Alums offer mentoring to students exploring career options

Read the full story by Kathy Hovis in the A&S Communications.

Melissa Lewin’s ’00 archeology classes — especially the one where she learned Akkadian, a cuneiform language inscribed on stone tablets — have opened more than one door for her along her career journey.

“I kept that on my resume for so many years because it’s a real conversation starter,” she said. “When you’re starting out, it’s important to have one thing that stands out. I had a whole script on how learning Akkadian lined up with the tax code, how they are both like solving a puzzle.”

Lewin and her husband Rob ’99, who met on campus, are active backers of Cornell through their support of Cornell’s Public History Initiative and the archaeology program. Both are members of the Arts & Sciences Career Connections Committee, while Melissa is also a member of the A&S Advisory Council, the Cornell University Council and the President’s Council of Cornell Women (PCCW). She is also a judge for Cornell Law School's Transactional Lawyering Competition.

After college, both decided on legal careers, but didn’t have a clear picture of what kind of law they wanted to practice.

“Neither Melissa nor I had parents in the spheres we exist in now,” Rob Lewin said. “I didn’t even have a clear understanding of the difference between corporate law and public interest lawyers.”

That’s one reason they support A&S career development — to increase opportunities for students to explore career options.