As networking culture dominates, even in technical fields, advancement in industry is increasingly tied to who one knows rather than solely what one knows. In order to empower students from all backgrounds, every student must be given an opportunity to form meaningful connections with industry. Additionally, it is important that students have exposure to a wide range of opportunities so they can find a career that suits their skills, interests, and passions. The Career Fair has the power to connect thousands of engineers to recruiters from over 500 companies. I was motivated to contribute to the Career Fair team’s mission of empowering students to explore a wide range of opportunities and form lasting industry relationships.
Through this role, I greatly developed soft skills. As an Operations Coordinator, I was responsible for all day-of operations and logistics for the largest student-run career fair in the nation. This includes running a transportation system that shuttled over 2300 students and 1300 recruiters. Additionally, the system accommodated over 2700 students parking on-site, and over 400 students using ride-share services. Overall, the transportation plan garnered 88% student sentiment. Furthermore, I managed over 100 volunteers and over 600 volunteer hours. This greatly improved my communication and leadership skills. I also developed my graphic design skills by creating and placing the Career Fair's digital and print signage on-site.On the South side of the Denver East High School athletics field stood a bleak 95-foot wall, ridden with lacrosse ball-shaped divots that uncovered decades of graffiti and subsequent cover-up jobs. It was the eyesore of an otherwise beautiful campus.
As a football player, the wall was a distraction during practice, but as an aspiring Eagle Scout, it was an opportunity. As the final step to achieving the highest rank in Scouting, I planned, fundraised, executed, and documented a $14,000 Eagle Scout Service Project, designing and constructing a multi-media mural along the wall.
To make my idea a reality, I contacted the business community surrounding my school, developing a network of experts for technical advisory. Through a multi-prong fundraising approach, I brought the project to fruition with the help of 25 in-kind and financial donors. Utilizing over 800 volunteer hours, an eyesore was transformed into a powerful testament to the community.