Her responsibilities included facilitating media check-ins, ensuring journalists had access to view the ball up close and guiding media personnel through the venue to ensure the event ran smoothly.

“Times Square New Year’s Eve is how much of the world begins their new year and the opportunity to observe a small glimpse of what goes into it — even before New Years Eve Day — was surreal,” she said.

While she didn’t attend the ball drop in person, her role at the crystal-installation event gave her a behind-the-scenes perspective that made watching the event on television all the more meaningful.

“As I watched the ball drop at home on my screen, I felt a deep sense of gratitude for the unique opportunity that I had to see the ball up close a few days prior,” she said. “Having a behind-the-scenes view of an iconic symbol of the new year is an experience I will never forget.”

Catalano credits Quinnipiac with helping pave the way to her professional success. She fondly recalls a university-led trip to Rubenstein’s office last year, where she met recruiters and staff, sparking the connections that led to her current position.

“The friendly professors and alumni at Quinnipiac, who have given me reliable career advice, have been a huge help in helping me get hired at Rubenstein,” Catalano said. “Additionally, Quinnipiac’s challenging — yet rewarding projects — have given me confidence in my abilities as a public relations professional. Quinnipiac offers a fantastic environment to collaborate with peers, professors and professionals, which has set me up successfully for interactions with clients and coworkers in the real world.”

Catalano’s involvement in the New Year’s Eve event is a testament to how quickly her career has taken off since graduating from Quinnipiac.

“Rubenstein staff always say being a part of the New Year’s Eve ball drop events are an honor, and I think that is the perfect way to sum up what the experience means to me,” she said. “As a 2024 college graduate who has just began their professional career, I would have never imagined I would receive an opportunity like this at my first job just days before wrapping up 2024.”