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Patrick D’Alessandro ’23 looks forward to joining the strategic sales team at Keyence Corporation of America.

Patrick D'Alessandro ?23 Granted, it’s a big move: The company has 13 product divisions, spanning industries as diverse as automotive, electronic devices, and semiconductors. But he’s ready to take on that intense challenge while mastering the art of selling at Keyence’s Itasca, Illinois, location.

“I want to be the best I can be,” says Patrick. “I want to push myself, to challenge myself, and that means stepping into a technical field that I don’t know. It’s important to be constantly learning and redefining my skill set.”

That perspective has shaped his double major in marketing and business management, as well as the rewards he’s found competing in varsity soccer. It will likely serve him well into the future.

“I was able to fulfill pretty much everything I wanted to do at Carthage,” says Patrick, a senior from Elgin, Illinois. “In athletics, you always strive to be your best — A positive attitude is everything — and that same approach works in the business world.”

With a friend’s encouragement, Patrick started the Carthage Business Book Club. For a deep dive into what defines success (and how to turn failures around), members went right to the source with books like “Shoe Dog,” the memoir by Nike CEO Phil Knight, and “The Culture Code: The Secrets of Highly Successful Groups.”

“The best part was being surrounded by like-minded people who want to talk about ideas,” he says. “It was awesome.”

Two internships provided Patrick with “fantastic” learning experiences. The first was with Vitality Dental Arts.

“I was super pumped after that,” he says, and channeled that enthusiasm into the Personal Selling and Sales course taught by Professor J.J. Shields. The valued mentor affirmed Patrick’s passion for sales and helped him secure a second internship with Ortho Molecular Products.

Another course he took with Prof. Shields came with a prestigious bonus: the Sandler Selling System’s bronze level certification.

“There aren’t many colleges that offer that,” Patrick says. “I’m very grateful, because it made me a lot more marketable to recruiters.”

Looking ahead, he’s characteristically upbeat.

“I’ve always found it most fulfilling to be a bridge between a problem and a solution, to build relationships,” Patrick says. “I came to Carthage with a sense that college would help me find my path, and it has. I found my calling.”