Career Connections Night opens doors for professional development and student success

On November 7, students and alumni gathered at the Campus Center for Career Connections Night, an evening of networking and career exploration put on by the Diversity Enrichment and Achievement Program (DEAP).

For the past three years, DEAP has collaborated with a diverse group of Indiana professionals for Career Connections Night. This year, the Neal-Marshall Alumni Club, IU Latino Alumni Association, and IU Alumni Association participated in the event to provide students with insight and inspiration for their futures.

DeLeon Lott, coordinator of college transition and leadership development for DEAP, explained how Career Connections Night is an accessible way for students to network. "This event is important because we make it easy for that connection to happen," Lott said. "Students don't have to go to an expensive conference to meet someone. They're able to just be in their natural environment and come right up to the Campus Center—a building they're in every day."

In addition to making Career Connections Night easily accessible, DEAP helped to make the event stress-free for students by setting aside time at the beginning of the night for a lesson on networking. Students received question sheets, conversation topic ideas, and advice on how to get the most out of their interactions with alumni.

Business management major Rasheed Abdul-Rahman was one of the many students who benefited from the evening. Abdul-Rahman said that he gained several success tips from alumni at the event. "I learned that it's important to have mentors throughout campus as well as to go to career fairs," he said. "I learned a lot from the people who came out to help us."

Javecia Johnson and Viola Long were two IUPUI alumnae who hoped to make an impact on the next generation at the event. Johnson graduated with a computer engineering technology degree and now works at Eli Lilly as a senior analyst in product delivery. Long graduated as a health services management major, recently earned her master's degree, and currently works as a practice operations assistant at IU Health.

When asked what advice they had for DEAP students, Johnson and Long emphasized the importance of networking and pursuing anything they set their minds to. "Being a minority, sometimes you're discouraged from the science field," Johnson said, "but I would tell students that if they are really dedicated and have the passion for it, to go for it."

Long is a former DEAP member and discovered the health services management major by talking to her own mentor while in the program. Looking back, Long said that finding her niche in health services management transformed the rest of her college experience. "School was a lot easier," she said. "Personal life was a lot easier because there was a level of stress that I didn't have to worry about. When you're passionate about something, you're more intrigued by the learning."

Long is now giving back to the program that once invested in her. She regularly participates in events for DEAP to connect students to resources and knowledge that could change their lives. "You can never speak to too many people—you never know who or how it could help you," she said.

Career Connections Night was beneficial for everyone involved. Alumni at the event experienced the gratification of helping the next generation, and students were able to come away with new insight for their futures.