EACE26 Collection Quick Links:

• Keynote: Chris Fitzpatrick: Becoming a Fan
• Session 1: Elevating Presentations for Impact
• Session 2: The View from the Other Side: What I've Learned Moving From Career Services to Recruitment
• Session 3: Serving the Changing Career Landscape: Data and Strategies to Optimize Student Career Outcomes in the Modern Labor Market 
• Session 4: Beyond the Job Board: Rethinking Employer Engagement for Student Success
• Session 5: W.O.R.K. Talks
• Session 6: From College to Career: Trends Shaping the Pathway to Work
• Session 7: Neurodivergent-Affirming Career Coaching
• Session 8: Touchdown at the Intersections: Black Identity, Career Success, and the Hidden Playbook of Professionalism
• EACE26 Photos

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Becoming a Fan

Fanship is a part of the modern human experience for millions of people, made up of major, billion-dollar industries. Whether sports, musicians, books, chefs, hobbies, or anything else, there’s something different about being a fan. So what if we can take aspects of the psychology of the fan and apply it to our organizations and careers?

Key takeaways:

• An understanding of the psychology of fanship.
• Why factors like trust, accountability, ownership, and communication
  are cornerstones of the “fan mentality.”
• How individual mindset and organizational environment create a
  performance matrix that may be a predictor of success.
• How EACE Members can take the concepts of fanship back to their
  organizations to create value and positively impact culture.

Thank you to our Keynote Sponsor 

Chris Fitzpatrick

Chris Fitzpatrick Speaks, LLC

Chris Fitzpatrick is a professional speaker, aspiring game show host, and below-average charity golfer who brings energy, humor, and high-impact interaction to every stage. With more than 20 years of experience in Human Resources with a specific focus in Campus Recruiting and Talent Development, Chris has worked at the intersection of education and employment, helping students, early-career professionals, and organizations thrive. His unique and highly interactive keynote “Becoming a Fan” explores the psychology of fandom to show how connection, purpose, and engagement drive performance. Through storytelling and audience participation (and drawing on his prior experience as an EACE member!), Chris challenges people to move from passive involvement to meaningful commitment, leaving behind the “Friday Mentality” and becoming true fans of their colleagues, teams, and workplaces.

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Elevating Presentations for Impact

The session is designed to help business professionals and leaders improve the impact of their presentations and facilitation skills- whether delivered in person or virtually. It focuses on creating engaging, memorable experiences that drive behavioral change and measurable results.

Presenters: 

• Elizabeth Hardesty, Talent Acquisition Manager, Enterprise Mobility
• Sam Steinhoff, HR Generalist, Enterprise Mobility

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The View from the Other Side: What I've Learned Moving from Career Services to Recruitment

After transitioning from higher education career services to a role in recruitment, I've gained a valuable perspective on both sides of the hiring process. This session will explore that intersection through three themes: a different approach to relationship building, viewing the career fair from the recruiter's side of the table, and assessing whether the guidance career professionals offer truly aligns with industry realities. Participants will leave with practical insights, relatable stories, and actionable ideas for strengthening collaboration between campuses and employers to better support students' career success. The session will conclude by highlighting key takeaways for both college and employer audience participants

Presenter:

• Joe Santacroce, Employment & Staffing Coordinator, Commonwealth of MA

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Serving the Changing Career Landscape: Data and Strategies to Optimize Student Outcomes in the Modern Labor Market

Recent research from the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland finds that the unemployment gap between college and high school grads has reached its lowest point since the late 1970s. While the lifetime earnings premium of a bachelor's degree remains substantial, today's graduates face longer job searches, higher rates of underemployment, and steeper competition for entry-level roles. The indicators point not to a decrease in the value of college, but rather rising difficulty in securing a graduate's first job within an increasingly crowded labor market. The widespread adoption of online application portals drives extraordinary application volume and noise. Employers respond with Applicant Tracking Systems and other screening tools that filter resumes by rigid keyword rules, privileging compliance over true candidate quality. Personal referrals - once a 'nice to have' addition to an application - are now a necessity. All these factors contribute to student burnout as competitive candidates end up having to treat the job search like a second full-time role. While career coaches can't change the job market, we can adjust our processes and methodologies. Drawing on labor statistics, front-line coaching experience, and research into student networking behavior, we will explore ways to help students navigate this challenging landscape and maximize the opportunities unique to the higher education setting. Attendees will be able to translate those insights into concrete frameworks and student-facing narratives you can plug directly into workshops, one-on-one coaching, and classroom visits.

Presenter:

• William Goodall, Assistant Director, Columbia University - Career Design Lab

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Beyond the Job Board: Rethinking Employer Engagement for Student Success

In today's ever-changing recruiting landscape, the Holy Cross Center for Career Development (CCD) took a thoughtful and strategic approach to how we define employer engagement. This session will focus on the creative ways we've engaged employers and alumni to meet their recruiting needs and the needs of our students. We will also highlight how we have used data to track our progress and better inform our employer outreach decisions going forward.

Presenters:

• Julie Draczynski, Director of Employer Engagement, Center for Career Development, College of the Holy Cross
• Paola Bytyqi, Employer Engagement Specialist & Data Lead, College of the Holy Cross

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 W.O.R.K. Talks

W.O.R.K. Talks are TED-style talks focused on emerging trends or thought-provoking ideas around Worth, Opportunity, Resilience, and Knowledge that define our work. It’s more than a job; it’s a journey. When we bring purpose, curiosity, and resilience to our work, we unlock its true power, and in turn, we unlock our true potential.

Presenters:

• Rosa Santana, University Director, Fairleigh Dickinson University
• When the Machine Can't See Me
• Amy Ballard, Online Career Coach, Eastern University
• Huddle Up!: Online Career Development that Reaches All Ages, Programs, and Places 
• Philip Wilkerson, Employer Engagement Consultant, George Mason University
• The Lunchroom to the Boardroom: Why the Need for Belonging Neve

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From College to Career: Trends Shaping the Pathway to Work

As the world of work evolves, so does the college-to-career pipeline. This session explores national trends shaping how students transition into employment, with internships and experiential learning at the center of career readiness and successful hiring outcomes. We’ll highlight data on the job outlook for new grads, student outcomes, and internship benchmarks that drive conversion from student to hire and enhance employer ROI. We’ll examine how hands-on experiences drive skill development, the rise of skills-based hiring, and data about how artificial intelligence is transforming both the skills employers seek and the way students prepare and are recruited. Attendees will leave with actionable strategies to strengthen internship pathways and align talent development with the future of work.

Presenters:

• Shawn VanDerziel, President & CEO, NACE
• Seldric Blocker, Early Careers Recruiting Executive, NACE

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Educational Session 7: Presented Thursday, June 25, 2026

Neurodivergent-Affirming Career Coaching

While the term "neurodivergent" was originally coined to destigmatize the experiences of autistic individuals, its usage has grown to include those with other neurological, psychiatric, and learning challenges, including ADHD, dyslexia, and sensory processing disorder, to name a few. What does this mean for university career services professionals, who may not be trained therapists or disability specialists, but are nevertheless tasked with supporting students trying to build careers within such a challenging framework? Attendees will learn about what it means to be neurodivergent and the strengths they bring to the table, as well as gain practical tips to create a neurodivergent-affirming career coaching experience for their students.

Presenters:

• Theresa O'Neill, Career Coach/Senior Program Coordinator, Rutgers University - Newark

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Educational Session 8: Presented Friday, June 26, 2026

Touchdown at the Intersections: Black Identity, Career Success, and the Hidden Playbook of Professionalism

This session will explore how on-campus resources can serve as dynamic tools for student engagement, personal branding, and professional development. By integrating fashion shows into career closet initiatives, institutions can create an interactive and impactful platform for students to develop their professional image, network with employers, and build confidence. Attendees will learn strategies for creating and maintaining career closets on campuses, organizing events, fostering inclusivity, and leveraging fashion shows to promote career readiness while providing students with access to professional attire.

Presenters:

• Monique Sample, Student Programs & Employer Partnership Specialist, Virginia Commonwealth University
• Whitney Kerr, Associate Director, Campus Engagement, Rutgers University - Newark
• Philip Wilkerson, Employer Engagement Consultant, George Mason University
• Christopher Reid, Program Coordinator, Career Exploration and Discovery, Rutgers University - Newark

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