by Clay Skipper, BA’12

In March, just as winter was thawing and giving way to warmer weather, a group of 20 Vanderbilt University freshmen and sophomores were in the middle of spring break – something you wouldn’t have guessed at first glance.

Instead of donning trunks and sandals, they’d swapped their backpacks and Vanderbilt hoodies for business attire and headed north to New York City, resumes in hand. Half of the group was downtown, heading to the Goldman Sachs trading floor after a morning at Wells Fargo. Ten of their classmates were further up town, dressed not so much casually as fashionably, and preparing to take one Entering the conference room overlooking the Hudson River at the L’Oreal offices in the Hudson Yards building.

This was the first of two days these enterprising Commodores would spend in New York City as part of a trip designed to help them reflect on and prepare for their careers. The field trip was just one of several opportunities during the semester in New York City, Miami, Houston and Atlanta. These cities have one common denominator: They are home to a regional hub at Vanderbilt. The hubs are key to one of Vanderbilt’s most important initiatives: expanding the school’s footprint beyond the Nashville campus.

“Several years ago, our provost and chancellor asked us to explore innovative ways to feel more part of the communities we serve,” says Doug Christiansen, vice provost for enrollment affairs. “First we had to find out where these communities were located. So we researched: Where do our students find jobs? Where do our students apply from? Where are our alumni friends and donors? We ultimately narrowed down about 10 choices to New York, South Florida, Houston and Atlanta, and the hubs were created.”

For current Vanderbilt students – like those on the spring break trip – the hubs can assist with job placement and help future graduates find potential internships and eventual careers in America’s major cities. But the hubs serve many other purposes. They can serve as a starting point for the university to build relationships with prospective students or reestablish relationships with Vanderbilt alumni who may have lost touch.

“Working from New York gives me the unique opportunity to cultivate deeper and more substantive relationships with our corporate partners,” said Andrea DiMarco, director of corporate partnerships at the New York hub. “This dynamic allows us to accompany students throughout their entire Vanderbilt journey – from their initial interest in Vanderbilt, through their hands-on learning and internship experiences, to their transition as engaged Vandy alumni who continue to contribute their time, talent and value afford.”

Each of the hubs has four staff members working full-time in three areas: enrollment, career advancement and alumni relations. At many schools, these departments are isolated from each other, but not at Vanderbilt’s headquarters. Tim Paul, who works in the NYC Hub’s alumni relations department, could arrange a meeting with Vanderbilt alumni who work at a consulting firm to talk about that company recruiting more Vanderbilt graduates. Through this conversation, Paul may learn that a graduate knows a 16-year-old who wants to apply to Vanderbilt. Paul is able to easily connect this student with the admissions representative at the hub – reinforcing Vanderbilt’s ethos of excellent customer service and adding local flavor.

In doing so, the hubs further Vanderbilt’s initiative to be a student-centered institution – something that Nicole Molina, director of regional student admissions engagement at the New York hub, emphasizes when she visits high schools to recruit future Commodores.

“It’s not just about the student getting into college,” she says. “It’s about supporting the student as a fully-fledged adult. We’re going to make sure that when they see Vanderbilt, they understand that we don’t just want kids to apply to the institution. We will take care of them. They will be part of our community.”

Expand opportunities and connections

The 20 students on this alternative spring break trip are divided into two areas: finance/business and fashion/beauty. You’ll visit the offices of some of the industry’s biggest players and meet with a group of current employees who are Vanderbilt alumni. It benefits first- and second-year students by helping them make connections that could help them find a summer internship or job after graduation. It also benefits companies by giving them access to a larger pool of high-performing employees.

“There is no fashion design major at Vanderbilt,” Molina says. “But that doesn’t mean that students’ opportunities to be present and make a difference are limited. But we have to get them in the door.”

Alex Sevilla, vice provost for career advancement and engagement, shares this sentiment. “Our team’s North Star provides career advancement for every student and every career path and aims to turn desires into tangible results. We are committed to putting this principle into action and putting it into practice.”

On this particular afternoon in New York, that meant literal practice: mock interviews at Goldman Sachs and pitch presentations at Bloomingdale’s. Kate Greenberg, a second-year finance and business administration student, had leveraged Vanderbilt’s resources by conducting a resume workshop with the Career Center on campus. And she appreciated the additional hands-on exposure she got in New York. “The personal experience and meeting the companies first-hand and getting to know the local people were extremely helpful in getting a better idea of ​​what my career could look like in the future,” says the human and organizational development student as well as communication sciences.

Greenberg also emphasized how helpful it was to have her questions answered by people who worked at the companies and who, as former Vanderbilt students, had gone through the exact same transition she had. Getting to know a career in the abstract is one thing. In fact, meeting people who have lived there is a whole other thing – like the difference between seeing a map of a place and being able to explore the actual area. By talking to those who have already gained professional experience after graduating, they can learn not only about tangible skills, but also about the intangibles of company culture that might not come up at a career fair.

Ethan Choi, a sophomore pursuing a concentration in human and organizational development and business, recounted a conversation he had with a Wells Fargo executive after one of the panel discussions. “He talked about what to wear to work and what fashion to wear to work, and I thought that was super interesting because that’s never talked about,” he says. “I know what business casual or business formal means, but he focused on things I never considered: getting tailored – I didn’t know how important that was – dress socks, things we don’t have in our classes Clubs are still taught in our lessons. This discussion really opened my eyes. Just having that conversation and having someone as high up in a company as Wells talk to us about it really changed my perspective and redefined how I think about workwear.”

The Hubs’ hope is that they can give students these experiences now, and then nurture and sustain that connection to Vanderbilt after they graduate and go out into the world.

“By uniting our community through this innovative approach, our hubs are career advancement engines, aligning education with industry needs and fostering partnerships that create opportunities for growth and advancement for our students, our partners and Vanderbilt,” says Sevilla.

“This dynamic allows us to accompany students throughout their entire Vanderbilt journey – from their initial interest in Vanderbilt, through their hands-on learning and internship experiences, to their transition as engaged Vandy alumni who continue to contribute their time, talent and value afford.”-Andrea DiMarco

“The hubs expand Vanderbilt’s ability to recruit a highly talented and diverse new class,” Christiansen said. “And the hubs help us ensure prospective students and their families have a great experience as they go through the college search and admissions process. When students graduate from Vanderbilt, they start a job, attend graduate school, or pursue a variety of great opportunities. How do we intentionally connect their college search to their VU experience and their experience as VU alumni?”

If all of this is connected, Christiansen emphasizes, then the students will be happy alumni and possibly donors.

“It’s just about developing a deeper sense of relationship,” he says. “I think it’s similar to Vanderbilt. The student’s experience at Vanderbilt is not just limited to the four years – it should be ongoing.”

This relationship is not just between the students and the school. The cities and municipalities of the hubs are also included.

From admissions to supporting enrolled students and families to opportunities to connect with alumni and corporate contacts, Hubs bring Vanderbilt into more communities and ensure those communities are central to Vanderbilt.

And if that isn’t proof that Vanderbilt is in your community and neighborhood, what is?

Learn more about Vanderbilt Hubs and how they work.