T. Howard Alums Pay it Forward

“Reach new schools…inform more students…increase applications”—this is the mantra that carries the very successful Campus Ambassador Program (CAP). The T. Howard Foundation created CAP as an avenue for alumni on campuses to get involved and reach out to peers about the Foundation’s internship program.   “With a small staff handling on-campus recruitment, we recognized that increasing the number of applicants would be a challenge that we could not accomplish alone,” says assistant program manager, Karla Morrison. 

Morrison, glad to have east and west coast campus recruitment support, thoroughly believes that outreach efforts are now fueled by an even stronger force: “CAP is an opportunity for recent internship class alumni to give back,” she said.

CAP ambassadors are armed with marketing materials, a personalized presentation, and most importantly, their own internship experiences. Combined, these provide a rich balance with the students and peers at their respective campuses.  For eight weeks (September 19 –November 19), ambassadors host information sessions, give presentations at student club meetings, and attend career fairs where they share details about their T. Howard summer internship with zealous students.

CAP’s message reaches students across the country, on campuses which T. Howard’s staff might not be able to visit. “Students get a chance,” says Morrison, “to ask questions from someone with first-hand experience about everything from the application process and 2½-day orientation, to intern projects and working in a corporate environment. ”  

Participation in this program also helps ambassadors improve their public speaking and presentation skills while they build their on-campus network. So although giving back is a primary motivation, the silver lining is that the ambassadors are developing in the process.

‘Hats off’ to all CAP ambassadors recruiting new talent! Their time and efforts have already made a positive impact on the 2012 Internship Class.