In Hokie Treks, exploration meets opportunity
Career exploration, valuable conversations, and the opening of doors to a world of opportunities – that is a Hokie Trek.
During spring break earlier this month, 40 students from the College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences visited the National Museum of African American History and Culture and NBC4 in Washington, D.C., as part of the new Hokie Treks program. Treks offer students in the college the opportunity to visit a business where they can connect with professionals and learn about career paths associated with a specific field.
The program originated from two student-success projects funded through the college’s annual Hokie Tank competition, where faculty and staff pitch innovative ideas and the winning proposals receive funding for implementation. Students selected for a Hokie Trek receive free transportation for on-site visits, lodging, and meals.
“You really get a deeper understanding of a potential career path that you may not have even imagined would have been possible,” said Ayman Sharieff, a senior studying Arabic and computer science.
Students kicked off the first trek on March 9 at the museum. After attending a session about the museum, internship opportunities, and background information of the inner workings of careers there, students toured the Smithsonian facility.
“Sometimes Smithsonian museums seem really intimidating,” said Jessica Taylor, associate professor of history. “Coming here and seeing the people that actually work here and getting to interact with them is so crucial to making an internship at a place like this seem accessible.”
On March 10, a second group made its way to NBC4 Washington, where students heard from the vice president of news, took tours around the facility, and met the faces behind and in front of the cameras.
“I had a little experience with broadcasting from back home in Nigeria, and that’s exactly why I wanted to see what it looks like here in the U.S. It’s so different in many ways," said Vivian Ekemezie, who is studying communication and reputation management.
Students got a first-hand look at the constant pace and collaboration required in a professional newsroom, from monitoring breaking news to pitching and developing story ideas in real time. The experience offered a behind-the-scenes perspective on how communication professionals work under pressure while staying responsive to their communities.
“Being in a real-world setting like this helps reinforce what I share in the classroom or from my own professional experience,” said Dawn Jefferies, professor of practice in the School of Communication. “Hearing a news director share how newsrooms rely on journalists to find story ideas or hear all the scanner chatter as the desk listens to breaking news helps demystify the industry and what it’s like to work in the space.”
The college is rolling out several new career exploration opportunities this year, including Hokie Shadows, a program that gives students a firsthand look at potential careers by pairing them with industry professionals for day-long shadowing experiences.
Learn more about career exploration programs in the college.