CTK Alumna Pivots to Chase Dream Career

Asked to give advice to CTK’s current seniors, Londen Zachary ’19 shared that “It’s important not to be stagnant. You need to put yourself out there to see what you can leverage to continue to grow. You need to be willing to take that first step – it could be your chance to find out where you are meant to be.” Londen herself has “pivoted” in her career path by taking steps to align with an area of interest she believes is the right fit, and something she could thrive in – digital marketing. She credits her time at CTK with strengthening her belief in herself and in God, which has helped her through recent struggles and given her the confidence to pursue a career she is passionate about.

Londen’s time at CTK helped shape her into the person she is today. She learned to ask questions and advocate for herself. She valued her Corporate Work Study Program experience working at Relativity. Her co-workers were supportive and provided reassurance when she delivered a presentation at the end of her senior year, which gave her the confidence to find her voice and speak authentically. She has stayed connected to a couple of mentors from Relativity who have helped her with her current career search. She was also active at CTK in track & field, majorettes, and volunteer service, like the Saturday morning Dignity Breakfast at Our Lady of Sorrows. “Giving back and helping people while at CTK helped to shape me into the person I am. Part of my purpose in life is to be there to support people.”   

After graduating from CTK, Londen chose to attend the 2-year Arrupe College of Loyola University. Arrupe provided an easier transition to college with smaller class sizes and support and resources tailored to first-generation students of color. Her college experience at Arrupe was interrupted by COVID, but she took on a leadership role to help build community as a VP of the Black Student Union. She graduated in 2021 with her associate’s degree in business administration. 

In pursuing her 4-year degree, she chose Dominican University based on the positive feedback she received on the school and programs offered, and its proximity to her home. Living at home allowed her to save money, but she still needed to rely on scholarships and student loans to pay for her college tuition. Her interest in building and running her own business led to her choice of a business entrepreneurship major. During her senior year, she took part in a Business Challenge team competition. Her team pitched the idea for a company that provided more affordable student books. They finished in 3rd place and split $1,000, but more importantly, the experience triggered her engagement and curiosity and pushed her out of her comfort zone. She earned her Dominican University degree in May 2023.

While at Dominican, Londen started working part-time at BMO Harris as an anti-money laundering analyst investigator.Although it was a different path than her original intention, it matched her aptitude for computer work, and she enjoyed the fast-paced, team-based environment. Unsure of her next career steps upon graduation, she accepted a full-time position at BMO Harris, working in a hybrid (remote and in-person) job in their Chicago office with her team based in Milwaukee.  Her job responsibilities focused on investigating potential customers to determine if there was any evidence of questionable activities before accepting them as clients. She partnered with BMO’s legal, human resources, and fraud departments to remediate high-risk client activity. After two and a half years, Londen left BMO Harris for a similar role at Factor Law in Chicago. While she became proficient at her job and saved a lot of her income, she made the decision “to step away from her job to determine what she wanted to do with her life.” 

Londen discovered a unique fellowship program called COOP Careers – a non-profit that helps first- generation college graduates like her who are pivoting in their career. COOP is a tuition-free resource that provides training & coaching and the opportunity to work on projects that provide hands-on training. “The goal is to get you up and running with skills needed to help you find a job fit and be prepared in your chosen field. For me, it’s  digital marketing.”  To build her digital marketing knowledge base, she has learned about social media, content creation, campaign strategies, and building successful digital campaigns. Londen is currently in an apprenticeship at COOP and just started an 8-week externship for Kepler U, an education-based agency that works with non-profits. While unpaid, she is gaining relevant digital marketing experience and putting together her resume and cover letters so she can begin to apply and interview for open positions. She has also secured certification in Google AI, Digital Marketing HubSpot, and Google Ads, which is valued by employers and could boost her salary. Lastly, she is building connections through networking and attending in-person events, including one hosted by Microsoft.

Londen has kept a positive mindset throughout her career search. She has leaned on the support of her family and her faith. “I know that God is in my life and pushing me beyond where I think I can go. He put me into situations like the current one to allow me to get where I need to go. I’ve learned that what you get in life doesn’t always come the way you expect it to." It’s been a long process to get to a place she feels she was meant to be. She is excited to begin putting the digital content she creates out there and engage with people on and offline.  Best of luck to Londen as she chases her dreams.