TRUIST STUDENT LEADERSHIP CENTER 2020-21 ANNUAL REPORT
APPALACHIAN STATE UNIVERSITY
MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR Dear Colleagues, In so many ways: what a year. It would be impossible to describe in just a few short sentences all of the extraordinary challenges we all faced. In response to the challenges the pandemic brought to the Walker College of Business, we witnessed incredible resilience, strength, and vision from our leadership and students. This shift to all-virtual service delivery unfolded as an opportunity for the Truist Student Leadership Center at Appalachian State. Our team recognized the alignment of Gen Z students with the virtual world and worked to align ourselves around available technologies to connect students, industry professionals and ourselves. I believe the stories told in this report demonstrate how successful we were in making this transition. Our challenge moving forward is to not only sustain these communication shifts, but to further enhance them through an intentional and methodical return to in-person interactions as well. Our new normal will be hybrid.
Our annual report this year not only reflects the resilience of our students, but also speaks to the hard work and creativity of our tremendously dedicated staff. I thank them for their amazing efforts! But most of all, I thank our corporate and individual donors for understanding the importance of investing in the future business leaders of North Carolina and beyond. Without your continued support, we wouldn’t be able to do what we do. With heartfelt gratitude, Michelle Casper Executive Director Truist Student Leadership Center
WHERE YOUR DONATION GOES
68%
Professional Coach Salary
13%
Professional Skills Program Support
8% 6% 5%
Leadership Ambassadors Program Women of Walker Diversity Program Virtual Technology
Student Leader Taylor Mack Digital Marketing, May 2022 Women of Walker Walker Fellow
I came to Appalachian State to pursue a business degree but I will leave Appalachian State with much more. Originally from Winston-Salem, I decided to attend Appalachian after participating in a summer program for high school students. Through spending two weeks on campus, I was able to learn about Appalachian State and the Walker College of Business specifically. From this remarkable experience I knew it was the school for me, it felt like home. It turned out to be the best decision I could have made. I have learned and grown in ways I could not have imagined, not only through the University but especially through the staff and the programs they offer in the Truist Student Leadership Center. I first learned about the Truist Student Leadership Center through the Women of Walker program which is sponsored by the Center. Then a Center employee encouraged me to apply for a student position as an Employer Relations and Marketing Assistant. I describe this role as my gateway into the business world. I learned about my major through working in this role prior to taking classes in the business school but more importantly, I experienced my first professional mentorship through Center staff. They did an incredible job at making me feel comfortable as a young professional not only in the Center, but also on campus in general. They were excellent at creating a personal, yet professional experience for me through the work I performed. They connected me to professional development events and prospective recruiters. They encouraged me to explore who I am and who I wanted to be as a professional business woman and guided me in developing the professional skills necessary to meet my goals. Through working with Center staff, I have grown in ways that I didn’t think were possible coming into college. I have learned that more than ever, creating meaningful professional relationships and connections is so important to excel in your career. In my senior year, I was promoted to serve as the Marketing and Communications Coordinator for Walker Fellows. Walker Fellows is an organization of student leaders who represent the college externally as well as promote and execute opportunities for academic and professional growth for other students. My work with the Truist Student Leadership Center has left me with a passion for marketing from a digital perspective and a set of professional leadership skills which will open doors to both my first and many future career opportunities.
YOU MADE THIS POSSIBLE
05
PROFESSIONALISM VIDEO VIEWS
3,690 VIRTUAL WEBINAR VIEWS
VIRTUAL CAREER WEEK VIEWS
2,790 342 VIRTUAL COACHING APPOINTMENTS
PROFESSIONALISM VIDEOS CREATED
500
66
05
BUS 2001
Business Career Development (BUS 2001) is a professional and leadership development course in the Walker College of Business (WCOB). Prior to being admitted into the WCOB, each student is required to pass this course as a part of their core business curriculum. In this course, students complete assignments, exercises, and quizzes to aid in their choosing of a major, creating materials for potential employers, researching possible job opportunities, building a professional online presence, and speaking to employers about their interests and experience.
In the 2020-2021 school year, BUS 2001 was delivered entirely online to offer maximum safety, flexibility with as accessibility for students. Using the interactive course website, instructors from Truist Student Leadership Center delivered instruction on resume creation, speaking to an employer, researching and applying for internships, and LinkedIn profile editing.
During this time, 964 students completed the course and offered their feedback regarding the professional skills they developed and knowledge they gained. Some highlights include: 96% of students are more confident in their choice of major 94% of students feel their knowledge of professional email etiquette has improved 95% of students used their class resume to apply for an internship or part-time job 98% of students feel more confident in their ability to speak about their resume 83% of students created a LinkedIn profile for the first time 53% of students connected with a recruiter using their LinkedIn profile 40% of students used their LinkedIn profile to apply for an internship during the course 92% of students discovered a company they may want to work for 46% of students used Handshake to apply for an internship during the course
GRADUATE PROGRAMS The Walker College of Business is home to three graduate programs: Master of Business Administration, Master of Science in Applied Data Analytics, and the Master of Science in Accounting. Within the Truist Student Leadership Center, houses a professional coach to support these graduate programs. Each graduate student has the opportunity to receive individualized coaching to enhance their professional skills and to prepare them for career progression. Additionally, there are opportunities to attend graduate professional development seminars as well as the Truist Student Leadership Center career fairs and events.
The 2020-2021 academic year saw challenges and triumphs within graduate programs and career services for those students. The delivery of coaching and professional development seminars was primarily delivered virtually which necessitated some changes, but it also allowed continued greater access for all of our graduate students. This included the first cohort of the Online MBA program. Graduate students who were not physically able to be on campus had the same opportunities as our on-campus students, and recorded workshops and other online resources were increased. Graduate students were able to enhance their virtual interviewing skills and persevere through job searches in a landscape full of changes and unknowns. A point of pride was being able to deliver two Truist Emerging Leaders Certification (ELC) programs via Zoom to our graduate students; once in the fall and again in the spring. We wanted to ensure that all of our graduate students, many of whom are only in the program for one year, had the opportunity to explore opportunities for self-awareness and expand on their leadership training through the Truist ELC. These graduate students took advantage of the program as a way to spend some time in reflection of their own strengths through the VIA assessment and the LCSD, and then reflected on the need to understand the beliefs driving behaviors as they saw the need for flexibility and understanding in leadership playing out in the world around them. The participating graduate students also acknowledged the value of gaining new language to use in interviewing to articulate their strengths and differentiate them from others. In addition, a third Truist Emerging Leaders Certification was delivered inperson at the beginning of the summer to our entire Master of Science in Accounting co-hort. This group was enthusiastic to be able to gather together and learn from the Truist ELC program and each other. The group appreciated the strategies that could see them through the challenges of their potential leadership shortcomings as they began their professional leadership journeys.
WOMEN OF WALKER Women of Walker is a recommendation based experiential program designed to prepare
diverse
female
students
with
essential skills needed for success in pursuing a career in business. The skills and knowledge acquired through this program can be applied to all facets of being a contributing member to one's career and personal communities.
This program seeks to identify and support female business students from underrepresented populations as they work towards entering the predominantly male world of business. Through building connections to business women and communities, this program works to develop young women's confidence and independence as a young professionals. Due to COVID-19 the 2021 program was delivered in a hybrid virtual format to 29 student members. Six companies and over 30 representatives provided a variety of career and leadership development topics and insights to members during a 14 week program. Eighteen interactions were completed over the program encompassing over 50 programmatic hours. The 2022 Women of Walker program will host 28 members and will return to an in-person format.
WALKER FELLOWS Traditionally the Walker Fellows serve as the ambassadors of the WCOB and provide support for official College and University events and functions. With no in-person events to support in Fall of 2020, the organization focused on professional development through a one-hour leadership course offered by Jackie Garner in the Truist Student Leadership Center. This course was designed to develop Walker Fellows’ professional and leadership skills through exposure and participation in workshops, seminars, and discussions. The course was conducted in a “staff meeting” format providing student leaders with real world examples of professionalism and leadership in a functional department within a bigger organization. Topics included: weekly schedule, assignment and updates as well as professional growth discussion around best business practices, human resources, diversity and inclusion and other timely subjects as they arose. This course supported 17 Walker Fellows in a weekly meeting set in Zoom.
The group hosted two virtual Business Club Expo events to connect students with engagement oppurtunities within the WCOB.
In Spring of 2021 the professional development course did not continue but the work of the Walker Fellows did. The group created a virtual tour of the Walker College of Business for prospective students to learn more about the College for those who could not visit the campus. They also conducted their annual fundraiser “Walker Wear” selling WCOB merchandise and raised $500 for student scholarships. The growth these young leaders experienced in a virtual setting will serve them well as they embark on their professional careers.
STUDENT RESOURCES CAREER FAIRS
Annually, the Truist Student Leadership Center hosts Walker Business Connections. Walker Business Connections career week consisted of virtual panels and workshops, virtual practice interviews, and a virtual career fair. The 23 unique panels and workshops covered various industry topics and featured recruiters and industry professionals. Practice interviews helped educate students how they can professionally represent themselves during interactions with employers, especially in a virtual setting. The career fair was hosted in the Handshake platform and allowed employers to meet with students 1:1 or in a group setting via video conferencing. The same model was used for our spring career fair, Walker Spring Connect, featuring a week of events to connect students and employers. The virtual practice interview process was revised to improve efficiency and ease for students and employers. With this revision, the number of practice interviews conducted tripled.
Each fall and spring semester Truist Student Leadership Center hosts workshops on various professional, leadership and career development topics for WCOB students to attend. The Professional Development Series covers a variety of topics tailored to address professional skills such as navigating our campus career management system Handshake, networking skills, interview strategies and financial wellness. Workshops were provided both in person and virtually to accommodate every student's ability to attend while maintaining a safe environment to learn. All workshops are recorded and available for later viewing on the Truist Student Leadership Center YouTube Channel. This has provided a robust resource library for students, faculty and staff to access at their convenience so individuals can build their skill set on their own schedule. Industry professionals are invited to lead and participate in the series to provide additional engagement opportunities with students while providing valuable professional development content.
PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT SERIES
3,690 Views on Youtube
STUDENT RESOURCES PODCAST: WHAT'S AFTER THIS?
Podcast: What’s After This In this year’s episodes of the What’s After This Podcast, Truist Student Leadership Center shifted focus to interview recent alumni of the Walker College of Business. In these episodes, alumni interviewees give listeners insight into possible career paths after earning degrees in WCOB majors. From banks to federal government agencies to big tech companies - students hear about them all. Listen to all episodes here: https://anchor.fm/whatsafterthiswithbcs.
PROFESSIONAL COACHING Professional coaching looked different during the 2020-2021 academic year, but the ability for Truist Student Leadership Center coaches to deliver content and provide support was not diminished. If anything, there were advantages gained by delivering the nearly 500 coaching appointments and drop-ins virtually. By removing some of the barriers and offering this approachable, efficient, and flexible support, we saw students truly engage in the coaching experience. Students found they could quickly jump on a Zoom call from wherever they were with the need to travel to our office location removed. This offered easy access and flexibility. The technology also allowed for a more comfortable and inviting environment for many students as the formality of an in-person appointment in an office setting can be daunting – coaches became regular people and students were able to ask for the advice they needed. Zoom allowed for the sharing of online resources, conversations that would prepare students for virtual interactions with employers, and an ease of sharing a screen to view and edit a resume or LinkedIn profile. While strong professional development coaching remained as usual at the core, the altered delivery mode allowed the coaching team to consider the many ways that we can effectively reach students and meet their needs.
STUDENT TESTIMONIALS Andrea Gonzalez
Marketing May 2022
"I attended the Walker Business Connections in the early fall semester. I really appreciated and grew from this experience. As a junior preparing for my professional career and trying to make meaningful relationships, it was nice that my school cared enough to set me on the right track. Networking is everything, and my network expanded to my advantage. I am excited to be part of this again in the later semester to keep growing and make more connections. Additionally, I have used drop in appointments to cater to my schedule and overall business major. It has been an extraordinary help to have staff to help me plan and be a part of my academic career. I loved how they are able to plan for "what-if" situations and their ability to reassure that the emotions that come with stress, schedules, majors, and overall school can be completely normal-- ultimately, they are always there to help”.
"I first began utilizing the Truist Student Leadership Center office in the fall of 2020 when Amy Odom came and gave a presentation in my CTE 3340 class. I knew that I was wanting to get an internship for that upcoming summer so I figured I would reach out and see how she could help me. Amy Odom is fantastic at her job and was so helpful in helping me establish long lasting connections and answered every question I had, whether I was freaking out about something or just had a simple yes or no question. When Amy got her promotion, I was extremely excited that she was getting a promotion she deserved but was sad that she would no longer be helping me and this was where I met Dillon. While Dillon and I have only known each other a short while, he proved to be just as beneficial to helping me with all my needs. They made finding a full time job so much easier and have lots of great advice that I would never have learned had I never come into contact with them."
Andrew Diering
Finance May 2022
STUDENT TESTIMONIALS Gopika Malik
MS Applied Data Analytics May 2022
"Thanks, Truist Student Leadership Center for the assistance! I am very appreciative of the services I received from the career center. Ms. Maureen Cathey answered all my questions about my resume and took a look over my LinkedIn Profile. The tweaks she suggested helped my resume to be picked up by potential employers and enabled me to be shortlisted for interview rounds. Practice interviews organized by TSLC assisted me in preparing for actual interviews and helped me get a job offer way sooner before my graduation! Thank you, Maureen Cathey, for going above and beyond to assist me in reaching my professional goals! And If you are a student and have not used Career Services, I would say do not walk but run over if you require career advice!"
"I am a digital marketing major graduating in December 2021 and in the last two years, I’ve been able to intern at two companies and was able to do so with the help of the TSLC. During my time at ASU, I’ve used the resume reviews, drop ins, and career coaching services. I’ve also attended the WCOB Connections/ Spring Connect. I’ve sent my resume a few times for reviews and attended a few WCOB workshops where I was able to learn about how to build a solid LinkedIn page and how to succeed in interviews. For me personally, the Center have helped me with the many opportunities that I’ve experienced as a student at ASU. I’m grateful that WCOB has such an amazing resource that its students can use."'
Kevin Mawuntu
Digital Marketing December 2021
Will Marcuda "Truist Student Leadership Center is an extremely valuable resource for post-graduation placement and help, offered to students and alumni. The wonderful and helpful staff, paired with real connections and advising, can make a huge difference in a student's post-graduation job placement. Every student in the Walker College of Business has something valuable to gain from working with TSLC. " Management & Supply Chain December 2021