Whitman Student Utilizes Silicon Valley Exploration Trip to Gauge Future Plans

Finance and marketing management double major Ethan Walsh ’24 recently took advantage of a business trip to Silicon Valley in San Francisco through the Whitman School of Management at Syracuse University. There, he formed new career goals by touring different companies and learning from the Orange alumni network. 

“Seeing Whitman represented on the West Coast shows me how far-reaching the connections of this school are. A lot of the alumni who spoke hadn’t been directly connected to Syracuse University in some time, and seeing them re-engage with their alma mater was really motivating,” says Walsh. 

Walsh is originally from Greenland, New Hampshire. He says that the outreach from Syracuse was one of the main factors that pushed him to leave New Hampshire and pursue a business degree. 

“I chose Whitman because I wanted somewhere that had great connections throughout the country and the globe,” says Walsh. “I wasn’t seeing that same engagement at other in-state business programs.” 

The recent trip to Silicon Valley was the first time Whitman offered students the opportunity to travel and see a wide range of West Coast businesses. The group toured large companies, such as Google and LinkedIn, but also had the chance to explore mid-size and smaller brands. 

Walsh expresses that he was particularly drawn to small and mid-size companies because of the noticeable employee collaboration. 

“Touring these massive companies with 30-plus buildings and thousands of employees was eye-opening, but I couldn’t see myself fitting into such a big employee dynamic,” says Walsh. “The face-to-face collaborations we saw at the smaller companies were more my speed.”

Walsh prides himself on the collaboration and connection-related skills he has gained since beginning at Whitman. This trip to Silicon Valley was just one way Walsh has continued to advance his passion for group flexibility and team collaboration. 

While Walsh expressed a great deal of interest in attending similar immersion trips to Silicon Valley in the future, his on-campus involvements are also helping him shape his goals for the future.  

As an active member of Delta Sigma Pi (DSP), Walsh has been able to form business-related connections and lifelong friendships that he hopes to carry with him after graduation. 
 

“DSP really has students that are dedicated to business. It has definitely shaped my college experience. It’s a very balanced organization. There are resources for interview advice and cover letter review, but I’ve also met my best friends through it,” says Walsh.  

While Walsh did not meet any former DSP members on his recent trip to Silicon Valley, he shares that the alumni connections formed through the organization helped him immensely with resume building and cover letter review.  

“One of the panelists we met in Silicon Valley told us that ‘there is no such thing as a bad connection.’ This really stuck with me throughout the remainder of the trip and pushed me to engage with employees at all the companies we toured,” says Walsh.

By Charlie Wenig ’24 (WSM/NEW)