The Career Activator is a new and unique program seed funded by KPMG U.S. Foundation Reaching New Heights Grant Program and National Grid’s Project C-Workforce Development grant. This 3-week residential program, focused on business students from underrepresented groups. Students will participate in workshops to develop their professional, interpersonal and leadership skills; work with a minority-owned business or nonprofit organization on Staten Island through a micro-internship or gig project; visit companies to understand organizational structure and workforce opportunities; and connect with an industry mentor.
SPONSORS
- Become a Career Activator!
- Become an Activator Community Partner
- Become an Activator Champion
- June 2023 Cohort
- January 2024 Cohort
PROGRAM SPECS
TIMELINE
SELECTION PROCESS
There will be a committee made up of faculty, staff, and students who will help select the first cohort of Activators. They will evaluate your application and participate in the interview process.
- Explore business aspirations
- Develop professional, interpersonal, and leadership skills
- Hands-on micro internship experience
- Work with a minority-owned or nonprofit business
- Connect with a mentor
- Nicolais School of Business or Sports Administration students, from underrepresented groups (female-identified, ethnic minorities, LGBTQ+, first generation)
- Enrolled in their sophomore to junior academic year
- Declared major or minor in business administration (any concentration) or economics.
- January 2nd – January 22, 2025
- On-Site at Wagner College
- Room, board, and meals included
- Stipend for each Activator
- Gain impactful and meaningful skills and experiences to enhance personal and
professional success and future employability. - Develop and grow a personal and professional network of mentors and coaches.
- Skills to help navigate prevalent workplace dynamics and challenges for individuals from
underrepresented groups.
- Declared major or minor in business administration (any concentration) or economics.
- In your Sophomore or Junior academic year
- Identify as part of the underrepresented community (ex: female, ethnic minorities, non-binary, transgender, first-generation college students)
- Able to participate in the program from January 5th, 2024, to January 24, 2024
- Able to conduct 15-20 hours a week for the micro-internship
TIMELINE
SELECTION PROCESS
There will be a committee made up of faculty, staff, and students who will help select the first cohort of Activators. They will evaluate your application and participate in the interview process.
Click here to apply
WHAT
WHEN
The Career Activator begins on January 2, 2025, and ends on January 22, 2025. All participating businesses and nonprofit organizations will work with the Student Activators during the second -fourth weeks of the program to complete a mini-project for the organization.
COMPENSATION
Participating organizations will receive a stipend for their time and effort to host our students.
PROJECT OUTCOMES
Each participating organization will have the opportunity to have an Activator aid in a company project and provide a student with enhancing their skills and experiences.
Objectives
- Provide a professional experience
- Students help to complete short projects
- Businesses help the underrepresented student population with their career development
- Provide students with hands-on experience
WHEN
The Career Activator begins on January 2, 2025, and ends on January 22, 2025. All participating businesses and nonprofit organizations will work with the Student Activators during the second -fourth weeks of the program to complete a mini-project for the organization.
COMPENSATION
Participating organizations will receive a stipend for their time and effort to host our students.
PROJECT OUTCOMES
Each participating organization will have the opportunity to have an Activator aid in a company project and provide a student with enhancing their skills and experiences.
Objectives
- Provide Activators with work and life skills transferable to their career success
- Guide Activators through the process of business management in areas of marketing, accounting, finance, and management
- Enhance the Activator’s leadership and critical thinking skills
- Application Due: November 15, 2024
- Meet and Greet: Participating organizations will meet their Career Activator on November 21, 2024 at 3:00 pm – 4:00 pm on Wagner College’s Campus.
- Program micro internships: January 8 – January 22, 2025
- Program celebration: January 14, 2025, location TBD
- The businesses should come up with a list of projects and we can work together to scope and right-size the projects to ensure successful completion by the students and to ensure we deliver value to the clients
- Once Career Activators are selected in April, attend a meeting to meet them.
To apply click this link.
Example projects| Types of Potential Projects | |
| Marketing Projects | Management Projects |
| Marketing Strategy Plan and Market and Survey Research | Operations research analysis (Business Operations, Business strategy, Personnel scheduling) |
| Social Media Engagement and Promotion and Newsletter or Email Campaign | Human Resources Management (Recruitment and Hiring, Onboarding and Training Development, Employee Relations, DEI Strategy Planning) |
| Business to Business Strategy Planning and Outreach | Leadership Shadowing |
| Public Relations | Operational Management |
| Project Planning of small to large-scale events | Information management |
| Field service | Sales Services |
| Data collection and analysis | |
| Accounting Projects | Finance Projects |
| Project Financial Analysis | Financial Analysis |
| Budgets and Project-Cost Evaluation | Budget analysis |
| Data Entry of AR/AP | Investor relations |
| Budget Review | Financial reporting |
| Economics | Sports Administration |
| Data Analytics | Event Management |
| Financial Analysis | Team Management & Sponsorship |
| Conduct Surveys | Sport Marketing & Sales |
| Economic Outlook Analysis | Sports Media/Social Media |
WHAT
WHO
Alumni mentoring the Nicolais School of Business and Sports Administration Students.
WHEN
The Career Activator begins on January 2, 2025, and ends on January 22, 2025. The program is held on-site at Wagner College. This three-week residential program will consist of workshops, on-site training with local employers for the Activators, and a network of connections with alumni.
MENTORING
In the Career Activator program, students are paired with an alumni mentor called a Champion. Career Activator Champions are a guiding beacon for the Activator. The Champion will assist in the development of each Activator’s professional and personal growth. The Champion will provide help, offer suggestions, and be a sounding board for the mentee’s career goals and development issues. Champions must dedicate a minimum of 1-2 hours per week during the Career Activator program, attend one networking event and the end-of-program celebration, and ideally stay in touch with the Activators after the program’s completion.
Dates:
The responsibilities of the champion include:
WHO
Alumni mentoring the Nicolais School of Business and Sports Administration Students.
WHEN
The Career Activator begins on January 2, 2025, and ends on January 22, 2025. The program is held on-site at Wagner College. This three-week residential program will consist of workshops, on-site training with local employers for the Activators, and a network of connections with alumni.
MENTORING
In the Career Activator program, students are paired with an alumni mentor called a Champion. Career Activator Champions are a guiding beacon for the Activator. The Champion will assist in the development of each Activator’s professional and personal growth. The Champion will provide help, offer suggestions, and be a sounding board for the mentee’s career goals and development issues. Champions must dedicate a minimum of 1-2 hours per week during the Career Activator program, attend one networking event and the end-of-program celebration, and ideally stay in touch with the Activators after the program’s completion.
Dates:
Click here to apply to be a champion.
RESPONSIBILITY
The responsibilities of the champion include:
- Attend one networking event and end-of-program celebration.
- Dedicate a minimum of 1-2 hours per week during the Career Activator program.
- Provide guidance and support to the Activator to achieve their career goals.
- Share their knowledge, skills, and experience with the Activator.
- Provide constructive feedback to the Activator on their performance.
- Help the Activator identify areas for improvement and provide resources to support their development.
- Encourage the Activator to take on new challenges and opportunities.
- Enhanced leadership and coaching skills.
- Improved job satisfaction and motivation.
- Increased professional visibility and recognition.
- The opportunity to give back to the profession.
- The opportunity to develop new professional relationships.
We are so proud of our students for activating their careers!
June 2023 Cohort: Jai Sai Venkataramana, Lennox Lamar, Antonio Williams, Abigael McCue, Mekhi Pinckney, Francis Wright, Luke Jakubauskas, Mar Navarro-Parera, Matthew Kenney, Agathe Yabit Tita, Ana Blanco, Kate Thomas, Terry Charles.
Career Activator and Mentors share what they would expect from the program.
Program Review: July 2023
Click here for a full-screen view.
We enjoyed taking our Career Activators to visit companies like Nasdaq, Adidas, Romark Logistics, IPG Media Brands, Marauder, and KPMG. Our Activators conducted micro-internships with host sites like the Staten Island Chamber of Commerce, Staten Island Zoo, Staten Island Non Profit Association, PCCS, Salmon Realty and many more.
We are so proud of our students for activating their careers!
January cohort: Dariana Vera, Rodrigo Perez, Nicholas Guistra, Ian Umansky, Emma Roe, Katarina Andial, Kunsh Moolchandani, Zachary Gorman, Samantha Tran
Program Impact Report: January 2024
Click here for a full-screen view of the January 2024 Impact Report.