Syracuse University student veterans pose for a group photo on the first day of the Office of Veteran and Military Affairs’ career immersion trip to Atlanta, Georgia.
Among the mass exodus of students leaving campus for spring break, eight student veterans from Syracuse University spent three days in Atlanta, Georgia. While their fellow classmates were in pursuit of leisure and relaxation during the time off from classes, these student veterans attended a career immersion trip hosted by the Office of Veteran and Military Affairs (OVMA).
Over the course of the trip, the students visited with representatives from some of the largest and most well-known businesses across a variety of industries throughout the Atlanta metro area. The OVMA Director of Veteran Career Services, Jennifer Pluta, organizes the trips twice a year, and military-connected students enrolled at Syracuse University can take advantage of the opportunity free of charge.
While on tour of the corporate headquarters for Delta Airlines, the students stop to take a group photo in a hot air balloon basket.
“These trips not only afford the student veterans an opportunity to speak with those who already made the career change transition from their military career to the corporate world, but it gives them an invaluable advantage with a chance to get their foot in the door after graduation,” says Pluta, who is also a Master Sergeant in the U.S. Army Reserve, where she serves as a senior command career counselor. “They’re meeting with leaders at these companies, and most of the time they’re receiving pitches about why they, as veterans, should consider working at these companies. As these students graduate and move into the labor market, they’re going to have a strong advantage over their competition.”
This trip marks the first time OVMA has organized a career immersion trip to Atlanta. Past trips have included places like New York City, Los Angeles and the nation’s capital in Washington, D.C. Atlanta, being a southern economic hub, is home to a variety of leading organizations like the Coca-Cola Company, United Parcel Services, Delta Airlines and Fiserv. While the city and the companies may change, the purpose of the trips are all the same–supporting Veteran Career Services’ goal of 100% job placement for Syracuse University’s student veterans.
“This trip was about growing confidence in the transferability of my knowledge, skills and abilities to the civilian workforce,” said Colleen Tripp, a part-time graduate student in instructional design, development and evaluation with the School of Education. “As a 17-year member of the New York Air National Guard, this trip allowed me to visualize myself working in a variety of post-military positions and how I could potentially contribute in a meaningful way after my military career,” says Tripp.
The group visits the Amazon Web Service office.
Tripp, who currently serves with the 174th Medical Group in Syracuse, N.Y., said one of the key takeaways from the week was discovering that she wants to continue working with veterans and service members in her post-military career. One of the highlights of the trip for Tripp was visiting the Warrior Alliance, a non-profit organization that focuses on providing support services to transitioning servicemembers.
“Each organization I met with had a different culture and battle rhythm, yet each company valued their employees and made huge efforts to take care of the whole person, not just the mission at hand,” says Tripp.
While each immersion trip is different, based on the availability of companies in the geographic area, the student veterans were able to visit and speak with the following companies while in Atlanta:
During the trip, the student veterans visited State Farm Arena, and later were able to enjoy watching the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks play against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
“I think my favorite part was the trip to Delta. Since I’m majoring in mechanical engineering, I was intrigued by their engineering department and how everyone there felt like a family. It was a fantastic company and hopefully, in the future, I’ll be able to intern for them,” said Jurgen Baeza, a U.S. Navy veteran who is currently enrolled as a first-year student with the College of Arts and Sciences.
“My goal for this trip was to see what sort of job opportunities are out there for veterans, and also to learn what the process was like for companies recruiting veterans after their time in service,” says Baeza.
Each year there’s also an opportunity for the student veterans to visit tourist and cultural sites, which is part of the immersive experience of the career immersion trips. In Atlanta, the students were treated to a game with the Atlanta Hawks, Atlanta’s professional NBA team, along with a tour of their home stadium, the State Farm Arena.
The OVMA’s next immersion trip will take place in the Fall semester of 2023. Those military-connected students who are interested in attending should visit Veteran Career Services to stay up to date on the latest opportunities available to them at Syracuse University.
