• GROUP 1: Wed., June 22 | 2:15pm - 3:15pm
• GROUP 2: Wed., June 22 | 4:00pm - 5:00pm
• GROUP 3: Thurs., June 23 | 9:30am - 10:30am
• GROUP 4: Thurs., June 23 | 11:00am - 12:00pm
• GROUP 5: Thurs., June 23 | 1:45pm - 2:45pm
• GROUP 6: Thurs., June 23 | 3:00pm - 4:00pm
• GROUP 7: Thurs., June 23 | 4:30pm - 5:30pm

The Eastern Association of Colleges and Employers is recognized by SHRM to offer Professional Development Credits (PDCs) for SHRM-CP® or SHRM-SCP® recertification activities. Sessions offering SHRM credits are noted below.

Creatively Manage Your Data in 60 Minutes
Salon A | All | Lecture

Imagine opening a single website to run reports on your custom employer/customer relationship management (CRM) system, event calendar, and social media marketing plan at once without the hefty CRM price tag. Your data can be shared in real-time AND budget friendly. The team at Merrimack College has transitioned from managing most of its data in Google Drive products to utilizing the Airtable platform to increase efficient data access and tracking across team members. Airtable is a fully customizable platform which "gives everyone the flexibility to create their own solution and make work flow faster (Airtable)." The O'Brien Center manages data on Airtable to showcase unique aspects of our Employer Relations, Marketing, Events, and Learning Management teams. This session is applicable to campuses of all sizes and will align well with other career services products.

Presenter: Shannon Zelek, Assistant Director, Employer Engagement, Merrimack College

Becoming a Director: How to Lead a Career Center and Your Own Career *Sponsored by uConnect
Studio 1 | Colleges | Discussion

In the evolving higher education and career services landscape, have you thought about your own path and interest in leading as a director (or above)? What has changed and what has remained the same? How do you make this step? And, more importantly, how do you lead in a way that remains true to the mission of an institution and your own values?

Join this unique session for a deep dive into considerations for becoming a director, what is involved in leading a career services department, and how to begin to define your leadership values and philosophy that will play a pivotal role in your next step and beyond. Come prepared to participate in a unique opportunity to connect with others thinking about this next step, hear from a leadership development expert, and ultimately learn from each other in a supportive environment.

Presenters:

• Shannon Conklin, Director of Career and Leadership Development, The College of New Jersey
• Avani Rana, Director of Leadership,The College of New Jersey

Bridging Bonds: Enriching EOF Student Experiences in the School of Business
Studio 2 | Colleges | Lecture

In this session, the facilitators will share their experiences as co-coordinators of the Corporate Edge (CE) Program, which is a collaborative program between Montclair State University's Feliciano School of Business and the Educational Opportunity Fund (EOF) Program. CE was designed to cultivate an inclusive environment for EOF students who are majoring in business. Consequently the implementation of CE assisted in fostering strong connections between the students who are a part of the program and the Feliciano School of Business. CE's primary focus is to assist students with their professional development and to equip students with the skills necessary to confidently pursue corporate opportunities. The program consists of the following workshop components: resume writing, job search, interviewing, and networking. Students participate in mock interviews, corporate road trips, and meetings with recruiters through "Lunch and Learns." Additionally, students are introduced to key industry stakeholders and potential employers.

Presenters:

• Mariah Mayers, Assistant Director of Career Advising, Montclair State University Feliciano School of Business Career Services
• Angela White, EOF Counselor/Academic Advisor, EOF and Academic Success, Montclair State University

Leveraging Technology to Drive Engagement and Provide Personalized Content for Students
Salon A | Colleges | Discussion

To meet the Center's mission to deliver comprehensive, innovative, and inclusive programs and services for all students we developed a stackable suite of technologies designed to drive engagement on a personalized level and reach as many students as possible. In this presentation we will identify the technologies used to create the stackable technology suite and show how we organize staff support around this initiative. Making sure that we were providing technologies that truly addressed the needs of our students and not promoting use of repetitive technologies that accomplish the same thing was the first step.

During the presentation participants will have an opportunity to fill out their own "technology bucket sheet" that helps to evaluate their technology stack. Once these technologies were identified, the next step was to organize our website to serve as the jumping off point for students. There are multiple technology integrations utilized within our website to assist with curating personalized content. We will discuss in detail the personalized elements included on the website, how they get into the platform, how students are made aware of them, and what happens after the students visit our website. Finally, how we utilize the Center staff to curate content and coordinate the process is key to sustaining this effort. A staff lead has been established to manage the process of professional staff and student interns curating content, and this framework and how we evaluate our efforts will be discussed during the presentation.

Presenter: Lee Hameroff, Associate Director, Operations, UConn Center for Career Development

Strategies for Closing the Employment Opportunity Gap for International Students
Studio 2 | Colleges | Panel

U.S. institutions must reimagine the international student ecosystem and offer more support to close the opportunity gap for international students. While most international students desire to stay in the U.S. after graduation, about 80 percent reluctantly return home, usually because of immigration hurdles and an inability to find work. Many of them end up working for salaries far lower than they would have earned in the United States, and some struggle to pay back their substantial student debt.

This session will explain the shortcomings of the current international student ecosystem, drawing from experience working with students and staff, and from commissioned research by Anna Esaki-Smith on the international student experience. The presentation will also address how technology and strategic partnerships can help solve these problems, with case studies from universities. Co-presenters Julian Huernerfauth and Greg Victory will represent the expert voices from universities and share examples from their leadership at their respective universities. The presentation will include an action plan that encourages universities to embrace innovation and build a new, data-based student ecosystem that includes partnerships with employers, immigration lawyers, international alumni, and various service providers. This new ecosystem would better serve students, universities and labor markets. Better student outcomes and more desirable job placements after graduation will make it easier for universities to retain and recruit top international students.

Presenter: Nitin Agrawal, Cofounder & CEO, Interstride

Panelists:

• Vicky Lee, Global Career Consultant, University at Buffalo
• Phyllis Mooney, Executive Director, Pace University

What's The Borg Got To Do With It: Dismantling Assimilation Culture
Studio 3 | Colleges | Discussion
This program is valid for 1.00 PDCs for the SHRM-CP^SM or SHRM-SCP^SM.

This session will utilize fictional characters from Star Trek lore, specifically The Borg, to enhance participants understanding of the injurious impact of assimilation culture that permeates most post-secondary institutions and systems. During the session The Borg social structure, ideology and reality will be deconstructed to help participants recognize, identify and challenge assimilationist ideas infused within university life. Those who attend this session will be able to understand and identify student warning signs and the harms of assimilation on all students. Strategies for defusing, challenging and eliminating assimilation culture will be discussed and used to evaluate the concepts presented. Participants will spend time in small group breakout sessions identifying aspects of systemic assimilation cultural within their institutions, departments and offices and practice applying recommended tools from the presentation to learn ways to intervene and thwart harmful practices. "Difference is of the essence of humanity. Difference is an accident of birth and it should therefore never be the source of hatred or conflict. The answer to difference is to respect it. Therein lies a most fundamental principle of peace: respect for diversity."

Presenters:

• Christopher Jones, Director of Career Services, Davis & Elkins College
• Sherri Benn, Vice President for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, Tarleton State University

Breaking Down Silos: Pathways to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and Career Services Partnership
Salon A | All | Panel
This program is valid for 1.00 PDCs for the SHRM-CP^SM or SHRM-SCP^SM.

As the demographics of higher education institutions evolve, now is a critical time to discuss and learn ways to streamline DEI initiatives and programming. Organizational managers and leaders look towards long term solutions that advance equity on college campuses. In this session, you will develop knowledge and skills to strategically impact organizational culture among career centers, campus departments, and employer partnerships.

Presenters:

• Erin Gabriele, Director, Center for Career and Professional Development, Cabrini University
• Debra Kelly, Assistant Director, Cabrini University

Virtual Panelists:

• Angela Campbell, Vice President of Mission, Diversity, and Student Engagement, Cabrini University
• Kristen Reid, Assistant Vice President, United States Liability Insurance (USLI)

Preparing Your Graduate Intern(s) for Success in the Career Office and After
Studio 1 | Colleges | Discussion
This program is valid for 1.00 PDCs for the SHRM-CP^SM or SHRM-SCP^SM.

With career centers needing to scale to meet the needs of more students, graduate interns and student workers are even more important. The need for these workers to be able to be effective in our offices has to be strategic and intentional on their office supervisor.

During this workshop I will talk about some of practices that are done in our office to make this experience impactful for our graduate interns and student workers. This is also an opportunity to introduce others to the field of career development as a viable option in their career choice. See the possible impact from a graduate interns point of view. This workshop will be interactive and have lots of dialogue, so please bring your questions and ideas.

Presenter: Tracey Hanton, Assistant Director, Purdue University Fort Wayne

Scaling Formalized Student Organization Partnerships with Career Services
Studio 3 | Colleges | Lecture

Student organizations represent an opportunity to align students' industry interests and affinities with departmental student engagement goals. It is common to find a lack of formalized partnerships with student organizations on-campus. Audiences of career services professionals can benefit from learning how to use memorandums of understanding (MOUs) to formalize partnerships with student leaders and their organizations. Utilization of MOUs has enriched departmental programming, student organization collaboration, and university partnerships. Since 2018, MOU-based programming has had a strong influence on student attendance at events compared to ones without as well as a 50% average annual increase in formal student partnerships. Because the Office of Student Life directly oversees student organization programming, we have enhanced communication and collaboration with the department to ensure student organizations are recognized for their official partnerships with our office. To streamline logistics, we were also able to partner with the Office of Events to take the responsibility of reserving events and allow for student organizations to focus on other aspects of programming.

This session will spotlight historical data and qualitative insight regarding the impetus for the implementation of MOUs, outlining a step-by-step process for evaluating department needs, writing a document, and scaling its use with student organizations. It will also highlight the programmatic developments that have enhanced the scope and scale of MOUs. Participants will leave with a template for their MOU development at their institutions.

Presenters:

• Joshua Meredith, Yeshiva University (on behalf of Susan Bauer, Executive Director, Yeshiva University)
• Guest Speaker: Jason Brody

Developing Strategies for Neurodiverse Students from College to Corporate
Salon A | All | Discussion
This program is valid for 1.00 PDCs for the SHRM-CP^SM or SHRM-SCP^SM.

Rowan University's Autism PATH (Preparation and Achievement to Hire) Program and PSEG will provide strategies to support the hiring of neurodiverse individuals through career readiness based programming in college and the current structure of PSEG's neurodiverse hiring program. The presenters will discuss the need for more inclusive hiring and how institutions and employers can utilize a systemic approach to develop opportunities for meaningful employment, while targeting an largely untapped talent pool.

Presenters:

• Angela Parrinello, University Relations Lead, Public Service Enterprise Group (PSEG)
• Chiara Latimer, Autism PATH Career Coordinator, Rowan University

ESG/Sustainability Analytics - A Rapidly Developing Career Path Option Career Counselors Can Share with Students
Studio 1 | All | Lecture

ESG (Environmental, Social, Governance) is one of the latest buzzwords in corporate circles. Every day, there’s more talk of ESG in the business press and more job openings posted in the leading job boards by the world's largest firms, as well as mid-size and small businesses. The frequency and passion with which ESG and sustainability are mentioned is inspiring—and the positive intent is reassuring. In the gap between aspiration and action, there’s a significant opportunity to identify pragmatic steps to ensure ESG becomes analytically embedded in the fiber of organizations around the world through a plan of action, to significantly accelerate the delivery of the benefits of ESG—for people, planet, and profit. Global investment firms such as BlackRock and Blackstone are examples of companies compelling traditional businesses large and small to adopt ESG/Sustainable business practices by virtue of their shareholder power. The business community is taking notice and backing it up with action and the analytical horsepower necessary to measure and evaluate all the data and metrics that ESG encompasses. Every day more and more jobs are posted for ESG analysts/specialists each requiring a uniquely integrated skill set that one just does not acquire over the span of a few months; it takes planning and preparation and that's where university career counselors can help introduce their clients to explore and possibly pursue this expanding career path option. Moreover, employer recruiters who seek greater awareness of potential talent acquisition opportunities and needs will find it helpful to more fully understand how ESG-related metrics are seeping into their organization’s DNA, and quite possibly fundamentally changing the desired KSAs they seek when recruiting university students for a wide variety of career roles with their respective firms.

Presenters: 

• Paul Gagnon, Graduate Career Consultant, University of Connecticut
• Sarah Gagnon, Senior Manager, International Federation of Accountants

Advancing Career Readiness Competencies While Cultivating Partnerships with Key Stakeholders Through a 0-Credit Practicum
Studio 2 | Colleges | Case Study & Discussion

The UMBC Career Center established a 0-credit practicum course over 25 years ago to help current intern, research and co-op students develop professional workplace competencies. Over the years, we have continued to enhance the Intern Success Practicum in an effort to align the course with the NACE career readiness competencies. With over 1,000 undergraduate and graduate student enrollments each year, we are able to obtain robust data related to students' professional growth while also building and cultivating partnerships with key stakeholders, including academic departments and various on-campus research programs. As a result of these relationships, we have educated the broader community about the professional skills that employers seek.

By attending this session, attendees will learn best practices for supporting students engaged in applied learning while leveraging a 0-credit practicum to expand their network of career allies across campus.

Presenters:

• Susan Hindle, Assistant Director, Internships & Employment, UMBC
• Jeremiah Sawyer, Assistant Director, UMBC

Strategic Realignment of a College Career Center - Transition from the Survival Mode to the New Normal Mode 
Studio 3 | Colleges | Discussion

Is your career center struggling with limited staff and resources during its transition? This session will speak to the processes used in strategic realignment at the Career Center (CC) at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth (UMass Dartmouth) during the New Normal era. CC used to have eight staff members in 2019, but due to retirements and turnovers, dropped to three in 2020. In 2021/2022 when the university reopened in-person operations, two staff members including a new director joined the team. The presenters will share stories on team rebuilding and strategic realignment to transition from the survival mode to the New Normal mode. CC has utilized the steps and elements referenced in renowned models of organizational change, such as the Lippitt-Knoster Model and Kotter's 8-Step Change Model. Identifying problems to create urgency was the first action that CC took. Discussions in staff meetings and retreats continued and regular communication channels with campus partners and employers were formed to revisit the role of career services at UMass Dartmouth. All programs and events were reevaluated. Career peer programs to fill the staffing gap were launched. CC, which serves 8,500 students, is still short-staffed.

The presenters will share successes and challenges in this change management process, as well as their vision and direction for upcoming years.

Presenter:

• Un Yeong Park, Director of the Career Center, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth

Researching the Intersections of Identity & Career Development
Salon A | Colleges | Lecture

UConn's Center for Career Development Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee designed and conducted a study on the impact of identity on career development among UConn students. With the recent reorganization of our Committee, inspired by the international Black Lives Matter movement, we added the term "equity" to the Committee's title with the charge to "intentionally expand resources and services that nurture equitable access to career education and advancement." Recognizing that our students continue to face new and on-going challenges, we set out to learn about our students' experiences and evaluate how well our existing services are meeting their needs. Our goal was to examine how diverse students experience career development at UConn and to utilize the information collected to make decisions about future programs and services. The study consisted of a survey and four focus groups and received over 1,500 responses in 35 days' time. While the primary focus of the research was to identify unique career experiences facing affinity groups and the ways in which we could provide tailored support, we also explored how the intersectionality of multiple identities further affects our students' career planning and development.

Our session will cover: how to develop a career DEI survey; tips for securing Institutional Review Board approval; research methods and distribution strategies; key findings and takeaways; ways to move research into action; how to use research to revamp DEI programs and services

Presenters:

• Tara Malone, Associate Director, Regional Campuses, UConn
• Lisa Famularo, Assistant Director, Equity and Inclusion, UConn

Don't Let the Good Ones Get Away! Onboarding New Talent Through a DEI Lens Via Buddy Programs
Studio 1 | All | Discussion
This program is valid for 1.00 PDCs for the SHRM-CP^SM or SHRM-SCP^SM.

Attend this session to learn how you can use staff mentorship programs as a retention tool for all staff, but specially for those from marginalized groups. Presenters will discuss the Wasser-Buddies program, a successful staff mentorship program that was launched in 2020 during the height of the pandemic at NYU's career center.

Participants will learn various key components that contribute to a successful staff mentorship program for new hires (both in virtual form, and in person), how to frame the program through a DEI lens, how to scale it to institutions and companies of different sizes, and how to assess new or existing staff mentorship programs at different stages of the process.

Presenters:

• Diana Mendez, Associate Director, NYU Breakthrough Leadership Scholars, NYU Stern School of Business Office for Diversity and Inclusion
• Brielle Picone, Assistant Director, Graduate Career Development, NYU Wasserman Center for Career Development

Put Yourself in the Recruiters' Shoes to Coach Your Students Effectively
Studio 2 | Colleges | Lecture
This program is valid for 1.00 PDCs for the SHRM-CP^SM or SHRM-SCP^SM.

When assisting students with resumes, cover letters, mock interviews, or general job-search questions, have you ever encountered uncertainty or gray areas and asked yourself, "I wonder what a recruiter would advise in this case?" We all have a pretty good sense of what should be on a resume and what job seekers should say in job interviews, but wouldn't it be nice to get inside the heads of recruiters and hiring managers? (Figuratively, of course!) Rich Grant will share his findings, based on numerous conversations with recruiters over the past twelve years in career services, plus a three-month sabbatical from his university to learn about the hiring decision making process from the employers' perspective.

Recruiters and hiring managers are the gatekeepers to success for job seekers, and Rich's goal for the past twelve years has been to find out what makes them tick in order to formulate resources and strategies to help students and recent grads more easily open the gate to success. During his sabbatical from his regular job as a career advisor, Rich attended career fairs, webinars, and a recruiting conference in New York City, and he participated regularly in social media interactions, including Twitter chats and a recruiter group on Facebook, read articles and books, and talked one-on-one with dozens of recruiters and hiring managers.

In this session, Rich will share survey results, quotes and stories from recruiters, and the main takeaways from numerous interactions with recruiters and talent acquisition pros.

Presenter: Richard Grant, Remote Career Advisor, Southern New Hampshire University

Supporting Student Pathways From Education into Employment Through Local Communities
Studio 3 | All | Lecture

In this session, we will be addressing the importance of support services in creating a functioning ecosystem for jobseekers and the community. There are multiple touch points where these support services can impact a students journey to employment, high school, local workforce boards and college to name a few. The level of support students receive can impact their retention and success every step of the way, in order to afford these students the best opportunities after graduation we need to ensure that they have the support they need to get to graduation and into the career of their choice. A community that effectively supports its students creates a better ecosystem for everyone.

Presenter: Bob Slaman, Sales Director, Jobspeaker, Inc.

Why Work? A Brief Exploration of Work, Culture, & AI
Salon A | All | Discussion
This program is valid for 1.00 PDCs for the SHRM-CP^SM or SHRM-SCP^SM.

As career development and college recruiting professionals, the meaning of work is foundational to our work, but when was the last time you contemplated the nature of work, different cultural voices on its nature, and how the definition we choose impacts what we do and how we engage our students, candidates, and institutions? In this workshop we will explore these areas and equip participants with tools for more effectively interpreting and engaging in critical strategic conversations. Using a blend of individual reflection and guided roundtable discussions we will explore the assumptions built into the conversations and decisions about topics like AI, consider how those assumptions marginalize some and can lead to unintended results for all, and equip each other with tools to raise the right questions and illuminate better courses of action in the activities that fill such a large part of our lives.

Presenter: Chris Miciek, Director, Jefferson University

Dedicated Resources Matter for Diversity Equity & Inclusion Recruitment
Studio 1 | All | Discussion
This program is valid for 1.00 PDCs for the SHRM-CP^SM or SHRM-SCP^SM.

Stony Brook University is dedicated to increasing the connections of our underrepresented and underserved student/alumni talent with employers by enhancing the student career preparation and recruitment experience.  With career coaching staff solely dedicated to working with underrepresented and underserved students/alumni and employer relations staff focused on diversity recruitment industry relationships, the Stony Brook University Career Center has been able to increase the number of URM students utilizing career services.  Last year, 66% of URM students utilized the Career Center. These efforts have attracted more employers who have specific diversity recruiting needs and created a more direct pipeline of diverse student talent. 

This presentation will showcase tangible results of these efforts including the increase in underrepresented and underserved students utilizing career services programs/events. This session will also showcase how these dedicated diversity career coaches have been able to help increase the number of Stony Brook University student interns with organizations like INROADS.

Presenters:

• Kimberly Dixon, Director of Employer Engagement & Diversity Recruitment, Stony Brook University
• Jose Santiago, Senior Manager, INROADS

Mentoring: Building Opportunities for Students and Professionals
Studio 2 | All | Discussion
This program is valid for 1.00 PDCs for the SHRM-CP^SM or SHRM-SCP^SM.

This session will discuss creating, piloting and coordinating mentoring programs. You will learn about employee to employee mentoring within an organization and developing and managing a career mentoring program for students and professionals. The presentation will highlight timelines, roles and responsibilities of both mentors and mentees, skills needed for successful mentoring relationships, the matching and recruiting process and other tips to help you manage a new mentoring program.

Presenters:

• Jenny Nesenjuk, Assistant Director, Career Development, William Paterson University
• Deborah Feingold, Coordinator, Pesce Family Mentoring Institute

It's All Fun and Games Until Someone Gets a Career: Utilizing Creative Programming to Reconnect with Students 
Studio 3 | Colleges | Case Study & Discussion

Finding it difficult to engage with students amidst Zoom fatigue and student burnout? If you've noticed a decline in program attendance, this engaging session will provide strategies for approaching programming with a fresh mindset. We will share two case studies of highly successful career programs that blend interactive learning while promoting student wellness: 1) Interviewing workshop utilizing mindfulness and improv techniques to improve student confidence and comfort level with answering unexpected questions; 2) Career Carnival to introduce (or re-introduce) key services and resources to students.

Attendees will learn not just about the particulars of these programs, but also practice facilitation techniques in real time. Participate in this session to get your creative juices flowing and leave with the toolkits to implement similar programs on your own campus!

Presenters:

• Claire Klieger, Assistant Vice President, Career Services, Swarthmore College
• Anne Dickinson, Associate Director, Career Services, University of Pennsylvania

State of the Profession: Trends and Prediction *Sponsored by Enterprise
Salon A | All | Discussion
This program is valid for 1.00 PDCs for the SHRM-CP^SM or SHRM-SCP^SM.

There have been significant shifts in the world of career services and early career college recruiting over the past two years, and there is no sign of it slowing down. During this session, the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) leadership will provide insight into the career development and early career talent acquisition space by exploring the most important lessons learned and highlights from research conducted, as well as to provide the audience with what this means going forward - the trends that are emerging and predictions for what's next.

Presenters:

• Shawn VanDerziel, Executive Director, National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE)
• David Ong, Vice President, Talent Acquisition, MAXIMUS, Inc.

Becoming Career Ready: Getting Started and Building Momentum with Career Competencies
Studio 1 | Colleges | Lecture

If career centers know the importance of career competencies, and so do employers, how can we provide meaningful opportunities and resources for students, faculty, and staff on campus to accept and adopt this reality? Participants will have access to a repository of information including:

• Planning outlines and documents
• Career Leadership Experience (CLE) syllabus
• Career Competency reflection activity
• Survey questions for student stories and experiences
• Access to a student webinar providing career competency information
• Access to a webinar for our career champions, including employer testimonial

Presenter: Lisa Famularo, Assistant Director, Equity and Inclusion, University of Connecticut

VIEW: Implementing and Growing a Micro-Internship Program in a Time of Change
Studio 2 | Colleges | Case Study & Discussion
This program is valid for 1.00 PDCs for the SHRM-CP^SM or SHRM-SCP^SM.

Originally launched in May of 2020 to assist students losing internship and job offers in the height of the pandemic, Georgetown University launched a micro-internship program entitled Virtual Immersions and Experiential Work (VIEW). VIEW engages the university's alumni, students, and community partners to serve prioritized student populations through academic year and summertime short-term projects. The program has since grown, offering different track that connect students who identify as diverse as well as younger students with fewer internship options to alumni and company-sponsored projects. This session will cover the details of the program, lessons learned, and details of the various tracks developed since May of 2020.

Presenters:

• Rebecca Cassidy, Associate Director, Georgetown University
• Jodi Schneiderman, Assistant Director, Employer Relations and Industry Advising, Health, Science, and Technology, Georgetown University Cawley Career Education Center

Return on Investment - BIPOC Students and Experiential Learning
Studio 3 | All | Panel
This program is valid for 1.00 PDCs for the SHRM-CP^SM or SHRM-SCP^SM.

In a November 2021 article in the NACE (National Association of Colleges and Employers) Journal author Erica Lake asks, “Is experiential learning designed for black students?” A small private institution outside of Baltimore says, “YES!” However, you must make a strategic and deliberate investment in BIPOC students’ development and growth. Stevenson University located in Owings Mills, Maryland requires 100% of their students to complete at least one internship during their tenure, and with encouragement, many complete more.

This session will focus on the students along with some best practices and lessons learned from a BIPOC internship director embedded in a School of Design and invested in their success. Drawing on their unique location between Baltimore, Maryland and Washington, DC, BIPOC students in Graphic Design, Communication, Film and Moving Image, and Fashion Design have been able to secure internship placements at large companies like Under Armour, T.Rowe Price, CareFirst BlueCrossBlueShield to small non-profits like Cornerstone Housing and Art With a Heart and everything in-between. In a moderated panel discussion, current and past interns will reflect on their internship experiences that have included successes and challenges. Join us to celebrate and learn from some amazing BIPOC students. #BIPOCmagic

Presenter: Sonya Lawyer, Internship Director and Assistant Professor, Design, Stevenson University

Student Panelists:

• Lauryn Davis '22, Business Communication, Stevenson University
• Jasmine Mendez-Paredes '24, Business Communication, Stevenson University
• Tajniya Rice '22, Fashion Design, Stevenson University
• Naadirah Siler '23, Film and Moving Image, Stevenson University