Learning doesn’t just happen in the classroom. In fact, for the past three years TU alumni have returned to campus to teach students the importance of soft skills. In their signature event, Skills to Pay the Bills, the CBE Young Alumni Advisory Council (YAAC) bring business partners and students together in interactive workshops to improve the skills students need to succeed outside of the classroom.
Patrick St. Clair ’16, chair of YAAC, introduced the Skills to Pay the Bills workshop series in 2019. He shared: “The event aims to accomplish three things. 1.) Show students how paramount these skills are to their personal and professional growth. 2) Provide opportunities for students to work on these skills with their peers and industry leaders. 3) Provide resources for students to continue growing those skills after the event ends.”
The successful series is always highly attended and popular with students. Topics include everything from conflict resolution and effective communication strategies to intrinsic motivation and, especially relevant today, tips for starting your career in a virtual world.
This year’s event, held on February 17, featured prominent business leaders whose presentations focused on timely and timeless topics:
- Kevin Stehl, VP of Business Intelligence at SECU, Getting Started in the Workplace: How to differentiate yourself in your first year as an Operations Professional
- Greg English, Executive Director at Morgan Stanley, Connecting for success in a virtual work environment
- Brandon Trissler, VP of Content and Marketing at RNL, Professional Persuasion Through Compelling Communication: Writing to Spur Action and Results
The series of workshops were attended by 66 students.
Read more from Patrick St. Clair’s interview.