By Katie Cravey and Brienna Williams | The HPU Career Summit, hosted by Career Services, The Office of Alumni and University Services took place on Wednesday, February 24.
The Career Summit was from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. in the Bullion Suites. Students who attended received a free lunch, an HPU notepad and pen, and the chance to win prize giveaways. The students were encouraged to dress professionally, and the most professionally dressed female and male students received a prize.
Six successful HPU alumni who spoke on various topics and participated in a panel discussion. These alumni were: Bobbette Bell ’87 (education), Stephen Cox ’10 (music education), Marshal McIntosh ’15 (marketing/business), Daniel Hutson ’09 (business), Debbie Cartwright ’73 (law), and Dr. Cory Hines ’97 (Christian Studies). Dr. Dale Meinecke emceed the event while encouraging the attendees with prayer.
Haleigh Clevenger, sophomore studio art and English major said the following, “Something I enjoyed most about Howard Payne’s first Career Summit was ultimately just the culminating attitudes of encouragement, enthusiasm for achieving greatness, and the zealous drive for personal challenge and growth which I felt saturated the entire atmosphere of the event, throughout.”
Each speaker taught about different professional subjects. This allowed the students attending to receive a variety of different tools and information to implement into their professional career.
“My biggest take away was to go into any job or profession with knowledge of that job so that when it comes to being interviewed you are prepared and treated fairly because of your knowledge,” said Sophomore Padiwanashe Mangwiro.
The Career Summit was encouraging as students were reassured that they had an HPU family they are able to lean on as students and as young professionals.
“I learned the importance of simply being aware of the opportunities around you. Whether the opportunity comes in the form of an internship or temporary job, it’s important to consider applying. Even if the job may have little to do with your actual major as a college student, it can still give you much insight into other more permanent career options and personal passions that perhaps you had not previously been aware of, or had even known you had,” said Clevenger.
The HPU students were able to leave the Career Summit with newfound wisdom, ways they can begin helping their future selves, and strategies to apply to their future.