Teachable Moments Outside the Classroom
The GAMP/Career Center staff spend months planning and preparing for the Portland and Seattle Treks. The logistics of transporting 130 students in Portland and 220 in Seattle with consideration for weather, meals and traffic can be a nightmare. We make itineraries with emergency contact numbers, and on the day of the event we are prepared to handle anything that may come our way. Sometimes, the best elements of the Trek are the moments that actually are unplanned. Instead these are “Ah-a!” moments, where we staff members see students appreciating the magnitude and caliber of these events.
We wanted to share a handful of these stories here in the Gonzaga Parent Advisory Newsletter, to highlight the amazing moments the students experienced this year. Thank you for your continued support of these programs. If you would like to contact us to be involved in the 2011Treks, please contact the GAMP office at gamp@gonzaga.edu or (509) 313-4048.
A Moment with One Tough Mother
25 students were greeted at Columbia Sportswear by recruiters to be lead through a tour of a facility then to do Q&A discussion about applying for internships and full-time jobs. When the Chairman of the Board of Directors of Columbia, Gert Boyle, found out that Gonzaga students were touring the facilities, she immediately invited them directly into her office. The students had 15 minutes with a well respected international leader. Students walked away slightly star struck, but inspired by her powerful message.
Students gather at Columbia Sportswear in Portland after meeting Chairman of the Board Gert Boyle.
A Change of Direction
“Mark”, a senior majoring in Business with a concentration in Marketing, attended the Nike and Regence excursion on the Portland Trek on January 5th. At both excursions panelists urged students to consider life passion when planning their future careers. Through exploring passions, students (and job hunters alike) will know what their passions are and in turn know who they truly are. The messages in fact were so powerful that this “Mark” decided that attending graduate school next fall wasn’t the best plan for him. He canceled his GMAT test scheduled for the next day to instead participate in the Seattle Trek where he attended the Nordstrom and Redhook excursion. Through both events, “Mark” honed the ability to network face-to-face, a powerful and important skill in the day in age of social media.
A Panel of Leaders
In Seattle, the Women in Leadership Symposium is a special event organized for our female Trek participants . This event brings together Gonzaga alumnae from various fields and industries to share advice. The panelist are quite honest with the students answering to work-life balance, the glass ceiling as well as developing an overall career plan. This unique event gives students the chance to meet and network with alumna from influential companies in a personal manner.