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<\/a>Quad Innovation Partnership and the Colorado Springs Chamber and EDC invited summer interns from both local and nationwide businesses to the Colorado Springs Fine Arts Center to learn more about the growth of Colorado Springs from Mayor John Suthers and Chamber members. Beka Adair ’16, assistant director of Quad Innovation Partnership, hosted the welcoming event, providing an opportunity for interns and CC students from the Quad’s summer intensive program to network and connect with other businesses.<\/p><\/div>\n
Adair is the assistant director of Quad Innovation Partnership, her second full-time gig since graduating from CC as an economics major in 2016. Quad is a partnership between CC, Pikes Peak Community College, the Univer<\/span>sity of Colorado-Colorado Springs, and the United States Air Force Academy that works to elevate, educate, and incubate innovators in Colorado Springs. Through community partnerships, Quad offers programs that support graduating innovators <\/span>to build their careers \u201cdoing things that matter\u201d in the Pikes Peak region.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cSenior year I got pretty involved in the community, working with many community organizations, and that kind of relationship-building is what takes you everywhere,\u201d Adair says. \u201cEvery job I\u2019ve gotten since my first internship at the Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce has been because of some kind of relationship.\u201d It\u2019s what led her to her first full-time job with the Economic Development Corporation, and then with the Quad.<\/a><\/p>\n \u201cGet plugged into the community,\u201d she offers as advice to current students. \u201cAnd building relationships with professors also helps.\u201d<\/p>\n In order to enhance the connection between Colorado College and students\u2019 post-college aspirations, CC is providing new opportunities for students to draw on the expertise of alumni, parents, and supporters to offer new forms of mentoring for students.<\/p>\n \u201cIt just speaks to the culture of CC: Alumni are kind and generous with their time and <\/span>willing to help out,\u201d says Abigail Censky \u201918. <\/b>Cultivating connections with alumni made a significant impact on the real-world experiences Censky gained not only as a student at CC, but also as she transitions to her professional career in journalism.<\/p>\n Abigail Censky \u201918<\/p><\/div>\n \u201cCold emailing has helped me tremendously, just looking for those CC connections and writing a message,\u201d she says. \u201cTwo CC grads were extremely helpful, gave me advice, got back to me, and we had at-length phone conversations.\u201d Censky says those relationships are not just about finding the next job or internship. She says the value of having professional mentors is huge, especially in her competitive field.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s so important to build those relationships; for journalism specifically, it\u2019s a field in which you owe everything to your mentors and the people who taught you,\u201d she says. \u201cMaking connections and keeping those relationships going is incredibly helpful. They can be a sounding board regarding long-term career trajectory, sharing what they\u2019ve learned is useful, what\u2019s not. I found those mentor relationships really helpful.\u201d<\/p>\n To build those relationships, students are connecting to the community, to alumni, and to career-related opportunities as they explore the post-CC journey. When Censky started pursuing options for her post-CC career, she was able to graduate with two years of journalism experience on her r\u00e9sum\u00e9 thanks to the internships she\u2019d completed throughout her time in college.<\/p>\n \u201cI really was able to leverage the Block Plan to work part time at The Gazette<\/i>, with class in the morning and afternoons open to work as a reporter gaining all of these experiences out in the field. I\u2019ve always liked work more than school, so those opportunities gave me a much larger sense of purpose and allowed me to participate more in my education,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n By working closely with the CC Career Center, Censky says she enhanced the level of professionalism and structure during each internship, providing clear expectations about her role and time to reflect at the completion of each position. She encourages current students to do the same, as it not only improved the quality of the experience, but also enabled her to earn college credit, along with skills that transferred to her r\u00e9sum\u00e9 and career opportunities.<\/p>\n \u201c<\/b>At all of my internships, I\u2019ve been really fortunate to be given a lot of responsibility,\u201d she says. \u201cWithin my first month at [National Public Radio] they were sending me up to the Hill to go record people protesting for a story that would later be on \u2018All Things Considered.\u2019 I was working with Congressional and White House correspondents within my second week.\u201d During her time as a reporting intern at The Colorado Springs Gazette<\/i>, Censky\u2019s byline appeared front page above the fold twice; and also appeared in the \u201cLocal & State\u201d section every Sunday. Vince Bzdek \u201982\u00a0<\/b>is the editor of The Gazette<\/i>.<\/p>\n The Career Center is constantly adjusting offerings and partnerships to provide students with experiences that meet their interests as well as the skills needed to transition into a career. Half Block offerings focused on professional skills and a symposium for rising seniors are a few of the ways CC is working to support students in a successful transition. A consulting and finance track was added for the 2018 symposium and was open to both sophomores and juniors. \u201cWe\u2019ve had increasing student interest in finance and consulting,\u201d says Megan Nicklaus, director of the Career Center. \u201cMany of those industries have core schools from which they recruit, and our rising senior symposium helps our students make those important connections and determine how to make the most of the summer before their senior year.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n Parker McVey \u201918<\/p><\/div>\n An internship following junior year helped Parker McVey \u201918 <\/b>secure his dream job in New York City. After studying abroad his entire junior year at the London School of Economics, he returned to the CC campus for his senior year.<\/p>\n \u201cThe markets have always fascinated me since I was in elementary school, so I\u2019ve always known I wanted to end up in NYC,\u201d he says. \u201cAnd I also always knew I wanted to go to CC.\u201d As Nicklaus mentioned earlier, McVey says he knew many financial firms recruit from specific universities, not smaller liberal arts schools like CC. McVey says he knew finding a job would be competitive and that he would have to leverage his small school, one with the unique Block Plan, illustrating why it would be beneficial to a future employer.<\/p>\n \u201cCC gave me the opportunity to go to LSE and get that intensive, finance-specific education. What better way to prove my value than to have both CC and LSE listed on my r\u00e9sum\u00e9?\u201d McVey also credits writing and communicating on the Block Plan with helping him develop skills he uses daily in his work: simplifying complex topics to many different audiences. Additionally, McVey gained valuable experience at an internship at Wold Energy Partners, headed by CEO Jack Wold \u201975<\/b>, a CC trustee, in Denver \u2014 an opportunity that came about via a CC connection. Following up on those connections is important.<\/p>\n \u201cI was at the DU-CC hockey game and talked with one of the gift officers who gave me his card. I connected with him and he sent me contact information for the person who ended up being my future boss at my Wold internship, Court Wold \u201906<\/b>. I was primarily working on oil and gas financial modeling. That wasa really unique project that set me up well for my current job. I am an economics <\/span>major from a small school and now I\u2019m working for the 10th largest mining company in the world: Glencore,\u201d he says of his post-CC path.<\/p>\n As part of preparing students for that post-CC transition, the CC Career Center is partnering with the Office of Financial Aid as it launches a new philosophy toward student employment. \u201cWe are focusing on professionalism and professional development for students and jobs on campus will mirror what students might experience when they apply for jobs or internships,\u201d says Nicklaus. That means each job will include learning objectives and there will be an opportunity for assessment, to better understand what students are learning in these positions. The Career Center is also developing a professional development program for students; those who complete a certain number of courses will receive a certification.<\/p>\n More than 20 students took advantage of the A+ computer certification program offered as a pilot by the CC Office of Information Technology during the Spring Semester. During the 10-week A+ course, students learned to maintain, customize, and operate personal computers with the goal of passing with an A+ certification, an entry-level certification for PC computer service technicians. The certification helps participating students prepare to enter jobs in information technology and other industries; the course proves they have demonstrated advanced computer skills, setting them apart from other students.\u00a0\u201cIt was a huge success,\u201d says Tulio Wolford, solutions services manager, who led the course in its inaugural year. ITS will offer the A+ Software Certification again in Block 1.<\/p>\n Programs like CC\u2019s Journalist- and Executive-in-Residence, Tiger Trek, and the Stratton Speaker Series provide opportunities for students to have one-on-one and small-group conversations with notable professionals in their fields of interest. And beginning to form relationships and glean knowledge from professionals about what they\u2019ve learned and how they\u2019ve succeeded helps students with their own transitions.<\/p>\n \u201cI knew I wanted to apply to the NPR internship program and then found out the Career Center had created a partnership with NPR reporter and CC Journalist-in-Residence Peter Breslow,\u201d says Censky. \u201cCC students could apply for these extremely competitive internships in a much smaller application pool.\u201d It\u2019s an opportunity Censky says is \u201creally, really special; it\u2019s really rare that we would have that kind of tremendous opportunity.\u201d<\/p>\n Due much in part to the schedule offered by the Block Plan, CC is able to bring in <\/span>visiting faculty who offer students those kinds of unique interactions. Professionals are able to commit to three-and-a-half weeks at CC more easily than they could take a whole semester or academic year away from a job to lecture on campus. Censky says that\u2019s a key difference about the CC experience. \u201cThese well-known, accomplished journalists or other professionals are here on campus. They\u2019re able to then help me with specific questions and they\u2019re responsive and available to us. That\u2019s amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n Danny Lopez \u201919 poses for a professional portrait at the Rising Senior Symposium.<\/p><\/div>\n \u201cThe culture at CC is really different and that fosters a different learning environment where you can have a dialogue and individually express your opinion instead of being lectured at,\u201d says McVey of the benefits of smaller classes and the rigor of the Block Plan.<\/p>\n Identifying what sets you apart from other applicants is a critical part of the CC-to-career transition, a sentiment expressed by both McVey and Censky. And it\u2019s a place where alumni can step in to offer support.<\/p>\n \u201cIn any field, mentors are really important, but in journalism specifically, because things are so competitive,\u201d Censky says. \u201cHaving people who know your name or someone to make a call when you send in an application, or get your r\u00e9sum\u00e9 to the top of the pile, that is invaluable when 300-400 people are applying for the position.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI applied to 180 different jobs and internships and got three offers. It\u2019s really competitive,\u201d says McVey. \u201cStay in touch with people; you\u2019re going to get a job from someone or they\u2019ll put you in touch with someone.\u201d<\/p>\n It\u2019s a network that\u2019s far-reaching and tapping into the CC connection could make all the difference: \u201cWhen I applied for my current position at St. Louis Public Radio, that was leveraging CC connections,\u201d describes Censky. \u201cOne of the students who edited at the Cipher <\/i>with me had previously interned here. I just gave her a call, and she plugged my name in the newsroom, which was extremely helpful for me. CC is a small world, but you\u2019d be surprised at how many webs it extends out into the real world.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cCC alums are so generous when it comes to helping other CC students and graduates,\u201d says McVey. \u201cIn my case, they knew that it\u2019s rare to graduate from CC and go into finance and how much work that takes. The alumni network is incredible in that sense. Leaning on that is crucial and so beneficial.\u201d<\/p>\n And the things that create beneficial connections in the job search can also translate to benefits for the broader community and help recent graduates determine how they can make an impact.<\/p>\n \u201cMine was really a passion to help people and be a part of the community,\u201d Adair says. She encourages students to \u201cfind your underlying passion. Don\u2019t get stuck on the exact solution right away; every job can have a piece of a dream job.\u201d<\/p>\n In her current role, Adair now works closely with the CC Career Center to find participants for various projects. \u201cThere\u2019s a lot going on right now in this community and here at the Quad, it\u2019s exciting,\u201d she says. \u201cI\u2019m directly working with many students from very diverse backgrounds who are collaborating to solve the community\u2019s core issues. Right now we\u2019re working on serious issues like affordable housing. We get to be a part of coming up with solutions.\u201d<\/p>\n CC will soon be able to better understand why CC students are pursuing certain positions and why they\u2019re seeking out specific communities and careers. Through the \u201cFirst Destination Survey,\u201d the Career Center can capture more robust information from students and will continue to collect information through the December after graduation, as current data shows students often don\u2019t commit to their next steps until about six months after graduating. Surveying them at the time of graduation provides only a limited picture of graduates\u2019 post-CC landscape.<\/p>\n \u201cSo far, we\u2019ve been able to see that 99 percent of 2018 graduates are satisfied with their outcomes,\u201d says Nicklaus. \u201cWe also want to know what opportunities students are pursuing post-CC, what experiences have they had that led them down that path? We can look at their internships and majors and knowing that they\u2019re satisfied is helpful. Right now, we\u2019re looking at 2018 graduates\u2019 data, and we will determine what areas we can focus on for the coming academic year.\u201d<\/p>\n CC\u2019s strategic initiative to cultivate more significant connections to assist students in their transition from CC also includes encouraging and supporting faculty as they engage students in their professional communities of practice, including them in professional debates and gatherings. The college is also working to expand support for students who pursue national post-graduate scholarships and fellowships.<\/span><\/p>\n The Career Center has just launched a new platform, Handshake, that will more easily help students make connections related to professional skills, interests, networking, and other programming. As students express interest in different types of industries, the system will feed them information about those opportunities; students can look for other students who have the same interests and see what classes, internships, and clubs they\u2019ve participated in.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a way students will see a few different connections: being able to connect student employment to what they\u2019re learning in the classroom, connecting to career interests and what skills they\u2019re learning, and how those experiences are connected to their next transition,\u201d says Nicklaus.<\/p>\n Discover More Online<\/b><\/p>\n Tiger Trek<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n<\/a><\/a><\/a>
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