Kelly joined the Career Services team of counselors for students in the College of Arts & Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania in 2007. Prior to joining Penn Career Services, she was director of Career Services at Stetson University in Florida. She has also worked as a trainer for the U.S. State Department's Irish Peace Process Cultural & Training Program in Belfast, Northern Ireland and Washington, D.C.; a career counselor at the University of Iowa; an advisor for student-athletes at George Washington University; and as a teacher at Marymount International School in Rome, Italy. She has a B.A. in English from Wake Forest University, an M.A. in Community Counseling from George Washington University, and is currently enrolled in the Ed.D. in Higher Education program at Penn.

Claire relates well to those students who don't know what they want to do because that's how she felt as an undergraduate double majoring in English and Anthropology at the University of Virginia. Since then, she has worked in different areas of student services including admissions, student activities, and Career Services, where she has been since 2006. Claire has a doctorate in Higher Education Management from the University of Pennsylvania and her education includes 11 years living abroad in the Middle East and North Africa.

Helen has been a career counselor for five years and joined Penn Career Services in 2007 to assist arts and sciences students and alums in their career development. Before Penn, she guided the job search of a broad range of students through Temple University and Philadelphia University's Career Centers. Helen believes in trying out different career ideas and thus has acquired first-hand experience in many fields, including business consulting, nonprofit management, marketing, public health, and event planning. She has a B.A. in Communication and Psychology, and a M.S.Ed. in Psychological Services from the University of Pennsylvania.

Anne earned her B.A. in English and M.S. in Counseling and Human Relations, with a Higher Ed concentration, from Villanova University. Early in her career she held administrative positions in publishing and data processing services. Her career services background includes working with students and alumni at Villanova University, Bryn Mawr, and Haverford Colleges. More recently, and for the majority of the past 20+ years, Anne has worked in Career Services at Penn.  Anne is the mother of two young adults, who, with their friends, have also contributed to her career planning experience. Along with helping students make good choices and prepare carefully for the job search process, it's Anne's goal to encourage development of a positive perspective and sense of humor during what can be a stressful time in life.

Shannon Kelly, Associate Director

Shannon has worked in Career Services since 2007, from Assistant to the College of Arts & Sciences team, then Job and Internship Coordinator and now as Associate Director. She works directly with employers, troubleshoots our online job boards, PennLink and iNet, and manages the office’s social media strategy and accounts. Her different roles bring a dynamic perspective to career counseling  – recognizing the impact of social media in a job/internship search today and understanding what employers are looking for in a candidate. Before joining Penn, Shannon served in AmeriCorps in rural Massachusetts working with youth. Shannon received her B.A. in Sociology from University of Massachusetts-Amherst and her Master’s in Higher Education Management from Penn’s Graduate School of Education.

Anne Marie Gercke, Administrative Assistant

Anne Marie joined the University of Pennsylvania Career Services team in February 2012 and provides administrative assistance to the career counselors for the College of Arts & Sciences. Prior to her life at Penn, Anne Marie attended the University of Delaware where she earned a B.A. in English and Communication, concentrating on writing and media production. Post-graduation, Anne Marie spent half a year backpacking and working in Australia, eventually returning to the States for a position in Washington, D.C. as an analyst for the Department of Homeland Security. During her six years in our nation’s capital, Anne Marie gained a variety of experience in recruiting, marketing, project management, writing, editing and media. Anne Marie enjoys interacting with the students and staff at Penn, and looks forward to helping students make the most of their experience both in school and beyond.

Jamie joined Penn Career Services in 2009 as part of the Engineering team after more than 10 years of experience in career counseling.  Prior to coming to Penn, Jamie’s career included work at Saint Joseph’s University (Philadelphia) and Philadelphia University, where she specialized in internship advising and working with international students.  Jamie believes that there is nothing more effective in a job search than a targeted, well written cover letter, and is rewarded by playing even a small part in the professional successes of the students and alumni she counsels.    Jamie holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a Master of Science in Education in Psychological Services, both from the University of Pennsylvania.

Tamara graduated from Temple University in the Spring of 2010 where upon, she worked as a Teacher’s Assistant.  After having found a strong interest in academia and working with students, she then took a position here at the University of Pennsylvania where she provides administrative assistance to both the Engineering and Wharton teams, sets up appointments, handles the counselors work flow and manages the administrative details of projects including career fairs and surveys. 

Barbara Hewitt, Senior Associate Director

Beth Olson, Associate Director

Beth joined Career Services last year to work with students and alumni in the College of Arts & Sciences, and she now serves the undergraduate students at Wharton. She came to Penn from Columbia University, where she worked primarily with graduate students in Arts & Sciences, Engineering, the Arts, Architecture, and Continuing Education. She also worked with alumni of all ages at Columbia, as she did at Yale University, where she was a career counselor for undergraduate students (during the dot.com bust!). Following her B.A. in International Studies and graduate work in Russian History, Beth worked for many years in publishing—academic journals, textbooks, and trade (literary and children’s). With experience in large and small for-profit and not-for-profit organizations, she enjoys helping students identify and realize their career goals.

Tamara, Mason, Administrative Assistant

Tamara graduated from Temple University in the Spring of 2010 where upon, she worked as a Teacher’s Assistant.  After having found a strong interest in academia and working with students, she then took a position here at the University of Pennsylvania where she provides administrative assistance to both the Engineering and Wharton teams, sets up appointments, handles the counselors work flow and manages the administrative details of projects including career fairs and surveys. 

Kathleen Rause, Graduate Assistant

Kathleen joins Career Services as a current student in Penn’s Graduate School of Education, where she is pursuing her master’s in Higher Education. Kathleen is a graduate of Miami University with degrees in Political Science and Speech Communication. She previously worked in the public and government relations office at Talbert House, a nonprofit organization in Cincinnati, Ohio. She has also completed internships at Levick Strategic Communications in Washington, D.C., Phi Kappa Tau Fraternity in Oxford, Ohio, and The Health Foundation of Greater Cincinnati.