On January 25, 2022, at the Richmond Technical Center (RTC), 9th and 10th grade students learned about the online employment platform LinkedIn and began development of their own professional profiles through the Supporting Tech Achievement for Richmond Students (STARS) Career Coach program.
It is designed to bring engineering and banking experts into Richmond Public Schools using mentorship, content support and exploration activities to create pathways for students who are interested in careers in engineering and computer science. At left, VCU Engineering's Director of Outreach and Government Jenilee Stanley-Shanks, M.S.P.P. and Executive Director of Strategic Development Paul Rocheleau, M.B.A. speak with a STARS Career Coach program participant.
The LinkedIn Workshop was facilitated by VCU College of Engineering’s Career Services with the help of Laura Lemza, M.Ed. and Tonia Sharpe, M.Ed. They taught students the importance of maintaining a professional online presence.
Students also learned about networking and the difference between personal and professional information.
Afterwards, students had the opportunity to pose for professional portraits to start building their LinkedIn profiles. The afternoon concluded with a celebration ceremony to recognize students for completing the program.
The long-term goals of the STARS Career Coach program are to build on the success of this first program and to involve more students who are interested in pursuing STEM fields as future careers. Above, Keara Chambers, M.P.A., and Biomedical Engineering student Nick Kaviani are part of the VCU Engineering Outreach team who develops and facilitates these trainings.
