The Wildcat Professional Excellence Program (WPEP) provides student-athletes with the opportunity to connect with professionals representing a wide range of career industries. The event allows current ’Cats to explore career paths they may or may not have previously considered, gain valuable insight into different professions, and develop a clearer understanding of their post-graduation goals.
Through three speed networking rounds with professionals of their choice, open networking, and a formal dinner with words from David Kabiller. The student-athletes engage in meaningful conversations and build connections with professionals and Northwestern alumni.
This year, more than 30 professionals attended, representing industries including finance, consulting, healthcare, sports, nonprofit organizations, and many more. More than 100 student-athletes participated in this impactful event, gaining valuable perspectives and exploring opportunities to turn their interests into future careers.
“The Wildcat Professional Excellence Program (WPEP) has been the most influential experience of my time at Northwestern so far. It's a rare opportunity to meet accomplished Wildcat alumni and learn from them in a relaxed setting where the pressure is off. The roundtable format exposed me to a variety of perspectives, and the formal sit-down dinner that followed made it easy to build genuine connections that can last well beyond the event,” said Vincent Yang, a member of the Northwestern Men’s Tennis team.
During the event, the Kabiller NU for Life Program also announced the six recipients of the 2026 Irving Kabiller Award, recognizing outstanding junior student-athletes and providing them with an immersive professional development experience.