Career Leadership Program for RIT AALANA Students a Success

April 4, FRIDAY, career session celebrates Xerox/RIT mentoring series

It takes more than getting into a good school to make it in today’s careers. Primers for job success focus on preparation, planning and corporate-culture skills, to name a few.

To assist AALANA (African American, Latino/a American and Native American) students in personal and professional development for career success, Rochester Institute of Technology has partnered with Xerox Corp. to offer an eight-part workshop series.

The Career and Leadership Management Program (CLMP) opened in the fall with modest hopes for 50 or so students, says Wanda Dansler Hill, program coordinator in RIT’s North Star Center. "We were just amazed when 178 students signed up and 150 came for the first session—and kept on coming to each workshop, on top of all their classes and other obligations."

Noting that each student had to sign a contract and, upon completing the series, would receive a certificate, Dansler Hill adds. "We believe in their success; they’ve worked hard learning a range of personal and professional skills—from interviewing behavior to dining etiquette. It’s key that Xerox’s involvement gave them the real-world connection they need, as well as an opportunity to network."

Xerox’s College Relations office embraced the program, encouraging employees to get involved. More than 30 Xerox staff took part in the workshops, giving presentations, mentoring students and serving as panelists. "The program has allowed Xerox professionals to give back to the community in a meaningful way," says Natosha Womack, Xerox HR specialist. "The RIT students we’ve been working with have shown a lot of talent. We look forward to hopefully placing some of them as interns or co-ops."

The program has received positive student feedback, notes Dansler Hill. Third-year information-technology student Markell Williams says, "This (series) has cemented for me the proper ways to behave in a professional setting—from interviews to lunches with prospective employers." Pausing, he adds, "It helps get you in the right mode for the work world, and start thinking about the bigger picture, after college."

Management information systems business student Kelvin Ruiz, a Dominican Republic native raised in new York City, says that he dreaded interviews. "The program taught me how to open up, ask questions and prepare; I’ve become more confident and calm, less nervous about interviewing."

The students will have their chance to shine at the Career Workshop from 6 to 7:30 p.m. on April 4 in Skalny Room, Student Alumni Union, when they can offer resumes, and interview with Xerox representatives for potential cooperative education positions and other opportunities.

The students also took part in a "4.0 program" as part of the series, where they earned rewards for achieving top grades in all their classes. "Dozens of our students succeeded in attaining 4.0, and many others raised their averages from barely a C to the equivalent of a B+," adds Dansler Hill.

Doing well academically is a key part of AALANA, and all RIT students’ success, she says, and part of the North Star Center’s mission. Students will receive recognition, awards and CLMP certificates at the final session, May 8.

CLMP co-creator Manny Contomanolis, assistant vice president and director, Office of Cooperative Education and Career Services at RIT, believes this program exhibits RIT’s trademark of excellence in industry-connected learning. "RIT believes in the benefits of partnering with progressive firms like Xerox to enrich our students’ experience and raise their odds of success. In this program, our AALANA students are learning key corporate-culture and career-preparation skills."

MEDIA NOTE: Contact Laurie Maynard for more information on the Career Leadership Management Series, and to cover the Career Fair.

RIT’s North Star Center, named after Rochester’s famous abolitionist Frederick Douglass’s newspaper, focuses on academic success and cultural affairs for the university’s diverse community.