Fowler College of Business
Partrick-Clayes Center for Career Development Fiscal Year 2025-2026
Message from Leadership
Dear Donor, This year has been one of growth, refinement, and expanding opportunity for the Partrick-Clayes Center for Career Development. I continue to be inspired by our students’ willingness to invest in their futures and our team’s commitment to creating practical, approachable, and meaningful programs. Whether students engage with us through career coaching, Passport to Professionalism, Executive’s Closet, graduate workshops, or employer-facing events, the most rewarding part of our work is seeing students grow in confidence and recognize their strengths and potential. Looking ahead, we are focused on strengthening how we track employment outcomes, including exploring a revised survey timeline for graduating seniors and implementing Lightcast Embark to improve survey administration, data collection, and reporting. We are also using Salesforce Lightning to strengthen employer and alumni engagement. We are deeply grateful for the philanthropic investment that led to the renaming of the center and improvements to the space, creating a more welcoming environment and supporting our growth.
Tina Tan, M.A. Director, Partrick-Clayes Center for Career Development
Philanthropy
Propelling the SDSU Community Forward Partrick-Clayes Center for Career Development Endowment The Partrick-Clayes Center for Career Development Endowment enhances the Center’s visibility and student experience through its renaming and physical space improvements, creating a more welcoming environment. As this investment continues to grow, it will help sustain existing programs and support expanding career readiness opportunities for Fowler students. Greg and Elisabeth Fowler Career Management Center Endowment The Greg and Elisabeth Fowler Career Management Center Endowment strengthens career readiness programming by supporting student outreach and engagement across several initiatives. Funding enhances Passport to Professionalism cohort experiences, Fowler Ready workshop lunches, Executive’s Closet event supplies, and customized Fowler College of Business materials for the Business Professionalism Luncheon. The fund also continues to provide complimentary professional preparation resources, such as padfolios for interviews, networking, and career events. Together, these investments improved the student experience and expanded access to resources that support career readiness and professional success.
Partrick-Clayes Center for Career Development ribbon cutting celebration.
Second annual Executive's Closet event.
Student Spotlight
Thriving in the Aztec Experience Erick Ulloa, Class of 2027 Class Level: Undergraduate Student College: Fowler College of Business Major: Management Information Systems The Partrick-Clayes Center for Career Development has had a profound impact on my journey at San Diego State. Since I first stepped on campus as a freshman, Michelle Svay, Assistant Director, has been a constant source of support. From helping me build a strong resume to preparing for interviews and offering career guidance, her support played a key role in helping me land my summer internship at Tandem Diabetes. The Partrick-Clayes Center for Career Development has helped me build a strong foundation for success that will support me as I enter the tech industry.
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The Partrick-Clayes Center for Career Development has helped me build a strong foundation for success that will support me as I enter the tech industry.
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Points of Pride
Celebrating Shared Success Statistics of Interest The Partrick-Clayes Center for Career Development engaged more than 3,700 Fowler College of Business students through a career-readiness assessment administered in both a first-year course and a required upper-division course. The assessment helped students evaluate their preparedness and connect with career resources. The Center also completed more than 845 one-on-one coaching appointments, serving 85% undergraduate students, 10% graduate students, and 5% alumni. Juniors and seniors accounted for nearly 70% of all appointments. Employer engagement remained strong, with more than 260 unique employers participating in business-focused career fairs and more than 125 employers actively partnering with the Center to support recruiting efforts. Recent Highlights The Center broadened its Passport to Professionalism program to include transfer students and more than doubled participation in the program’s second year, with 63 students on track to complete the experience. To support this growth, the Center launched a Canvas-based Passport homeroom, creating a more structured and engaging experience while improving progress tracking, communication, and student accountability. The Center also continued to expand Executive’s Closet, a professional clothing resource that helps students prepare for interviews, networking events, internships, and employment opportunities. More than 250 students utilized the program this year, supported by over 1,200 donated items from employers, community partners, faculty, and staff. Career readiness programming remained a priority through the second annual Adulting at Work: Business Professionalism Luncheon, which increased attendance by nearly 28%. The event incorporated faculty and staff table hosts, creating a more interactive environment where students could practice professional etiquette, networking, and workplace communication skills. The Center reinstated and refreshed its Professional Development Series for graduate business students, providing targeted programming focused on career planning and professional growth. Employer engagement also continued to strengthen through both returning campus partners and new recruiting relationships, expanding opportunities for students to connect with industry professionals and explore internships and career pathways.
Career Ready
3,700+ Students completed career-readiness assessments, with 845+ coaching appointments and connections to 260+ employers.
Faculty and Staff Achievements
Michelle Svay, M.A. Title: Assistant Director, Partrick-Clayes Center for Career Development College: Fowler College of Business Achievement: Played a key role in scaling the Passport to Professionalism program by designing and launching a Canvas-based homeroom that streamlined progress tracking, improved student accountability, and strengthened engagement. Her leadership helped support program growth as participation more than doubled in its second year. Michelle’s work helped transform Passport to Professionalism from a strong pilot into a more scalable and sustainable student experience. As the program expanded to include transfer students and grew to more than 60 participants on track for completion, the Canvas homeroom created a more efficient system for tracking requirements, communicating with students, and keeping participants engaged throughout the year. This shift supported both student success and staff operations, making it easier to maintain momentum as the program grew. The student feedback below reflects the significant impact of the program: “The most valuable part of the program was the step-by-step structure that walked me through career readiness. As an incoming freshman, it made things less overwhelming. I liked how it introduced resume writing, career assessments, and all the resources available through the career center. At first, the career center felt intimidating, more like something I would go to as a junior or senior, but the program made it feel much more approachable. Honestly, I don't think I would've gotten my on-campus jobs or summer internship without it—I wouldn't have even known where to start and would have felt intimidated attempting to do it by myself.” “My time in the Passport program so far has been wonderful! I have gained an incredible amount of valuable career guidance that I can apply to my remaining time at SDSU. The staff in the PCCCD are extremely knowledgeable about the resources available to students to aid them in their career development journey. They employ significant care and consideration in guiding each student. The activities for each year of the program have been a learning experience and have given me insights into my path. I am happy to be part of this program. Thank you!”
Thank you for your generous support.
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