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Our liberal arts education opens the door to many paths after graduation—not just one. The Career & Civic Engagement Center (the Center) helps students explore those paths by offering opportunities to learn and engage beyond the classroom—locally, nationally, and globally. Below, the Center's team shares insights into their work and offers a few tips for first-year students.

Can you start by introducing your office—its name, mission, and the role it plays at ����Ӱ��ý?

The mission of the Career & Civic Engagement Center is to prepare and support liberal arts students and alumnae/i for success in their chosen life pursuits. The “Career” and “Civic” areas of our Center are not separate. Rather, we are connected by our commitment to supporting ����Ӱ��ý students as they develop professional skills and connections while engaging with communities, reflecting on their experiences, and exploring multiple pathways for the future. Our Center’s model is a unique approach that recognizes the value of experience and exposure as one of the greatest teachers. 

What unique services and resources does your office offer?

The Center's $15 million endowment allows us to provide so many different resources to ����Ӱ��ý students and alumnae/i. We support students by connecting them with a wide range of opportunities, including:

• Internships and externships
• Community-engaged learning opportunities, like our Praxis Program. 
• Student employment
• Volunteer service
• Leadership development
• Engagement with visiting employers, alumnae/i, and mentors
• Intensive programs and workshops
• A self-assessment to explore their strengths, personality, or leadership style
• A robust Summer Internship Funding Program

What types of funding opportunities are available to students through your office? 

Our Center offers funding during both the academic year and over the summer. During the academic year students can apply for mini grants of up to $200 that support test preparation courses and/or materials for graduate school exams (e.g., GRE, GMAT, LSAT, and MCAT). These mini grants can also sponsor student-led community service, activism, or service projects; and expenses related to a one-time event or conference or for interview-related travel expenses.

The Center's staff offers information sessions providing students with detailed information about the Summer Internship Funding Program, including tips on how to search for internships, information on the application process, and presentations from students who have been funded in previous years. Our staff also welcomes the opportunity to meet with students individually to discuss their interest in summer funding. Students may apply for funding to support both international and domestic internships. Annually, the college awards over a million dollars in summer funding to students!

Pro tip: make sure to check the application deadlines on our website—deadlines vary depending on the type of opportunity, with international deadlines being the earliest.

Who are the staff at the Center? 

The Center’s team includes 16 staff members, faculty liaisons, and over 40 student staff members who serve a student body of only 1,350 students; a student to staff ratio of about 25:1.  This personalized attention, offered through one-on-one appointments, drop-ins, and workshops is something that is not found at every school and this focus is what helps each individual student decide what next step is the best one for them. 

How can incoming first-year students prepare for their first meeting with The Center? �į&�Բ�����;

There is no expectation that first-year students come prepared for their first meeting with our Center! We do have a specific “Welcome to the Center” appointment in Handshake that we encourage first-year students to sign up for because that appointment provides an overview to our office and an introduction to our staff. 

Students do not need to know what they want to do or even have any idea about their post-College plans to schedule a time to come talk with us.   

Before everyone arrives on campus, the Career & Civic Engagement Center has all incoming first-year students take Gallup’s StrengthsFinder assessment as part of the first-year THRIVE course. This tool helps students identify the things they are good at doing. The Center’s approach to working with students is that if they have ideas, we will do everything we can to help them make those ideas a reality. If they don’t have any ideas yet, we can help them figure that out too!  As a first-year, students can also take part in our intensives, employer information sessions, workshops, and networking events to begin to explore their interests and meet different people.

How can students connect with your team?

Students can make an appointment with a Center staff member through Handshake, starting with a “Welcome to the Center” appointment that provides an introduction to our Center or they can select an appointment option based on a topic of interest such as “Internship Search” or “Volunteer Consultation.”  Our staff are also present at campus events like Fall Frolic, ����Ӱ��ý and Beyond, Praxis Poster Sessions, and more and we love to meet and interact with students at these events. The staff in the Center are eager to connect with students!

Are there any common misconceptions students have about the CCEC, especially in their first year?  

There are several!   

• It’s never too early to come visit the Career & Civic Engagement Center! 

• It is completely normal to NOT know what you want to do after College. 

• It is completely normal to change your mind about what you want to do. 

• Trying new things is the key to finding out what you like and what you don’t. 

• All of your experiences matter—whether you are a scholar athlete, work on campus in the Dining Hall, are the president of a student club, or contribute to a faculty member’s scholarly research, all of your experiences are important and valuable. 

• We are here to help!  Our staff are eager to learn about you and your interests.  We’re excited to welcome you to ����Ӱ��ý and begin our work together!