But sometimes, businesses make a donation instead of sharing staff with the agency. That leaves spots available for students and others who want to learn the ins and outs of running a major non-profit campaign.
From left: Jasmine Shaw, Tyler Slaton, and Ashton Johnson."We asked faculty for referrals of students from different majors who were really exceptional, and we then asked those students to provide us with a resume and cover letter," explains Suzanne Scott Trammell, Executive Director of Career and Professional Development. "The goal was to teach them how to put their best foot forward before we asked the United Way to visit campus."Bakari Miller, who works with United Way’s Loaned Executive program, came to the Edge of Chaos and made a presentation to the interested students. After the presentation, Trammell submitted the improved resumes back to the United Way staff, and three of the five interested students were selected for the program. The selected students are Ashton Johnson, a recent graduate (BA, Political Science), and two current Master of Public Administration (MPA) students, Jasmine Shaw and Tyler Slaton. Johnson, Shaw, and Slaton began working on August 25 and will continue until November 21.
"I had just been telling my friends that I was interested in learning more about fundraising," says Jasmine Shaw. "Since we’ve started with United Way, it’s been a blast. We all feel really supported, really equipped to succeed. The caliber of people who were chosen — it’s challenging and exciting."
"This was a very competitive process," Trammell says. "The students weren’t guaranteed a spot, and the three who were selected have to be fully committed to their work with the United Way. The pay is good (the internship pays $8,500 for the 13-week period), and they are learning incredible skills, like team building, sales skills, leadership development, effective communication and decision making, and planning and organizing. It also helps UAB meet its Quality Enhancement Program (QEP) goals, which prioritizes team building and critical thinking."
Ashton Johnson says it's been a great experience so far. "I couldn't ask for a better way to start my journey in the real world," she says. "Just three weeks into my position and I have already learned so much and met amazing people with a passion for helping others."
Learn more about the Department of Government. Those involved with the MPA program are pleased to see their students land such coveted spots. "We are very proud to have our students selected," says Program Director Dr. Akhlaque Haque. "The MPA program’s rigorous curriculum instills the public-service values needed to build the next generation of global leaders and responsible decision makers."As for the process that connected the students with The United Way, Trammell says it’s an example of how things can work well for all involved. "We get opportunities all the time, but we need to make sure our students are prepared, not just with a cover letter, but pulling information from them about their past experiences, including things they wouldn’t have thought would be relevant to a current job opportunity," she says. "It’s so important that we have interaction with the students to help them understand their qualifications."
Shaw agrees. "I always thought of myself as a pretty good interviewee, but [Career Services staff] pointed out things I’d never even thought about before," she says. "And since my MPA is in non-profit management, working with the United Way agencies just flips on light switches about the things we’re talking about in class."
Program coordinator Carin Mayo agrees that this is a win-win scenario. "Last year, one of the loaned executives who came from the MPA Program was hired on full time with agency after finishing her term," she says, but points out that no matter the long-term employment outcome, the benefit to the university and the city is immeasurable.
"We are fortunate to have our students and alumni represent a vast majority of the change agents in the Birmingham community," she says.
