SophoMORE Connections

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SophoMORE Connections is an exclusive career conference offered to second-year students during winter break.

About

We are bringing in our best resources to help you think about your most pressing career questions. SophoMORE Connections is a two-day event specifically for sophomores featuring workshops, alumni panels, and networking events to identify and explore your career areas of interest. The event, housing, and food are free for all registrants for the duration of the event.

Register by December 8

Begin planning for the 13th annual SophoMORE Connections

The event will be held January 17–18, 2025. Here is how you can start planning now: 

  • Students will need to make travel arrangements to return to campus on Thursday, January 16.
  • Registration details will be shared with students — stay tuned to Career Services emails for forthcoming information.
  • This event, including housing and meals, is offered at no cost to students who register and attend.
Photo of Toby Bozzuto ’96

Meet our 2025 SophoMORE Connections keynote speaker

Career Services is proud to present Toby Bozzuto ’96 as the 2025 SophoMORE Connections keynote speaker. Toby is president and CEO of Bozzuto and chair of Colgate University’s Board of Trustees.

As president and CEO of Bozzuto, Toby Bozzuto ’96 provides strategic and day-to-day leadership for more than 3,400 employees nationwide. The real estate company has been nationally recognized as a “Great Place to Work” and named a “Top Workplace” by The Washington Post for nine consecutive years and a “Top Company for Executive Women” by Seramount for four consecutive years.

In July 2024, Toby was named chair of Colgate University’s Board of Trustees, becoming the youngest person to serve in that position. 

He is also an executive committee member of the Policy Advisory Board for the Joint Center for Housing Studies of Harvard University and a member of the Board of Visitors for the Shock Trauma Center at The University of Maryland Medical Center, M&T Bank’s Directors Advisory Council, Catalyst CEO Champions for Change, and CEO Action for Diversity and Inclusion. Toby’s clear vision, approachable nature, and progressive thinking guide the company to create extraordinary experiences and maintain a culture of kindness for residents, clients, partners, and each other.

Toby has been featured in leading media outlets such as CNBC, The Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, Bloomberg, The Washington Post, the Washington Business Journal, Huffington Post, and the MIT Sloan Management Review.

Toby strives to share his insight and passion for creating community. He is a regular guest lecturer at Harvard Business School, Harvard Business School Executive Education program, Harvard University Graduate School of Design, NYU Schack Institute of Real Estate, Georgetown University, Cornell University, the University of Maryland, and Johns Hopkins University.

Past Keynote Speakers

2024

Photo of Courtney Richardson ’08

Courtney Richardson ’08
creative director at Droga5; founder of the Museum of Nail Art

2023

Photo of Craig Dehmel ’90

Craig Dehmel ’90
Executive Vice President, Head of Global Distribution, IMAX Entertainment and Senior Vice President, IMAX Corp

2021

Jon Sendach '98

Jon Sendach ’98
Executive Director, North Shore University Hospital

 

2020

jon lopez

Jon Lopez ’06
Sports photographer and cinematographer

 

2019

Clarissa Shah

Clarissa Shah ’10
Commercial Sales Attorney at LinkedIn

 

2018

headshot of amy dudley

Amy Dudley ’06
Chief Spokesperson, Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative