Success for the Department of Social Work’s 2014 Volunteer and Career Fair!

On Wednesday, September 17, 2014, the Department of Social Work at NC State hosted the eagerly anticipated Volunteer/Career Fair. Every fall, the Social Work Department, in conjunction with local agencies and partners, hosts this event in order to provide students with a resource for connecting with community collaborators on a professional basis. Through this event, students were able to explore volunteer opportunities with the variety of  available campus and community partners where students could potentially volunteer or have an intern with during their Field semester. The Volunteer/Career Fair is an excellent resource that the Department of Social Work is proud to offer to not only Social Work students but the rest of the student body. The Department hosts such events in the hopes that that these opportunities could lead to formal internships and possibly even employment for Social Work majors and other students post-graduation.

The 2014 Volunteer/Career Fair was a great success, students and faculty attended as well as representation from over 40 agencies/campus partners. Many in attendance were first time attendees, which proved to be a great learning opportunity for both students and community collaborators.

This event was the first year since the new NC State Department of Social Work partnership with Shaw University. Organizer Barbara Zelter was incredibly proud of the blossoming partnership and  added that the Department “is always looking for ways to broaden partnerships in an effort to help match student/volunteers with partners” so it is a constantly “evolving process.”

Though the event has been traditionally housed in the Caldwell Hall Atrium, this year it was relocated to the beautiful new Talley Student Union Ballroom. Recently renovated and opened by the university, Zelter said the ballroom “provided an elegant and spacious layout for easy access to partners information tables.” Students noted how much more spacious and organized the event was, highlighting that the table layout allowed for much freer movement, conversation and networking. Attending students also felt that the new venue increased the feeling of professionalism at the Volunteer/Career Fair. Zelter added that the “agencies in attendance really appreciated the opportunity to showcase their available opportunities in such a nice space.”

Zelter worked diligently to ensure an enriching and engaging event for all involved. The Department of Social Work would like to express its gratitude for her hard work and the dedication of the organizations and volunteers. Two others who were instrumental in the successful hosting of the Volunteer/Career Fair were Social Work students Ashley Shaw and KaRonne Jones. Some members of the NC State men’s basketball team even extended their assistance at set-up and break down, and even a couple stated that they were considering a switch into a Social Work major.

Read the article written by Casey Oldham at Shaw University and the Technician.

To be included in the Department of Social Work newsletter 2015, edited by Paige Moore.