Tom Fraatz, PhD, is the Assistant Director of Career Exploration with the Center for Career Excellence. He coaches St. Lawrence’s communications and arts students to cultivate their professional identities and bring their talents to a wide variety of environments, from the studio to the boardroom. Tom also mentors St. Lawrence’s undeclared, undecided, and unsure students and demystifies career development. The period when students sample their academic interests is often their most productive time on campus. While a major may get you a job, a liberal arts education will give you a career.
Tom has 15 years of experience mentoring students to achieve their personal and professional ambitions. A fierce advocate for the liberal arts, he focuses on student strengths and values, helping students connect their academic interests and co-curricular activities to their professional goals.
Prior to working in the Center for Career Excellence, Tom taught in the First Year Program and Religious Studies department. A graduate of Gettysburg College, he earned master’s degrees from Boston University and Boston College and a PhD from Boston College in 2017. When not on campus, he enjoys roasting coffee, board games, and woodworking.