K to the Bay 2018 Participant

Attend K to the Bay Info Session on Wednesday, September 26 during Common Time in Dewing 200 for more information about this program and the application process.

Background: An integral component of exploring potential careers is getting the chance to interact with the people who make an industry happen.

Program: Kalamazoo College is offering a four-day “career trek” for a small group of highly motivated students to travel to Silicon Valley and the Bay Area for a structured set of highly interactive onsite visits with founders, CEOs, CTOs, venture capitalists, and lawyers of major companies. These sessions will give students insight into what these companies do and how they do it. This opportunity for high-level exposure to entrepreneurs and other executives in Silicon Valley and the Bay Area can illustrate how new ventures materialize, impact how students envision their own professional plans, and potentially jumpstart students’ professional networks. 

The program will arrange and pay for round-trip flights to San Francisco, lodging and on-the-ground transportation in California, and dinners. Students will cover their own breakfasts, lunches, and other costs, such as airport parking. Contact Valerie Miller before the application deadline if this poses undue financial hardship.

This program is made possible by the generosity and initiative of Brad O’Neill ’93 who lives in the Bay Area and is founding CEO of multiple Silicon Valley companies.

Some of the companies visited in previous K to the Bay Treks include:

Expectations: At all times, students should behave as positive representatives of Kalamazoo College and role models in helping to ensure that the K to the Bay experience will be replicated in the future.

Participants will prepare, reflect and give back. Pre-program, students will invest in their experience by conducting significant research about each company and preparing questions. During the program, students will keep a log of their experiences. Post-program, students will synthesize and share what they learned with the K community in group presentations, classroom discussions, peer-to-peer mentoring, development and implementation of events with alumni and other professionals, as well as other ideas of their own. Participants will be expected to track a minimum of 20 hours on these activities following the K to the Bay Trek. Individually, students will complete detailed structured reflections about how the trip has impacted them – professionally and personally – and how it has shaped their vision for the years ahead.

Participants must attend a series of preparatory meetings in November.

Selection Process: This program is open to all juniors and seniors, regardless of major. Applications are due October 5 by 10:00am in Handshake. Semi-finalists will be notified the week of October 8, and must be available for personal interviews the week of October 15. The finalists will be notified by October 22 and must sign a release waiver and contract of commitment, with a financial penalty for cancellation, by noon, October 24. Email Valerie Miller at vmiller@kzoo.edu with any questions.

Application Instructions 

Research Brad O'Neill, Silicon Valley, and one or more of the companies listed above before applying for K to the Bay.

Click Apply Now and upload a cover letter and résumé.

The cover letter should be addressed to Brad O’Neill, CEO of Depot Global Inc. Address the following questions in your letter connecting your answers to specific aspects of the K to the Bay Trek. 

The one-page résumé should include relevant information about your education, work and volunteer experiences, activities, skills, and awards. Résumés and cover letters will be reviewed for accuracy, formatting, and content—just as in the “real world,” a typo, sloppy formatting, or poor writing may remove your materials from consideration. You are strongly encouraged to have several others review your materials before submission. 

For more information on how to format and write cover letters and résumés (and to see examples), make an appointment with a career coach through Handshake, visit the CCPD during drop-in hours (Tuesday-Friday, 2-4 PM), and/or check out the resources at http://reason.kzoo.edu/ccd/students/cover_letters/. 

Email Valerie Miller with any questions.