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Dawn Sherman began her career development journey in 1999 when she was hired as the Director of the Office of Career Services (OCS) at Nichols College. During her tenure, she significantly grew the services and programs in the OCS, from creating relationships with hundreds of employers to leading one of the largest Career Fairs in central Massachusetts.

 In 2000, she co-developed and then became the Director of the Professional Development Seminar (PDS) Program, a series of four required courses in career and professional development. She continued as the PDS Director for more than 11 years, teaching numerous sections every semester and training faculty and teaching assistants to deliver a quality PDS curriculum. 

 In more recent years, Dawn has worked in academic affairs administration, taught undergraduate and graduate courses, designed and launched Pathway programs for international students at universities across the country, and led the creation of numerous student success programs at a variety of colleges and universities from New England to Alabama. Dawn has been a long-time member of NCDA, NACE, and EACE and has presented at more than 30 conferences in 19 states.

 Dawn holds an Ed.D. in Educational Leadership from the University of Hartford, an M.S. in Counseling and Student Development from the University of Rhode Island, and a B.A. in Sociology from Central Connecticut State University. Her doctoral dissertation was about career efficacy in the junior year of college.

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Jorimel Zaldivar is the Senior Associate Director for Common Good Careers (CGCC) at Yale’s Office of Career Strategy. As a member of the CGCC team, Jorimel supports undergraduate students who are pursuing careers within education, government, and non-profit organizations. Jorimel loves meeting with students as they reflect on their personal and professional development, prepare and plan towards achieving their career goals, and seek to maintain their wellness throughout the job search process. Jorimel is a member of several career-related professional associations, and he is especially active within the CCCDA. He studied history as an undergraduate at New York University, where he also earned his M.A. in Mental Health Counseling. Jorimel is a licensed professional counselor within the state of Connecticut and a national certified counselor. Prior to Yale, Jorimel has worked within the career offices of Fordham University and NYU School of Law.

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Dr. Diandra J. Prescod is an Associate Professor of Counselor Education and Program Coordinator of School Counseling at the University of Connecticut. She received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey; her master’s in mental health counseling from Monmouth University; and her Ph.D. in counselor education from the University of Central Florida. Diandra is a Licensed Professional Counselor, National Certified Counselor, Certified Career Services Provider.

Diandra’s research focuses on effective career development interventions for STEM undergraduate students and underrepresented students in higher education. While in her previous role at Penn State, she created and directed the Academic Wellness and Career Consultations program which provides career counseling services to students in mechanical engineering. Currently, Diandra is Co-PI on a $2.5M National Science Foundation grant that aims to recruit and retain STEM undergraduate students using career development interventions. She also co-created an online training for students, staff, and faculty that encourages healthy and supportive career dialogue entitled “Inclusive Career Conversations.” Diandra is active in the field of counselor education, consistently publishing and presenting her work both nationally and internationally. She was a member of the organizing committee for the Pennsylvania Career Development Association (est. 2019) that won NCDA's Outstanding State Division Award in 2020. From 2020-2023, Diandra served as the Trustee for Higher Education Career Counselors and Specialists for NCDA and the Secretary for the European Branch of the American Counseling Association (EBACA). In her role as trustee, she created the Career Teaching Academy, which supports career professionals who teach undergraduate career planning courses.
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Kelly Shay is the Associate Director of the Career Management Center at the Yale School of Public Health. She has been in the career office for 8 years and has previous experience within overall higher education in international student services, admissions, and registration. An alumna of Quinnipiac University, she graduated with a degree in journalism and then obtained her master’s degree in Counseling in Higher Education from CCSU in 2011. In addition, Kelly is currently working toward completing requirements to become a LPC.

Her favorite things about working in career services are helping students find their purpose, communicate their skillset, and develop career strategies. Kelly lives in Trumbull with her husband and two young daughters. As a trustee of the CCCDA, Kelly has helped with some noontime conversation workshops. She is happy to be part of the CCCDA to learn from her colleagues and contribute her ideas to the exciting and evolving career counseling profession.

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Emily Canto has worked in the field of career services for over 30 years.  She is experienced in providing guidance to students within four year and two-year environments in both state-supported and private colleges and universities. 

She is a licensed LPC in the state of Connecticut.  Emily holds an earned M. Ed from the University of New Hampshire and a Bachelor of Arts with double majors in Psychology and Sociology from North Adams Sate College (Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts.)  In addition, she has held leadership positions within professional organizations at the community colleges and state Connecticut Counselor Association organization.

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