Applied Learning Showcase Shines Light on Grant Recipients

            

Students who have benefitted from the Career Development Center’s Applied Learning Grant funding were on hand at the Applied Learning Showcase April 25 to share how the program made a difference in their lives.

Morgan Pellerin, career counselor and applied learning specialist with the CDC, greeted some 50 faculty, staff and students at the fourth showcase, held in the Cardinal Lounge of the Angell College Center. This semester’s event featured 20 students who shared their experiences with internships, studying abroad, research and conference attendance, all of whom benefited either directly or indirectly from the grant, which is supported through the Plattsburgh College Foundation.

Part of Campus Plan

Since its inception, more than 70 students have been funded from more than $60,000 in grant money for travel, conference and program fees, housing and other support needed in order to have the experiential learning that is part of the campus plan.

“Applied learning is an umbrella term for out-of-classroom experiences,” Pellerin said. He said that SUNY Plattsburgh is one of only a few in the SUNY system to have this kind of program, “and it is open to every student on campus.”

Last year, the CDC implemented an internship shuttle, funded through Applied Learning Grant money, that transports students to their internships in the local area.

“The shuttle runs four routes each weekday and assisted 15 students throughout the semester,” Pellerin said. Several of the students speaking at the Thursday afternoon showcase told how having access to transportation locally is how they were able to have an internship experience.

Placement Three Miles Away

“I had two internships this year and used the internship shuttle for each one,” said Frances Hudlin, a fitness and wellness leadership major who is exploring a career in either physical therapy or chiropractic.

Her first placement was shadowing a physical therapist at the CVPH Wellness Center on New York Road, three miles away from campus. Her second placement was at Welcare Chiropractic at West Bay Plaza, which is two miles away. “The challenge was how am I going to get there? I have no car, I have no bike. And the cost of travel between the sites three to four times a week worked out to be quite expensive, especially as a student.”

Deki Namgyal, a business administration and global supply chain management major, interned at Swarovski, three miles from campus.

“I wouldn’t have been able to take the internship if it wasn’t for the internship shuttle,” she said.

Transportation Costs

Others benefitted from funds directly. Charles Olsen, an junior environmental studies major, interned at the New York League of Conservation Voters as a programs intern.

“I worked with the director of programs to compose weekly educational blog posts, draft grant proposals, perform social media analysis and research different topics of interest for New York state,” he said. “Four days each week, I would take the train into New York City, which ended up being an almost two-hour commute each day. I would not have been able to afford the commuting costs into the city if I didn’t receive the Applied Learning Grant.”

Having the chance to participate in an internship with the league gave him “practical knowledge about the work environment and the opportunity to make strong professional connections that will be very helpful in my future career,” Olsen said.

Conference Fees

Senior business administration, management and marketing major Sierenna Jarrett has a deep passion for beauty and turned that into a research opportunity, investigating business careers in the beauty industry.

She said there is a “high demand for influencer marketing and digital talent management in the beauty industry.” Influencer marketing is a form of marketing in which focus is placed on influential people rather than the target market as a whole on social media, identifying people who have influence over potential customers. Jarrett’s research led her to BeautyCon in New York City.

“BeautyCon is a big beauty convention where influencers get to connect with their fan base,” Jarrett said. “My goal was to network with the management teams that got them there.” Funding from the Applied Learning Grant enabled Jarrett to attend the con.

“I networked with so many influencers; I met a couple of management teams; and I met so many inspirational women who were all young entrepreneurs. Meeting all of these people furthered my dream to enter the influencer marketing field,” she said. “I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to connect with so many strong women because of the grant I received.”

Applied Learning Grants are funded each semester, including summer and winter sessions, Pellerin said. For information on applied learning and the Applied Learning Grant program, contact Pellerin at 518-564-2071, email [email protected] or visit https://www.plattsburgh.edu/plattslife/careers/applied-learning-and-internships.html.