Can you believe we are more than midway through our 8-week summer skills training program? It’s true. Genesys Works young professionals have spent the last few weeks learning programs like Outlook and Excel, and the nuances of first impressions, nonverbal communication, and email communication best practices. Summer training – in all its excitement, learning, and breakthrough moments – is Program Coordinator Heba Baig’s favorite time of year. To her, “summer training is such an amazing part of the year. You get to see the growth and potential of these young professionals every day. Being able to bring out skills and confidence that the young professional didn’t know they had is an incredible feeling.”
Looking forward, we are so excited to be preparing for the inaugural Genesys Works Ambassadors Luncheon. This fundraising event will feature the Genesys Works student ambassadors, and a keynote address from Lisa Fitzpatrick, President of Bloomberg Tax. Chaired by Myrtle Jones of Halliburton and Elisabeth Nash of SCI, the afternoon will highlight the importance of equal access to the business community’s diverse range of opportunities for up-and-coming talent. We would love for you to be there to engage in these important conversations with us. For tickets and more information on the September 26 event, click here.
Supervisor Spotlight: Corrie Hartman, Kinder Morgan
When we talk about how our partner companies are making an impact on our young professionals, what we’re really talking about are the individuals within those companies who supervise, mentor and make our young professionals feel welcome every day. Individuals like Corrie Hartman, Engineering Manager with Kinder Morgan, are making a difference in the lives of Houston’s future workforce.
Corrie understands how the internship experience can really help shape our young professionals’ college and career plans and goes above and beyond her role as an intern supervisor. Corrie’s intern, Jo Sanchez (C’19), said, “I’ve never had a strong female role model who has influenced me and who I could look up to outside of my family. The day I knew Corrie was the projection of who I aspire to be was when she took me to a park to sit and talk about my future. That simple act of kindness helped me significantly. Throughout my internship, I have observed Corrie’s communication and organizational skills and her ability to solve problems, which are all great qualities to have in a supervisor. A quality that’s just as important, if not more, is the ability to inspire employees to be their best selves. Corrie is continuously inspiring me as I grow to be my best self.” Because of amazing Genesys Works supervisors, like Corrie, young people across Houston are changing their perception of corporate America and dreaming bigger.
Student Spotlight: Aline Irafasha
Aline moved to the United States with dreams of attending college and attaining a career to help support her family, but wasn’t sure what steps to take. She said, “After living in a refugee camp for 17 years, I had never worked anywhere before and had no idea about jobs or internships in America.” Genesys Works provided Aline with the skills and resources she needed to not only secure a year-long internship with Texas Childrens Hospital but also to navigate the college application process. In just a few weeks, Aline will be heading to Wellesley College with the full support of a Posse Foundation scholarship, a Dell Scholars scholarship and a Children’s Defense Fund Beat the Odds scholarship. To learn more about Aline’s Genesys Works experience, read her story here.
Corporate Partner Spotlight: SCI
At Genesys Works, we are grateful to partner with over 55 committed corporations and organizations across Houston, including SCI. For over a decade, Service Corporation International has provided meaningful work experiences to 109 Genesys Works interns- more than any other partner in our history.
Axel, a class of 2019 intern with SCI, worked nearly 1,000 hours there in the Talent Management department. He said, “Working at SCI is one of the best learning experiences I’ve embarked on. It opened up a lot of opportunities that many people don’t get to experience at my age.” Thank you to SCI, and to all of our corporate partners, who make it possible for Genesys Works to provide pathways to career success for our students. Genesys Works works because of you. To hear more, check out this video featuring several of SCI’s most recent class of interns.
In Case You Missed It!
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Genesys Works is opening doors and inspiring careers. Find out how Genesys Works worked for alumni Anaelena López and Abdullah Alkhoja online at the Houston Chronicle.
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The results are in! The 2018 Genesys Works Alumni Study has been released and we now know that 72% of alumni aged 25 and up currently earn more than at least one parent. That’s a 46% increase from last year! Check out the whole summary here.
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On July 18, out young professionals put the skills they’ve learned in summer training to the test at Mock Interviews. Check out the photo highlights here.
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Our CEO, David Williams, published his thoughts on how cross-sector partnerships can help provide opportunities to high school students in underserved communities. Check out his recent post on LinkedIn here.
