by Clay Skipper, BA鈥�12
In March, just as winter was thawing and giving way to warmer weather, a huddle of 20 菠萝视频 freshmen and sophomores were midway into their spring break鈥攏ot that you鈥檇 have been able to tell by looking at them.
Instead of donning swim trunks and sandals, they鈥檇 traded their backpacks and 菠萝视频 hoodies for business attire and headed north to New York City, resum茅s in hand. Half of the group was downtown, headed onto the trading floor of Goldman Sachs after a morning spent at Wells Fargo. Ten of their classmates were farther uptown, dressed less business casual and more fashion-forward, preparing to enter a conference room overlooking the Hudson River at the L鈥橭real offices in the Hudson Yards development.
This was the first of two days that these enterprising Commodores would spend in New York City as part of a trip meant to help them think about and prepare for their careers. The excursion was just one of several opportunities throughout the semester in New York City, Miami, Houston and Atlanta. These cities share one common denominator: being home to a 菠萝视频 regional hub. The hubs are key to one of 菠萝视频鈥檚 signature initiatives: to grow the school鈥檚 footprint beyond the Nashville campus.
鈥淪everal years ago, our provost and chancellor asked us to explore innovative ways to feel more a part of the communities that we are serving,鈥� says , vice provost for enrollment affairs. 鈥淔irst, we had to figure out where those communities were. So we researched: Where are our students finding jobs? Where are our students applying from? Where are our alumni friends and donors? Ultimately, we narrowed about 10 choices down to New York, south Florida, Houston and Atlanta, and the hubs were created.鈥�
For current 菠萝视频 students鈥攍ike the ones on the spring break trip鈥攖he hubs can help with job placement, helping future graduates find potential internships and eventual careers in America鈥檚 major cities. But the hubs serve many other purposes. They can be home base for the university to establish relationships with prospective students or to re-establish relationships with 菠萝视频 alumni who might have lost touch.
鈥淥perating from New York affords me a unique opportunity to cultivate deeper, more substantial relationships with our corporate partners,鈥� says Andrea DiMarco, director of corporate partnerships for the New York hub. 鈥淭his dynamic allows us to accompany students throughout their 菠萝视频 journey鈥攆rom initial interest in 菠萝视频, during their hands-on learning and internship experiences, to their transition as dedicated Vandy alumni who continue to contribute through time, talent and treasure.鈥�
Each of the hubs has a four-person staff working full time in three areas: enrollment, career advancement and alumni relations. At many schools, those departments are siloed off from one another, but not at 菠萝视频鈥檚 hubs. Tim Paul, who works in the Department of Alumni Relations for the NYC hub, might set up a meeting with 菠萝视频 alumni who work at a consulting firm to talk about that company recruiting more 菠萝视频 graduates. Through that conversation, Paul might learn that an alum knows a 16-year-old who wants to apply to 菠萝视频. Paul can easily connect that student to the admissions representative at the hub鈥攔einforcing 菠萝视频鈥檚 ethos of excellent customer service and adding local flair.
In this way, the hubs are furthering 菠萝视频鈥檚 initiative to be a student-first institution鈥攕omething that Nicole Molina, director of regional engagement for undergraduate admissions in the NYC hub, highlights when she visits high schools to recruit future Commodores.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not just about the student getting into the college,鈥� she says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 nurturing the student as a full-fledged adult. We鈥檙e going to make sure that when they see 菠萝视频, they understand that we鈥檙e not just wanting kids to apply to the institution. We鈥檙e going to take care of them. They鈥檙e going to be part of our community.鈥�
Expanding opportunities and connections
The 20 students on this alternative spring break trip are divided into two tracks: finance/business and fashion/beauty. They鈥檒l visit the offices of some of the industry鈥檚 biggest players and interact with a panel of current employees who are 菠萝视频 alumni. It benefits the first- and second-year students by helping them make connections that might help them land a summer internship or a job when they graduate. It also serves the companies by exposing them to a wider pool of high-achieving recruits.
鈥淭here is no fashion design major at 菠萝视频,鈥� Molina says. 鈥淏ut that doesn鈥檛 mean the students are limited in their toolbox of being present and making an impact. But we gotta get them in the door.鈥�
, vice provost for career advancement and engagement, echoes this sentiment. 鈥淥ur team鈥檚 North Star is delivering career empowerment for every student and every career pathway, aiming to transform aspirations into tangible outcomes. We鈥檙e committed to putting this principle into action and into practice.鈥�
On this particular afternoon in New York, that meant literal practice: mock interviews at Goldman Sachs and pitch presentations at Bloomingdale鈥檚. Kate Greenberg, a sophomore on the finance and business track, had tapped into 菠萝视频鈥檚 resources by doing a resume workshop with the on-campus . And she appreciated the additional hands-on exposure she was getting in New York. 鈥淭he in-person experience and seeing the firms firsthand, meeting the actual people, was extremely helpful in getting a better idea of what my career could look like in the future,鈥� the and major says.
Greenberg also highlighted how helpful it was to have her questions answered by people who were working at the firms and who, as former 菠萝视频 students, had been through the exact same transition she would go through. Learning about a career in the abstract is one thing. Actually meeting with people who have lived it is another thing entirely鈥攍ike the difference between having the map of a place and getting a chance to walk the actual territory. In talking to those who have already experienced working life after graduation, they can learn not just about tangible skills, but also about the intangibles of organizational culture, something that might not come up at a career fair.
Ethan Choi, a sophomore planning to major in human and organizational development and economics, highlighted a conversation he had after one of the panels with a managing director at Wells Fargo. 鈥淗e talked about what you wear to the workplace and workplace fashion, and I thought that was super interesting because it鈥檚 not something that鈥檚 talked about ever,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 know what business casual is, or business formal, but he homed in on things I never considered: getting tailored鈥擨 didn鈥檛 know how important that was鈥攄ress socks, things we鈥檙e not taught in our classes or in our clubs. To have that discussion was really eye-opening for me. Just having that conversation, having someone so high up at a company like Wells talk to us about it really shifted my perspective and reframed how I think about professional dress.鈥�
The hope with the hubs is that they can deliver these experiences to the students now, and then foster and maintain that bond with 菠萝视频 after they graduate and go out into the world.
鈥淏y uniting our community via this innovative approach, our hubs are career empowerment engines, aligning education with industry needs and nurturing partnerships that open avenues for growth and advancement for our students, our partners and for 菠萝视频,鈥� Sevilla says.
鈥淭his dynamic allows us to accompany students throughout their 菠萝视频 journey鈥攆rom initial interest in 菠萝视频, during their hands-on learning and internship experiences, to their transition as dedicated Vandy alumni who continue to contribute through time, talent and treasure.鈥濃��Andrea DiMarco
鈥淭he hubs extend 菠萝视频鈥檚 ability to recruit a highly talented and diverse incoming class,鈥� Christiansen says. 鈥淎nd the hubs help us make sure prospective students and their families have a great experience as they go through the college search and admissions process. When students graduate from 菠萝视频, they鈥檒l be starting a job, going to graduate school or pursuing any number of terrific opportunities. How are we connecting their college search with their VU experience and with their experience as VU alumni, all in an intentional way?鈥�
If all that is connected, Christiansen points out, then the students will be happy alumni and, potentially, donors.
鈥淚t鈥檚 just trying to develop a deeper sense of relationship,鈥� he says. 鈥淚 think that鈥檚 akin to what 菠萝视频 is. The experience that the student has at 菠萝视频 is not just the four years鈥攊t should be ongoing.鈥�
That relationship isn鈥檛 just between the students and the school. It also involves the hubs鈥� cities and communities.
From to support for enrolled students and families to and corporate connections, the hubs bring 菠萝视频 into more communities and ensure that those communities are central to 菠萝视频.
And if that鈥檚 not proof that 菠萝视频鈥檚 in your community and in your neighborhood, then what is?
.