AIC recently brought in former hockey player Matt Schimenti to talk about all of the success he has achieved since his graduation in ‘87, and all of the steps he has taken to become the man and business owner he is today.

Seeming nervous at first, this construction owner had a surprising amount of information to share regarding all of the influences that have had an impact on him since he joined the company with his father. He talked about graduating and having no interest, but his father had other ideas for him.

Once he graduated, his dad asked him to come work with him for a year, and if he did not like it, he could go on his way and continue on with his life, but he quickly fell into his father’s business, and took it to the next level.

He is very modest about his progression in the company, and when Vince Maniaci points this out, he asks to hear some numbers.

Schimenti says when he took over the business they grossed just $3 million a year. In 2015, the company grossed over $200 million dollars, and is on track to grow 15 percent in 2016. Now with these numbers continuing to grow, it’s no wonder he had some great advice to give to all of the students that attended the presentation.

One thing that Schimenti was huge on was getting out there and getting connected. Connections are everything, and he says how he likes to hire by character, not just by skill or where you went to school.

Senior Corey Momsen was very surprised to hear this and it came as almost a shock to him.

“It was very interesting to hear from the presenter during his hiring process,” said Momsen. “They typically hire new employees for their willingness to learn and potential to grow as a professional. Typically they don’t care where you studied.”

This was quite interesting to hear from an employer since they generally only care about what you can offer on the spot, not what you can offer in the future. Hearing this gave some of the crowd hope, including senior Skyler Adams.

“The meeting gives me hope in being successful after AIC,” says Adams. “I love the idea of helping AIC alums and I’d hope I can give back to AIC rugby like he has.”

Schimenti really helped give an inside look at what some employees are looking for, and he really showcased how a lot of people don’t really care where you went to school, just how willing you are to get into the workforce and make connections with thee people in your field.

Hopefully he really got through to some of the people in the audience and helps the current students of AIC continue to grow and reach for their goals.