Photo by Lisa Abitbol

Where better to learn about career paths than on a job site? In January, Wellesley Career Education matched 145 students with 96 alumnae and parent volunteers in 18 states and four countries to shadow professionals on the job. They explored industries ranging from architecture and design to medicine, media, and state government. Jahanara “Jana” Freedman ’20 shadowed Samantha Hand Fratus ’89 at a construction site for a 1,000-room hotel project in the Boston seaport district. “I had a fantastic day describing my responsibilities as a project engineer,” Fratus says. “Jana’s questions made me stop and think about my world in a way I hadn’t in a long time. They were not just about the physical aspects of the job, but the ethics and overall work environment.” The pair discussed the challenges of being a woman in construction. “It was clear that Jana was not going to be easily discouraged by any challenge and this was very encouraging to me, to see firsthand how well Wellesley is preparing women to walk into the wide world unafraid.”