The CCPD aims to educate and empower Kalamazoo College students and alumni to discover their talents, build their professional networks, and apply their learning to meaningful lives after K. We invite each student to CONSIDER their values, strengths, and interests as they build their K-Plan, COMMUNICATE their knowledge, skills, and experiences effectively to access opportunities, and CONNECT with employes, alumni, and other professionals to explore and test options for their next steps.
Impact Report: Academic Year 2023-2024
While serving all K students, this academic year’s focus was on increasing access to experiential opportunities and career readiness programming for first generation college students. We want all students to feel like the tools they need to succeed around career and life planning exist, are easy to find, and are made accessible by the CCPD. We empower students to become career ready, including a focus on career wellness, which is defined as engaging in work that provides personal satisfaction and enrichment and that aligns with one’s identity. We are committed to uplifting employers who interact, interview, and recruit a diverse group of people, recognizing and valuing different origins and perspectives, and taking into account factors other than gender and race. Highlighted below are campus partnerships, expiriential opportunities, direct service programs, and external partnerships from the past academic year that helped us work toward these goals.
$100K+
given in internship stipends
to 26 students
73%
increase in Career Studio
student attendance
764
student attendees at CCPD events and programs
158
alumni partners
Campus Partnerships
We know that students are most prepared for their careers when career development is seamlessly integrated into their college experience. We are fortunate that our dedicated staff and faculty continue to explore innovative ways to weave career development into the K experience.
This year, 23 faculty members from 12 academic departments partnered with us to bolster career readiness. Our faculty partners demonstrated exceptional creativity and commitment in their support. Programming highlights included CCPD-led career readiness workshops, employer-led sessions, information sessions, and alumni panels that provided valuable networking opportunities. The Spanish department collaborated with us to conduct mock interviews in Spanish, while the English department integrated an assignment on Educational Design that involved future career planning with Career Coaches. Additionally, we piloted a new internship course series co-taught by a faculty member, further enriching our students’ practical experiences and professional skills.
Our CCPD events and workshops saw 764 student attendees throughout the year. These events were bolstered by partnerships with various campus partners, including the Office of Alumni Engagement, the Center for International Programs, the Office of Student Involvement, and Intercultural Student Life. Collaborations like the Alumni of Color Reception at Homecoming, International Student Hornet Huddles, and Food for the Soul allowed us to fuse career development into students’ experiences across campus.
Experiential Opportunities
Internships
Our reach also extends off campus. An accumulation of unspent stipend funds coupled with a new tiered system to maximize student access led to a record amount of over $100,000 disbursed in internship stipends to K students. 26 students (from 46 applicants) were selected to receive need- and location-based stipends for unpaid summer internships across the country and around the world.
Externships
We revived the donor-funded externship program, piloting an “externship trek” that combined elements of the externship program and career treks. 19 students participated in the Chicago Externship Trek, with alumni-hosted job shadows and networking opportunities, providing them with essential exposure to professional environments. Additionally, 2 students shadowed an alum working in UX at Accenture. 43% of participants in the externship program were first-generation college students.
Career Launch
Our commitment to career exploration also extended to our newly piloted Career Launch Internship Preparation Program (CLIPP) for first-generation college students. CLIPP successfully empowered 18 first-generation college students, 88% of whom are BIPOC, to proactively build professional relationships and explore career opportunities. Through CLIPP, 10 student participants secured paid summer internships or full-time positions after graduation.
Direct Service
This year, our student Career Ambassadors experienced a remarkable 73% increase in visits to the Career Studio, which moved to a new and more accessible space halfway through the year and began offering evening hours to accommodate busy student schedules. We provided individualized support through 385 career coaching appointments, where students received tailored guidance and strategic advice. The Career Studio also began offering professional headshots for students weekly in Winter and Spring terms, providing 51 students with high-quality photos for their professional profiles.
Pilot Class
During the winter and spring terms, the CCPD introduced a new partial unit PE/Wellness course called Design Your Path. Twenty-seven students participated in this opportunity to reflect on their K-Plan and explore pathways to meaningful next steps both in college and beyond. Learn more about the class and read testimonials from students.
EXTERNAL PARTNERSHIPS & SUPPORT
Alumni
Our alumni continued to be vital partners in our efforts to support students. This year, 158 alumni contributed to various programs and initiatives, including participating in Hornet Huddles, virtual career conversations with K students; hosting job shadow opportunities in Chicago; and attending networking events, or serving as speakers inside and outside the classroom. Students also reach out directly to alumni for individual career conversations, and they consistently report that these brief meetings are invaluable for their career exploration and decision-making.
Employers
We strengthened our relationships with employers with the continuation of our Employer Advisory Group, a selection of regional employer partners that offer insight into trends in recruitment, hiring, and employment, enriching the advice and resources we offer. Additionally, several employer partners provided in-person or virtual workshops for students, including Atomic Object, Charles Rivers, Comerica Bank, PNC, Stryker and Workday. These engagements continue to connect students directly with employers, providing not only company-specific information but also career development topics like personal branding, resume writing, and other critical first-job skills. We also collaborated with the Great Lakes Colleges Association to host two virtual career fairs this year, and provided transportation to Western Michigan University for their annual in-person career fairs.
Donors
Many CCPD services and opportunities for K students are only possible due to the generous support of alumni, parents and friends of the College. In addition to our anonymous supporters, we would like to acknowledge our gratitude to the following:
- Jack Lundeen ‘69 for his original vision to provide externship opportunities to K students and his continued support as we reimagine this key component of experiential learning for K students.
- Charles Zhang and Lynn Chen-Zhang for their generous contribution designated to provide unique on-campus opportunities for students to network with alumni and build confidence and connections with employer partners.
- All of our internship stipend donors, including:
- Alexandra Altman ’97 and Chris Altman ’97
- Tanya Cunningham ’82 and Jonathan Cunningham ’84
- Estate of Katherine E. Rakowsky ’81
- Susan Thoms ’70 and David Thoms ’70
- Additional Endowed Funds: Church, Fabrikal, Hoben, Judson Baptist, MacGregor, Merrill, Monroe Brown, and Xerox Kellogg
- We are particularly grateful to the anonymous donor who helped us envision and fund the Career Launch Internship Prep Program.
- And all those who have given to CCPD projects and programs, both large and small.
In their own words
Do you have a story to tell about your experience working with the CCPD? Share it with us!
Last autumn I began applying to graduate schools. During the beginning of the process, I was completely unsure of myself and daunted by the size of the task I was setting out to complete- until I began working with Richard Sylvester. Not only is Richard extremely knowledgeable about every question I asked, his personable demeanor helped me gain confidence during the process. After helping me edit draft after draft, I submitted documents I was proud of that ultimately got me into graduate school. During this coming autumn, I will begin earning my masters in English from Georgetown, which I have dreamt of attending for a very long time.
—Elizabeth Burton ’22
I returned from summer with just one quarter left before graduation, still unsure how to answer the dreaded question, “What are you doing after college?” That’s when Alex reached out to me. He emphasized the importance of supporting first-generation and BIPOC students like myself to build stronger resumes, expand our networks, and secure employment… Alex helped me articulate my strengths, prioritize goals, and develop clear, actionable objectives—all skills I continue to use post-graduation.
—Cesar Antonio Soria ’23
