More than 80 students from Georgia Gwinnett College (GGC) attended the recent Grizzly Networking Night, an event designed to connect students with area employers, alumni, and mentors. The gathering was organized by the college’s School of Business Administration (SBA) and School of Science and Technology (SST).
Ben Hines, program engagement associate at GGC and one of the event organizers, highlighted the importance of such events for student development. “Grizzly Networking Night helps students become comfortable in a professional setting, which is essential for career readiness,” Hines said. “It also strengthens our ties with local businesses and community partners who are eager to support GGC talent.”
Employers attending included Lydia Scherholz, recruiting coordinator at Majors Management. She noted that her company has previously hired both interns and full-time employees from GGC as a result of these networking opportunities. “We’ve hired multiple interns from GGC, and even hired some full-time after their graduation,” Scherholz said. “We really appreciate the events GGC hosts because it’s a way for us to meet students who are either ready to step into their career, or they’re freshmen or sophomores looking to build the confidence to eventually find that first internship.”
GGC alumnus Darrick Alvarez, now director of civic engagement at GALEO, an Atlanta-based nonprofit organization, spoke about his motivation for participating in Grizzly Networking Night. “During my time as a student, I felt GGC provided many opportunities to get to know local professionals and leaders and get us connected with Gwinnett County,” Alvarez said. “Now that I’ve graduated and I work in the county, I love to be able to come back to these events to meet other professionals and hopefully plug students into the work I’m doing.”
The event is part of Georgia Gwinnett College’s ongoing efforts toward student success and community involvement.
