K to the Bay 2017 Participant
K to the Bay 2017
December 5-8, 2017
A Unique Opportunity to Explore the World of High-Tech
Attend K to the Bay Info Session on Wednesday, September 20 during Common Time in Dewing 200 for more information about this program and how to apply.
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:
- Duff & Phelps
- Generate Capital
- Google
- Granite Global Ventures
- Gunderson Dettmer
- Highland Capital
- Loop
- Pagemill
- Prism
- Savonix
- SurveyMonkey
- UpSide
- Xperiel
- Yummly
- Zenefits
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.
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 to apply.
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.
1. A brief introduction: who you are and why you should be selected for K to the Bay
2. A middle section that addresses the following questions:
· What do you hope to gain from K to the Bay?
· What experiences have you had to date that have prepared you to be an engaged participant in this experience?
· What are your career plans and how might they be shaped by this experience?
3. A closing that reconfirms your interest and includes the name of at least one Kalamazoo College professor who would confirm the merits of your candidacy.
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 (Monday-Thursday, 1:30-4 PM), and/or check out the resources at http://reason.kzoo.edu/ccd/students/cover_letters/.
Email Valerie Miller with any questions.