WASHINGTON, PA (June 22, 2022)—Recent W&J alumnus Alex Donahue ’22 may lack a green thumb, but backed by the red and black, he’s managed to make his Blooming career blossom.
Connecting with Benjamin Brown, then the Mon Valley Alliance Chief Executive Officer (CEO), after Brown’s presentation in Associate Professor of Economics Robert Dunn’s Urban and Regional Economics Class, Donahue learned about an internship with Bloom Engineering Company—a combustion systems provider in Pittsburgh, Pa. After spending the spring as the company’s data and marketing analytics intern, the former business administration major is now prospering as a solution analyst for Deloitte, a prominent consulting firm headquartered in London, England.
“Deloitte is a top ranked consulting firm, so I am proud to be given the opportunity to work for them,” Donahue said. “However, I would not have been able to obtain the offer at Deloitte if it were not for the added skills and knowledge that I was able to learn at Bloom.”
Working to build data and query tables from main data sets, combine and compare data from intra-business sectors, and conduct research to help predict market trends domestically and abroad, Donahue’s work at Bloom proved particularly productive in improving his relationship with technology.
“Coming into this internship I had no coding experience whatsoever,” Donahue said, “and now I’m rather proficient and have a strong understanding of [Structured Query Language (SQL)—a coding language commonly used in programming].”
Though tech has proved important to Donahue, so too have people.
“My mother has made so many sacrifices for me to get where I am today and to allow me to have had the success that I have had. She is the strongest and most inspiring woman there is,” said Donahue, a two-time team captain of the wrestling team, coached by Tommy Prairie. “And Coach Prairie is constantly pushing me to do my best. He is an excellent coach, and I’ve often gone to him for advice.”
Donahue has also looked to business connections as a professional propellant.
“Mr. Brown showed me the job description of the position I had at Bloom…and put me in touch with David Boyce, the CEO of the company,” Donahue said. “I would work on projects directly with Mr. Boyce, the [Chief Financial Officer], and the head of [Information Technology] daily. Not many employees have the opportunity to work with, and learn from, C-level management, especially not as a college intern.”
Ultimately, it’s what Donahue credits for much of his success.
“Without this experience I don’t think I would have been able to carve the current path for my future that I have,” Donahue said. “I loved this opportunity, and I would encourage every student to participate in some sort of internship in their college career.”
About Washington & Jefferson College
Washington & Jefferson College, proudly located in Washington, Pa., is a historic liberal arts college founded in 1781 that values ethical leadership, professional readiness, and inclusive communities. Our highly customized and intellectually engaging student experience develops professionals of uncommon integrity to lead in an ever-changing world. For more information about W&J, visit washjeff.dev, or call 888-W-AND-JAY.