Transcript
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[00:00:01.67] CARRIE COOPER: Officially launched in 2021, William & Mary's strategic plan, Vision 2026, tackles 21st century imperatives directly, expanding the university's reach in several key areas, data and computational sciences, water conservation, the history and future of democracy, and career pathways for graduates. My name is Carrie Cooper, Dean of University Libraries.
[00:00:25.37] GINGER AMBLER: And I am Ginger Ambler, Vice President for Student Affairs. As co-chairs of the Democracy Initiative at William & Mary, we are delighted to sponsor this Vision 2026 podcast. It is part of a special series designed to explore issues related to democracy, as well as the compelling ways democracy intersects with data, water, and careers.
[00:00:48.00] We welcome you and invite you to listen as leading researchers, teachers, students, and practitioners consider the critical pillars of William & Mary's strategic plan. This episode will focus on democracy and careers.
[00:01:04.89] EMILY TAVOULAREAS: Hi, I'm Emily Tavoulareas, Managing Chair of the Technology and Society Initiative at Georgetown University, also William & Mary alum class of '04.
[00:01:14.74] Welcome to our third iteration of the Democracy Initiative podcast. In past episodes, we've covered democracy and technology, democracy and elections, and civic engagement. Today we're going to be talking about democracy and careers. Why? What do careers have to do with democracy? Well, as it turns out, the values of democracy show up in our workforce, in our daily lives, and how we think and engage with others in the world.
[00:01:39.32] So, today, I'm thrilled to be speaking with Roxane Adler Hickey, Director of William & Mary's Washington Center, Mike Ryan, who leads Employment and Alumni Career Engagement for the business school, working mostly with graduate students. And Ally Swindell, a third-year student at William & Mary studying International Relations and currently interning at the Department of State.
[00:02:03.63] I want to kick things off with a landscape here of what's offered at William & Mary in the arena of careers. Roxane, you run William & Mary's Washington Center here in Washington DC and have been there in various roles as the center has evolved over the past 20-plus years. The center does an incredible job creating access to unique opportunities for students and exposing them to a global community.
[00:02:29.20] Can you tell us a bit about your role and how the center prepares students for the workforce?
[00:02:34.45] ROXANE ADLER HICKEY: Thank you so much. Working at the William & Mary Washington Center for almost two decades now, I can say easily that the beauty of the Washington Center is the connections that we are able to provide. We're a place where students can come together with faculty and a staff, our small team of the Washington Center, and most importantly, the huge alumni base that we have in DC.
[00:03:04.36] And, together, all of these groups are able to give students a chance to practice what they are learning in the classroom, to take the theory and turn it into opportunities to experience, how that's going to translate to their careers and their lives beyond William & Mary. And taking your learning outside of the classroom is not easy. It can be really eye opening and potentially challenging.
[00:03:32.03] And so the team of the Washington Center is here to support students on that journey, which we're able to do in a really personalized, individualized way. So when students decide that they want to spend a semester here, we have one of our team members who's able to help them think about the type of internship that might be right for them to find the right avenues to apply for those internships.
[00:03:57.07] Some students have a really clear path. And others are very open to what they want to do and need help to hone in on what that looks like.
[00:04:05.17] And then, throughout the journey, from applying to starting in that internship and then, even when challenges arise, being able to reflect on and think about those together in a cohort and with faculty and dedicated staff to help them do that, they are hopefully able to really think about how to translate that to after graduation, which is oftentimes a really big question mark.
[00:04:32.47] EMILY TAVOULAREAS: That's incredible. There's so much happening here. And I have noticed that around DC, there's an increasing presence of universities from outside of the region setting up offices in DC. And I'd love to hear you talk a little bit about the importance of being in DC. And then, what sets William & Mary apart from other universities with a footprint here?
[00:04:58.00] ROXANE ADLER HICKEY: It's a great question. And in 2001, when William & Mary opened our first door in DC, we knew we needed a presence here because of all of the institutions, and the people, and alumni who were here. This is where decisions are being made. This is where the heart of our nation is beating and where we needed to be. But we didn't even have a plan yet of what that would look like. And so that's evolved over the course of my time here.
[00:05:25.60] But I think what makes it important that we're here, again, are the people and the places, so that we're not just talking about them, we're bringing it to life for our students. It's really important to learn from faculty, who are really incredible at what they do. But it's also equally as important to try it out, to see it in practice, to learn from the people who are doing what you're learning about in your textbooks.
[00:05:49.45] And William & Mary has invested in this center. And we work closely with many of the other schools who have DC programs and DC offices. And William & Mary continues to be an example, a model for other institutions because of the way the university has invested in this place. We have this beautiful new physical presence, which is a place of belonging, of community, so people can interact, so we can have events where alumni and students and faculty are coming together.
[00:06:19.47] But it's also important because, then, students are able to network. And that's a big part of your career journey, whether it's specifically to work on the Hill, or if it's in law, or the arts. No matter what, you need a community. You need to be able to network with people so that when it is time to apply for jobs, each of your jobs along the way, you have a network of people to go back to.
[00:06:43.38] And William & Mary said, we're going to have faculty who teach. But we're also going to have a team of dedicated staff who live here and work here to be building those relationships and connections. And then we work really closely with the rest of the institution, as well. And those relationships are key to everything.
[00:06:59.76] And anyone who's had a career in Washington knows that that's how things happen, is through who and how you build those relationships. So William & Mary cares quite a lot about that. And we're a living example of our students being able to meet people, connect, build the relationship, and turn it into careers in a really personalized way.
[00:07:19.90] EMILY TAVOULAREAS: You said the word community to describe that. And I really want to pull that up, that so much of the advice students get is around networking and the building of those relationships. But it feels very transactional, often. And there's something about having a place that feels like a home base that is really powerful because then it's not a transactional relationship. It's a relationship rooted in something else. And that's really special.
[00:07:51.31] ROXANE ADLER HICKEY: I completely agree. And as a matter of fact, Ally and I just had a conversation on Wednesday night with a few of her classmates about that very thing, that the word networking can sound very cold, and forced, and not at all authentic.
[00:08:07.74] But when you think about it as relationship building-- and it can become that. And it is a natural part of your community here with people who help you do it. You're not just on your own, introducing yourselves blindly, but being able to have someone make the introduction because they know you. They're a part of this community really rings true.
[00:08:25.43] EMILY TAVOULAREAS: Yeah, absolutely. I mean, I think back on my career. It's 20-plus years at this point. And the people-- my first stop when I have a question, when I need to run something by someone, when I need advice, it's people who I've been in the proverbial trenches with who I know I can lean on for an honest answer, as well. And that also comes from how you walk through your career and how you show up in a space.
[00:08:56.22] And I think so much of what we're talking about here today is connected to that, how we live, the Democratic values and principles that we're talking about and how we carry them with us.
[00:09:08.63] Mike, I have the same question for you. You lead Employer and Alumni Engagement and Careers at the business school, working mostly with graduate students. I know there are countless programs available to students. Tell us a bit about your role, your work, and how the business school prepares students for the workforce.
[00:09:28.11] MIKE RYAN: Great, well thanks, Emily, for having me today. Yeah, well, I have the honor to connect with so many of our amazing corporate partners, employer partners, and alumni in support of our students. But when you think about that question, I think it really starts with President Roe and our leadership's commitment to William & Mary's Vision 2026, as it really sets the foundation for everything we do.
[00:09:49.68] And if you look at goal two, it's educate for impact. And one of those is create meaningful pathways for career success and ensure lifelong success. And that's really what it's all about in the Career Center. And it starts with our four cornerstones. And one of them is career. When you think about data, water, democracy, career, we've said at the highest level at William & Mary that careers matter to us and to our students. So we believe that in the Career Center.
[00:10:17.39] So, in particular, in the Mason School, our Graduate Career Management Center, as well as our Office of Career Development Professional Engagement, we are one team. We believe in one William & Mary. We all have programs, technology, events, and networks that support our students. And we truly believe in a high-touch approach. I think that's what sets us apart.
[00:10:37.68] For us in the Mason School and the Graduate Career Management Center, some of our distinct programs is our Summer Start Up. So we connect with students right when they come on board with resume prep, interview prep, discovery. We also have an executive partner program which is a true differentiator for us in the business school. And these are retired executives that live in Williamsburg that are there as mentors to support our business school students. So we're very proud of that.
[00:11:02.17] And then, finally, our MBA career course is called Charting Your MBA Career. I think that's a true differentiator for us because we've aligned career with the curriculum, which I think is very important in everything we do. And when you think about technology, I talked a little bit about technology earlier.
[00:11:17.46] One Network was just rolled out. William & Mary's One Network was really a gateway for students and alumni to connect. And it's been so valuable. Think LinkedIn for William & Mary.
[00:11:29.50] Finally, one theme that resonates with us is "own your career path." And our Associate Dean, Ken White, always talks about, own it. And we really believe in everyone needs to own their career path. We're there to support you from a Career Center standpoint. It's a team sport. But we believe in communication, appearance, substance, initiative, and the details all are all part of taking ownership of your career path. And we really value that theme in everything we do.
[00:11:59.39] EMILY TAVOULAREAS: Thank you. Ally, you are a third-year student here at William & Mary and currently at the Washington Center. I understand you arrived at William & Mary sight unseen, which I absolutely love.
[00:12:13.06] And, today, as I've gotten to know you, it's clear that you have found your groove. You've found a path here. And I'd love to hear about your experience here at William & Mary. How did you get to where you are today? And are there any specific programs or offerings at William & Mary that you have found especially valuable in this journey?
[00:12:34.93] ALLY SWINDELL: Absolutely, so I'm originally from Bentonville, Arkansas. I was not at all familiar with William & Mary. I applied in December of my senior year, still not knowing very much about it, got accepted, thanks to the Monroe Scholar Program. I found out a bit earlier I got some extra day for admitted student sessions because this was 2021 when I graduated. So everything was virtual.
[00:12:58.91] And after many, many Zoom calls, of watching, for example, Professor Kaplow do an example lecture on the Iran nuclear deal or learning about research opportunities at the Global Research Institute and other opportunities there, as well as the Washington Center, of course, I decided that William & Mary was the fit.
[00:13:17.39] My parents turned to me and they said, we can go visit before you decide. And I said, I feel good. I think we're good. And everyone thought I was crazy because I am very organized. And even my friends, knowing me a year in at William & Mary, turned to me and said, I can't believe you did that. I cannot believe you did not come, knowing me better at that point.
[00:13:38.25] But, yeah. I showed up two days before orientation on campus and hoped for the best, terrified. But I moved into Monroe Hall and went random roommate. And she was lovely. And it worked out great. I immediately met people and felt a sense of community that was different. And I think that's what I sensed on those initial Zoom calls, was that sense of warmth, as well as opportunity available, the sense of wanting to get to know each other if the people on the call were not already familiar with each other. That was unique.
[00:14:10.07] So I came and I decided that if my parents were going to send me this far-- most people in my family don't leave the state-- it was my turn to take the reins. And they trusted me fully, even though we didn't know what international relations would exactly mean. But I hoped it would be everything that Model United Nations taught me it was.
[00:14:30.22] But, yeah, I initially joined. I did Model United Nations. I met a lot of upperclassmen who helped show me the path and show me potential opportunities. I didn't know that there were internships at the State Department I had watched Madam Secretary but that was about it-- and just like many of the other state interns, loved that show.
[00:14:47.29] But I think that being able to meet my peers helped me guide to the path where I started working at the Global Research Institute, working at AidData in January of my freshman year, which I continued there until May of my sophomore year. I rose up the ranks to Management Research Assistant, worked on tons of data, learned a lot, presented the research to some of my peers. It was a great opportunity.
[00:15:09.87] And then, moving on, I worked at the Army War College remotely that next summer and got the opportunity to go back to the summer camp back in Arkansas with Model United Nations kids and be a counselor at the camp that gave me my start, at the University of Central Arkansas, which was an amazing opportunity to close that book on where I began. But, yeah. So I did that.
00:15:32.07] And then last semester, I got to take advantage of William & Mary's Study Abroad opportunities. I studied at Oxford University at Hartford College with our semester program there. Lovely people and I learned a lot about how to be an academic and how to be worldly, considering I had next to no international experience. My only international experience was three days in Montreal prior with the Model United Nations team at William & Mary.
[00:15:54.62] So considering that, I was able to then come and apply to the State Department, it was actually my third application, persistence pays off, as my coworkers have also agreed. And now I'm in my eighth week of ten. And I have learned a lot and gotten a lot of support from the Washington Center along the way, and Roxane, and Sarah DeVellis, and all the rest of the team. And so I'm grateful to be here and excited to see what comes next.
[00:16:22.80] EMILY TAVOULAREAS: Ally, that's incredible. I'm especially intrigued by the fact that you came in knowing what you wanted to do. And I'm so curious, having had some experience in high school with international relations through the Model UN, coming in with that clarity of direction and purpose, what did you find on campus was valuable to helping you get to this internship that you're in? And how if and how it prepared you for your time there.
[00:16:51.64] ALLY SWINDELL: Yeah, I think that goes back to that community piece. A lot of the people that were instrumental in getting me to this point were fellow students, looking up to upperclassmen and asking them questions.
[00:17:02.28] And they sat me down and said, these are the things to keep in mind if you want to pursue a career in this field. And they helped connect me with people. And I know, even watching sometimes their LinkedIns and hearing about their experiences and knowing, oh, you worked at this research lab.
[00:17:17.82] And I took it one step at a time. I had an ultimate end goal of hoping and a dream to intern at State, eventually. But I knew that could very well not happen. So it was very much just taking the next right step. And so taking student's advice and, for example, AidData, it was also my second application. So learning more about the research lab, being ready to apply again, and then once I did it, I learned how valuable it was and took advice from some of my peers.
[00:17:43.63] In addition, then, first applications for State, I went to the Career Center. I had them look over my resume. I asked them questions about the internships. I scheduled a meeting.
[00:17:52.24] And I said, when is the window for this open? How do I do that? What is the best way to go about it? How do I do a federal resume for this? And asked the pointed questions, as well as going on the website and filling out the interest form for my diplomat in residence for the Central South was very useful because then they had Zoom calls, instructional things. The State Department has a lot of resources for that that I would like to plug here.
[00:18:15.95] But, in addition, having them look over my resume, and I also had a fellow student look at my application. The first time it didn't work. But it did give me an opportunity to see techniques and strategies to improve it for the future. So then, when I did finally apply the successful time, I took back what he had told me and some of my other fellow students and because he had worked at an embassy. And he had understood how that worked.
[00:18:40.88] So I think that community piece where it's a very supportive environment where people want to see each other succeed was crucial.
[00:18:46.81] EMILY TAVOULAREAS: Yeah, and having those people that you can reach out to bounce ideas off of to soundboard things with, I love that.
[00:18:54.05] Is there anything in particular any of you would recommend to current or incoming students based on your experiences from where you are that you think, coming onto campus, students should just really make an effort to either engage with or look into?
[00:19:09.85] MIKE RYAN: Yeah, I can take that. William & Mary was for me a transformational experience. And I'm sure you heard from Ally, it's certainly that for her, as well. I think she mentioned it. I think you want to be able to be prepared to take advantage of your resources that are available to you.
[00:19:27.44] One is the Career Center. We talked about careers earlier. We have a wonderful career staff that are there to support our students. And I think that's critical to make sure you're leveraging those resources, your faculty.
[00:19:40.43] And then the network, tapping in and building that network is going to take time. But it is all about relationship building. Roxane, you mentioned that, as well.
[00:19:48.28] You don't necessarily want to build your network when you need it. You want to start building the relationship and getting to know someone in a two-way situation. So then, eventually, when you may need that connection to get in the door of an organization you're interested in, people know you and they advocate for you and can be a champion for your career.
[00:20:05.96] So I would say, definitely leverage your resources. It's an incredible place. It's very unique. And there's so many people, faculty, programs that are there to support you. So definitely jump in.
[00:20:20.57] EMILY TAVOULAREAS: Thank you. So I want to build on this point on resources here because there's so much happening at William & Mary. And a lot of what William & Mary excels in and really stands out with is its experiential and applied learning. And as I think everyone can agree, learning by doing is really powerful. And that's especially true in times of massive change like the time that we're living through right now.
[00:20:49.49] Universities everywhere exploring ways to provide their students with opportunities to really get their hands dirty. So I want to talk a little bit more about what's happening here at William & Mary because it is really a lot. Ally, I want to start with you here.
[00:21:06.30] While immersive and experiential learning are really all the rage these days, it seems like William & Mary has really been walking the walk in a different way. You touched on this with the experience that you shared with us. Can you tell us a little bit more about your experience with applied learning here and how that experience has prepared you for the workforce?
[00:21:34.06] ALLY SWINDELL: Yeah, I think this internship, in particular, I have learned a lot of the unspoken things-- and maybe not topic-related things that, because I'm not exactly sure what region I want to focus on, if I will in the future.
[00:21:47.31] But I think a lot of the ways that the department works, understanding the hierarchy, understanding how papers are formatted because it is very specific, working with other interns, learning from them and their opportunities that they're pursuing. I think that there have been so many little things that have really made the difference in how I will pursue my future, as well as learning from my coworkers, getting coffee, getting lunch, asking them about their paths, and learning about, talking about options for graduate school, talking about options for next steps.
[00:22:19.94] How to best apply, when to consider joining certain options, I think that these are all important things. And I think that you don't necessarily get that unless you make your way into the building.
[00:22:31.13] EMILY TAVOULAREAS: Are there any resources or opportunities you wish you had known about earlier?
[00:22:36.08] ALLY SWINDELL: I think for me, I wish someone had, day one, said join the email lists, all of them on campus. I think, obviously, not all but there are so many relevant ways to find out information. There's so many internships listed in these listservs. There are so many opportunities hidden in there. And you need to check your email and read all of them.
[00:22:56.39] I was pretty diligent freshman year. But I still think there could have been more progress, made even joining the Global Research Institute's email list is invaluable for opportunities because you never know when things come up. And it's good to know as soon as you can.
[00:23:09.99] EMILY TAVOULAREAS: You've mentioned the Global Research Institute a few times. Can you tell us a little bit more about it?
[00:23:14.96] ALLY SWINDELL: Absolutely, so the Global Research Institute at William & Mary is led by Professor Mike Tierney. And it is a group of student and faculty led research labs that has tons of different focuses.
[00:23:26.84] I, in particular, used to work at AidData, in particular the Chinese development finance team otherwise known as TUFF, which tracks funds from Chinese government sources abroad and gives valuable data to open source so other governments, our government, and the public, so that we have a better understanding of what's going on. And they also do so for other countries, as well. And they have been expanding their work greatly.
[00:23:54.87] Other research labs focus on all kinds of issues. But it's a great opportunity for students to get in on the ground level and get that expertise. I know for me, it has proven useful in my work, even just having the context of knowing what's going on in the region.
[00:24:08.85] EMILY TAVOULAREAS: That's incredible. Roxane, you wrote your dissertation on experiential learning. And I'd love for you to just indulge me for a moment. How do you define experiential learning? And then I'd love to hear more about your dissertation. What was it? What was it about?
[00:24:26.30] ROXANE ADLER HICKEY: So we've touched on it pretty much in everything that we've spoken about so far. And whether you're calling it applied learning or active learning, even authentic learning, or a high impact practice, the idea of experiential learning is just as you said, learning by doing. And the idea goes back, certainly, more than 100 years.
[00:24:47.60] But where you're taking learning beyond the classroom and applying it, so theory into practice. And in my dissertation, I used Kolb's four-stage learning cycle, which is more details than you need to know. But the idea is that you have this concrete experience, in this case, the internship or in Ally's case, specifically, the State Department.
[00:25:12.80] And then you pause to reflect on it. And this is where having connected academic curriculum, faculty, and staff who connect with students is really, really important because that's where you begin to really think about, as you said, some of the mistakes that you might make or why the third time around your application worked and not the others, so a really structured opportunity to reflect on that experience.
[00:25:35.69] And then you make connections. You draw some conclusions. You make a plan of attack to experiment and try it again. And you go through that cycle over and over and over during the course of a semester or a summer internship.
[00:25:49.77] So when I decided to write my dissertation on experiential learning, I used one of the Washington Center programs, specifically, our DC Summer Institute, which is just like Ally's semester program, a little bit shorter in the summer. But it has academics. It has internships. It has the faculty piece. It has alumni relationships and networking. And it's a cohort model, so intentionally bringing in community.
[00:26:15.87] And so I studied 10 years of Summer Institute students. And I basically want to ask them how their participation in that program helps them achieve career readiness.
[00:26:27.65] Career readiness is another term we use a lot at William & Mary or in higher education right now. And we work really closely with the National Association of Colleges and Employers Definition and their framework for career readiness, which is basically the foundation that says, based on what employers are telling us, these are the competencies you need to be able to show a potential employer that you are ready to succeed in the workplace.
[00:26:55.46] And these competencies, Ally, you just mentioned one. You said those unspoken things that you learned, well, that's professionalism. That's one of the eight competencies. And it can be really hard. Some people call them soft skills. But the idea is those unspoken soft skills, those professionalisms that you really can't think about or consider until you're in there doing it, so I use those competencies as my framework.
[00:27:21.77] But, basically, what I heard from students at the end is overall, yes, students are experiencing increased career readiness as a result of their participation. And there's some specific nuances and groups within that where students were especially able to develop that.
[00:27:39.04] But the number one competency they developed was professionalism, followed by communication. And of all the pieces of the program, it was the internship, followed by opportunities for reflection, that allowed students to do that. So this isn't complicated or hard to do. But it's a matter of being intentional, of carving out the time, and, again, individualized approach.
[00:28:03.60] One thing I didn't ask was about the cohort model. And it came up over and over and over, that sense of community.
[00:28:11.82] The informal reflections were also one of the biggest pieces that students found so valuable, that not only are you reflecting with your faculty about your experiences, talking about the hard things, making those connections, and trying again, but on your way home from work on the metro, or back in your student apartments when you're making dinner, or taking a break, that those informal conversations where you can talk about the things that are hard and you're experiencing really are able to come together.
[00:28:39.19] So the Washington Center and my dissertation will always be very closely linked. But I'm grateful for the opportunity to have been able to speak with so many students who did some surveys. But I had 30 different interviews. And the information that those students shared with me was just so valuable. And I'm grateful to all of them for giving us the data we needed to figure out if what we hoped was happening really, in fact, was happening.
[00:29:04.77] EMILY TAVOULAREAS: And when was that? When was that research done?
[00:29:09.57] ROXANE ADLER HICKEY: Only two years ago.
[00:29:11.91] EMILY TAVOULAREAS: That's amazing. So I'm especially intrigued by this because that corresponded with the pandemic--
[00:29:18.15] ROXANE ADLER HICKEY: Mhm.
[00:29:18.78] EMILY TAVOULAREAS: -- a bit, sort of coming out of the pandemic. Can you share a bit about if you have any observations about pre pandemic and post pandemic relationships to this?
[00:29:33.81] ROXANE ADLER HICKEY: What I will say is less a result of my research and more anecdotal from our interactions with students here is that coming out of pandemic, a lot of internships stayed remote and virtual. And I'm saying this with air quotes that you can't see.
[00:29:51.03] But a virtual experience is really hard to wrap your brain around because, how do you see what those soft skills are that you need? You can't. You can't see them from the other side of the computer. How do you build authentic relationships and listen to people's stories at the coffee break when you don't have that? And so, for those first few moments of pandemic, we didn't have it at all. And then some places started coming back in person.
[00:30:21.69] But still there are places that are either hybrid or totally remote. And if that's where you want to work, you're going to take that internship, whether you prefer to be remote or in person. But it's really hard to develop the skills in the same way. And it's unfortunate that that's where we've landed, I think, for these students.
[00:30:39.69] On the other hand, it is where we are now. And so a student should get the opportunity to figure out if that's the type of job they want. And if it's not, well, that's really good information to have on anything you experience in an internship.
[00:30:53.83] All of those hard things have support. You don't have to go through them that long. You can make the mistakes because we're here as your backup. So if you take a remote internship or a hybrid internship and you say, well, that part of it was absolutely terrible and I can't do that. Well, great, because now you're not going to apply for a job that's remote. You've learned that piece of information. And the same goes for anything that you're testing out in the workplace.
[00:31:16.76] EMILY TAVOULAREAS: Yeah, it echoes some conversations I've been having recently with people in the field of law who are observing that the more junior-level lawyers in their firms are not able to absorb information in the same way and build skills in the same way when they are not in the office.
[00:31:40.04] So the hybrid environment, I think a lot of different workplaces are struggling with a very similar thing, where people at the mid and senior levels are benefiting from the hybrid environment while junior-level people coming in are, number one, not absorbing information.
[00:32:00.74] And number two, those organizations are probably going to find down the road that the people who are rising in the ranks and progressing in their careers have not absorbed either the culture, or the skills, or the norms, or whatever is important to them to be able to be effective, to be effective in that environment.
[00:32:19.13] And it's really, it's less of a point and more of an observation that I have now heard this on the business side. I've heard it on the law side. And I'm curious, Mike, what you're seeing in that space? I know business schools are fundamentally shaped quite differently. So, one, does this hybrid tension show up in the business school? And how? And how does the business school think about all of this?
[00:32:49.16] MIKE RYAN: Yeah, yeah, it's a great question. In 2020, the landscape completely changed. We call it the virtual career shift. And students were searching for internships in a different way. And companies were looking for talent in a different way, not only the interview process but how they were working on a daily basis, too.
[00:33:09.15] When I think about applied learning, experiential learning, I truly believe it's all about direct experience, active engagement, and the most important thing is reflection. Former Dean Pulley, Larry Pulley of the business school, talked a lot about bringing business to the business school. And I truly believe that is really what experiential learning means to us.
[00:33:29.43] I love the quote. And I can't remember who it is. I want to say it's Ben Franklin. But it's tell me and I may forget. Teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn. And that's really the essence of applied learning and experiential learning. We use those terms interchangeably. But when people think experiential learning-- and Ally talked about it-- is research, study abroad, internships, and externships.
[00:33:53.44] But our approach is a little different in the business school where we, as I mentioned before, want to bring business into the business school, a lot of ways we do that. And it's not only on the grad side. But it's on the undergrad side, too.
[00:34:04.75] It's through programs like capstones and field consultancies, where companies will come and bring a problem to the classroom. A group of students, whether it be undergrads or grads, will work on that problem in partnership with a faculty member and then brief that back out to senior leadership of an organization. So we do that in the MBA side through field consultancies, through our masters in Business Analytics program, through capstones. And the undergrad programs do that a lot, as well.
[00:34:31.25] Another thing we're proud of, too, on the MBA side is our Sprint Week, where we really shut down classes. There's no class. And we bring a problem and a project to a group of MBA students, might be something on the lines of maybe crisis management. And they're posed with a problem. And they have to solve that problem together in a group of five to seven students and then present that problem back out to an executive might be visiting for that week. So we do that twice a year in the fall end of semester. And it's been a big differentiator for us, as well.
[00:35:02.01] We also do global immersions. And then on the undergrad side, they do a great job on the Wall Street treks. They actually have a Charlotte trek coming up here in May. So I really believe we do it better than anyone.
[00:35:12.32] I mentioned internships. I think we'd be remiss if we did not mention that we are Princeton Review's number one in internships in the nation for two years in a row. I mean, that's an incredible accolade. We're also--
[00:35:26.33] EMILY TAVOULAREAS: Mike, that is that the business school alone? Or is that all of William & Mary?
[00:35:30.08] MIKE RYAN: That's all William & Mary.
[00:35:30.88] EMILY TAVOULAREAS: That's amazing.
[00:35:31.65] MIKE RYAN: Yeah, I mean, so you can say that we-- and when you look at William & Mary Vision 2026, that we care about careers. But we walk in the walk with that, as well. That shows that our students are finding opportunities.
[00:35:44.19] And I want to mention, as well, I mentioned the Office of Career Development Professional Engagement. We're talking about investing in the resources that students should take advantage of. We have an Applied Learning and Internship team within the Office of Career Development Professional Engagement. And their job is focused just on that, supporting students finding internships from all different industries, functions.
[00:36:08.29] We actually also have the Fuse program, which is our fund for unpaid and underfunded student experiences. So if you're any student and want to go and work in any capacity and it happens to be unpaid, we have funding that's available to you so you can always have a paid opportunity at William & Mary. So if you seek that out, you will find it.
[00:36:27.48] And at the end of the semester, students have the opportunity to present, as part of this symposium, that talk about their internship experience. And the Cohen Center and the Office of Career Development Professional Engagement put that on, too.
[00:36:42.26] I really believe that we do it better than anyone. And when you talk about learning, as well, it's unique, too, in the business school in particular. We're number one in learning. So I talked about the different ways of learning. Experiential learning is part of that.
[00:36:56.06] It's not only the wonderful faculty we have but Bloomberg Businessweek for two years in a row, we're number one in learning in the business schools. What does that say? That says the students experience, and the faculty and everything, how they're teaching has been a strong success. And others, outward organizations, are noticing it, as well.
[00:37:16.77] EMILY TAVOULAREAS: Now what really stands out to me here is that I think it's very easy for institutions to say the words, much harder to invest and do the work and to empower the people in your institution to really move the bar on these issues that everyone cares about. But the question is, how does it show up? How does it show up on the campus?
[00:37:40.76] So much of career paths from my observation has really started to shift towards tech. A lot of my own students are very interested in how their careers can evolve either alongside or in the tech industry. And STEM fields, overall, have gained momentum across the board. As that's been happening, it seems a bit like the value of Liberal Arts education is lost in all of that.
[00:38:17.07] And I think the importance of Liberal Arts education is something that I really want to pull into the conversation here. John Henry Newman, a 19th-century theologian, wrote, "If then a practical end must be assigned to a university course, I say it is that of training good members of society. Its art is the art of social life. And its end is fitness for the world." How does a liberal arts education prepare students for the future?
[00:38:49.19] MIKE RYAN: I'll jump in. I think from a business school perspective. And just William & Mary, in general, we talk a lot about this. Our Dean, Todd Mooradian, talks about the power of the Renaissance education and how we are developing T-shaped leaders.
[00:39:06.07] And what we talk about a lot is the ability to have the depth and breadth of many different backgrounds and subject-matter expertise, but also be able to dive deep in a certain skill set. And I believe we do that better than anyone and that one of those skill sets is the analytic piece. So we're rolling out programs that are tech focused.
[00:39:26.08] People, traditionally, many years ago, didn't think of William & Mary for technology. Well, that has changed. If you think about back to the cornerstones I talked about earlier, data is one of our four cornerstones. So we're investing in programs and new programs that are focused on tech. So I definitely think the power of the Renaissance education, the liberal-arts background, combined with this T-shaped leader approach, is really a differentiator in the marketplace right now.
[00:39:53.10] ROXANE ADLER HICKEY: I will add from a perspective at the Washington Center that so many of our students are deciding to go into democracy-related careers. But even those who aren't are finding a need for those democratic values in the workplace that we started this whole conversation, that they need to be able to engage in civil discourse. They need to be able to disagree, have hard conversations.
[00:40:20.70] And you do that, obviously, through relationships. We've talked about that a little bit. But being able to listen and going back to our career-readiness competencies, communicate with people and have those really hard conversations requires you to be thoughtful. It requires you to have a wealth of information from a lot of subjects.
[00:40:43.11] But it requires you to have really been pushed and challenged along the way in a lot of topics that you may not have been an expert in and may never be but be able to listen and have those conversations. And I think that's something that William & Mary students are taught exceedingly well, maybe drilled over and over in a variety of different interdisciplinary ways.
[00:41:05.14] And that's why the liberal arts, that's why higher education matters so much. And even as this landscape is changing, technology also a competency. Those things go hand in hand. We can no longer have one without the other. Communication and technology are one and the same now. And so our students know that. And liberal arts students are given an opportunity to think about things that they've never thought about in ways that they've never thought about. And that matters in the workplace.
[00:41:34.11] ALLY SWINDELL: I would say there is a reason that, as a tour guide for the undergraduate admissions office, that one of my favorite stops is the academic stop, where we get to talk about the COLL curriculum that William & Mary provides. I think the way that we have it set up gives students the opportunity to explore different avenues while still staying true to their own interests.
[00:41:53.14] I know for me that has included pursuing courses in classics, art history, examining those different topics. And I think even at Oxford, I took a tutorial on Early Modern European Court Culture and Art because as the daughter of an etiquette teacher and someone who has worked in an art museum and loves that side of things, it allowed me to explore that while also taking tutorials on so-called relevant topics for my major.
[00:42:21.30] I think that being able to explore those different avenues while pursuing a path, one allows students to find the path if they are not quite sure of what they want to pursue. And, two, for those who do, allows them to pursue other avenues that will still make them a more well-rounded individual and will better prepare them for the workforce because work is not just the topics that you're focused on. It is a whole range of things that come up. And you never know when your specific expertise or interests will come in handy.
[00:42:48.44] EMILY TAVOULAREAS: So well said. Do any of you have advice for incoming or current students that you want to add here?
[00:42:56.23] ALLY SWINDELL: I think my advice-- and I say this on tours-- is to dive right in. When you arrive, you are guided along through orientation by enthusiastic orientation aids. You hopefully are surrounded by a supportive community in your hall. It is very easy to start building those connections.
[00:43:14.24] And, I think, also start asking upperclassmen questions. People are always willing to talk about what they're interested in. I know I've personally served to connect some of my younger friends with peers who are in the subjects that they're interested in who've taken classes on topics such as like geospatial analysis or worked at other labs in the Global Research Institute that I can't speak to as well. And even that builds those networks for people to begin finding opportunities that suit them.
[00:43:39.25] So ask questions, engage with upperclassmen because the value of William & Mary is the people that it brings.
[00:43:45.88] MIKE RYAN: I touched on a little earlier. And I'll keep it succinct. I mean, I really believe to Ally's point, leverage the resources. We mentioned that over and over but start early, jump in early, right when you get there. Make those connections. Seek out your career advisor. Seek out the resources at the Career Center. They're so valuable.
[00:44:04.03] I always talk to students. And if I hear a student that hasn't stopped by and visited the team over there, I'm like, wow, you've got to take advantage of that. They're there for you. And they're incredible at what they do. So leverage your resources.
[00:44:17.69] And then we mentioned it, as well, start to build your network right when you get there. And it starts with your classmates. Your classmates stay with you forever. They become part of your strongest network. I mean, we talk about that with MBA students, as well, when they're in these cohort, tackling problems for our corporate partners.
[00:44:33.91] And then they're out there in the real world, some of their best networks to the next job is through classmates, but also through alumni and faculty and all the wonderful resources that are available to you at William & Mary.
[00:44:46.46] ROXANE ADLER HICKEY: And I will only add that, at William & Mary, inclusivity and belonging are really important values to us, and finding ways to create access to all of these opportunities in an equitable way is really, really important.
[00:45:06.72] So for those of us who do have the information of being intentional and sharing that with all of our communities, of finding ways to help bring the voices of our fellow classmates to the table whenever we can about sharing those opportunities with them, that we're going to work really hard at William & Mary, again, that personalized approach to find resources so that every student can access all of these amazing things that we're talking about.
[00:45:35.13] But if we have the information, we need to share the information. And that's how we continue to have a community that really cares about one another in this place of belonging.
[00:45:45.86] EMILY TAVOULAREAS: Belonging, community, connection, engagement, these are words that have come up consistently throughout our conversation. And I think it just is so beautifully sums up what makes William & Mary really special, not just on this topic but on everything. And as an alum, I am just so thrilled that so many years later, that is still the case.
[00:46:09.50] I'm sure we could keep talking about all of this for several more hours. But I want to be respectful of your time. Thank you so much for joining us, Roxane, Mike, Ally, I really appreciate your time and your perspective.
[00:46:21.63] MIKE RYAN: Thank you.
[00:46:22.34] ALLY SWINDELL: Thank you.
[00:46:22.98] MIKE RYAN: Enjoyed it.
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