout my academic career, and provided me with extra tutoring,” she says. Christa Beall Diefenbach, former associate director of the University’s Axelson Center for Nonprofit Management, “was a great resource for me to learn more about the nonprofit sector, and served as a mentor,” Jamie says.
Jamie is grateful for the ways in which North Park helped her achieve her goals. “North Park provided me with the invaluable experiences and appropriate connections and experiences to prepare me for where I am today,” she says.