Gettysburg College alumnus and AT&T Vice President of Customer Service Jack Duffy ’79 knows where to find stellar job candidates who will do great work – his alma mater.

Twenty recent grads have joined the ranks at AT&T, many of whom are now enrolled in the company’s prestigious and demanding Business Sales Leadership Development Program in Atlanta. For Duffy, the early success of these young alums comes as no surprise.

“Our business is a relationship business finding solutions for our customers’ business growth. A great liberal arts education prepares you for this challenge,” he said. “Three out of six on our ‘Board of Success’ at the Leadership Program are Gettysburg alums. It’s just very impressive.”

As an accomplished and passionate supporter of the College and current member of the Alumni Association Board of Directors, Duffy knows what it means to be “Gettysburg Great.” Throughout his years on campus, he has witnessed numerous other promising undergrads blossom into dedicated leaders in their professions, both at AT&T and throughout the nation. This transformation, from a youthful first-year to a skilled contributor of the workforce, is an essential component to the higher education experience – one that is actively reinforced by Duffy and the College’s Center for Career Development (CCD).

“We have an outstanding CCD team and program,” said Duffy, who has served as a career-planning mentor for students for more than five years, often working side by side with the CCD.  (He has served as a mentor at AT&T for 25 years.)

More than simply a resource for networking, interviewing and resume tips, the CCD connects students with alumni and parents through internships, job shadowing, career immersion trips, network dinners, and externships.

Externships, unlike internships, typically only last a week, but include intensive job shadowing to provide a glimpse into the daily life of a student’s desired profession. Duffy has hosted many Gettysburg students for opportunities at AT&T and has been thrilled with the results.

“Students love the program,” he said. “When they come for the week, they are given opportunities that many current associates never experience.”
With help from the CCD, Duffy is not only building tomorrow’s business leaders, but also forging a path to success for his fellow Gettysburgians.  

“I love my college. If alums really assessed what Gettysburg meant to their success, their college experience, they would want to find ways to pay it forward for current students.”

Read more about Duffy’s history of helping students.

Founded in 1832, Gettysburg College is a highly selective four-year residential college of liberal arts and sciences with a strong academic tradition that includes Rhodes Scholars, a Nobel laureate and other distinguished scholars among its alumni. The college enrolls 2,600 undergraduate students and is located on a 200-acre campus adjacent to the Gettysburg National Military Park in Pennsylvania.

Contact: Mike Baker assistant director of communications, 717.337.6521.