At a fall virtual meeting on “The Benefits of a Corporate Sponsor,” FOSSI scholars learned how to make the most of their relationship with their corporate partner.
Deloitte FOSSI scholar Kaila White shares her appreciation
Kaila White, FOSSI scholar and sophomore at North Carolina A&T, kicked off the program by sharing her own experience with her corporate partner, telling listeners, “Deloitte has provided me with a support system – sending care packages, holding bi-weekly zoom calls, and checking in on me to make sure I’m doing alright. Over the summer, I even got to visit the Deloitte offices in Atlanta, and I made so many different connections with their employees, including Aggie alumnae. I know the company is here for me throughout my college journey.”
Panelists discuss their personal experiences with a corporate sponsor
Following White’s remarks, moderator Najwa Corum, Early Career Program Leader at Chemours, introduced panelists Kenneth Woolridge, Specialist Master at Deloitte; Vander Breland, Operations Engineer at Chevron Phillips Chemical; and Freya Huffman, Global Diversity and Inclusion Leader at Quaker Houghton, who began the discussion by talking about their own experiences with a corporate sponsor.
Woolridge attended Texas A&M University as an Eastman scholar. Early on, summer internships and co-ops provided him with corporate mentors, many of whom he maintains relationships with to this day. He credits their insights and support as being instrumental in shaping his success. He also became very active in the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE), whose corporate membership generously provided financial support, professional and personal advice, and career counseling.
In addition to receiving a basketball scholarship, Huffman also received a Westinghouse scholarship at Claflin University. She told students, “I was green in coming into the corporate space but was so excited. I earned an internship and had a supervisor who prepared us, polished us, held us accountable, and showed us how to stand out from the others.” She cited strong mentors and rotating Westinghouse internships with helping to prepare her for real life.
Breland, a proud graduate of Prairie View A &M University, noted that he did not have a lot of exposure to the corporate world at the start of school. Sophomore year, he attended a career fair and collected cards from many of the participants. A follow-up phone call to one contact led to a mentor who helped him make decisions and keep focused during college, and eventually led to an 8-year (to date) career with Chevron Phillips Chemical.
Panelists stress the importance of fully engaging with their sponsors
All panelists encouraged scholars to fully engage. Said Woolridge, “Having someone help you get to where you want to go will shorten the time frame to get there. You have a person constantly asking you – what can I do for you? Let them do for you – they have your best interest in mind.”
Huffman added, “FOSSI is wrapping their arms around you so you can succeed. Be proactive, take advantage. Network as much as possible to broaden your knowledge and experience. Do not sit in the corner and wait for your mentor. Have your own deliverables and goals and speak up when you need help.”
Breland echoed, “Be a good mentee, don’t leave it all to your mentor. You don’t have to know everything; engage and ask questions. Tell them what you like to do, ask them how to build your network, and they will guide you. We’re here to help in any way we can. I want you to succeed – if you succeed in whatever you choose to do, then we all succeed.”
Breland also told scholars that there is “no such thing as bad knowledge. My first corporate job was in research. I didn’t care for it, but I did learn that making plastic was cool and it took me in a whole different direction. If you learn something new, chances are you will use it in the future in some way.”
When panelists were asked what they might have done differently with their sponsors, they all agreed that they would ask more questions and network more, with Corum adding “I wish someone told me how important networking is. It makes such a huge difference, and for FOSSI scholars to be in a position to start building their networks now is an amazing opportunity.”
Key Takeaways
- Take advantage of what’s in front of you. You don’t have to engage with your sponsor, but if you do, you will reap benefits beyond what you can imagine.
- Be fearless and open to diverse experiences, even if you don’t envision yourself with your sponsor’s company. Each new experience teaches you what you like and don’t like to do. That knowledge is critical to finding where you belong and what you love to do.
- Learn something new every day that you can use. More knowledge equals more perspective and more opportunity.
- Be innovative and share your ideas. You can be the one that creates change.
- Be excited, celebrate you. Find your cheerleaders. Setbacks are momentary – don’t give up.
- Build confidence. Start slow and develop a short list of accomplishments that you can talk about. Create an elevator speech and rehearse it so it comes easily.
- Don’t let work pile up. Go to class, develop a good rapport with your teachers, and do work in advance if you can. During the tough times teachers will help you if they know you are serious.
- In the beginning you might have to do something untraditional, but do something!
- If you get stuck, ask for help. People want to help you. We are all human.