The Gus & Emma Thompson Black Resource Center career fair provided San Diego State University students with an opportunity to connect with industry leaders and explore prospective career paths on Feb. 21. 

The career fair was held from noon to 4 p.m. at the Parma Payne Goodall Alumni Center, and the event featured a diverse range of companies looking for interns and full-time employees.

Attendees had the chance to network with representatives from various organizations while enjoying an assortment of snacks, including potstickers, chips and salsa, cookies and fresh fruit. 

The fair was designed to help students strengthen their professional development and learn more about available career opportunities, according to Dr. Rachael Stewart, the Charles Bell Faculty Scholar for the Black Resource Center and director of the Henrietta Goodwin Scholars, who helped organize the event. 

“It’s about growing and landing a good job after graduation,” said April Laster, who was hiring at the fair.

Laster is the CEO and founder of Open Heart Leaders and was among many company representatives eager to recruit SDSU students.

“My organization focuses on full mental health education and justice reform. We are looking for interns in marketing, accounting, communications, public relations and criminal justice,” Laster said. “I like to give young people in my hometown an opportunity to work for someone who is also from their hometown.” 

Angelina Thomas, a second-year criminal justice major, attended the fair as part of the Henrietta Goodwin Scholars program. 

The Henrietta Goodwin Scholars program at SDSU supports underrepresented students with academic resources, mentorship and community to enhance their success.

“Networking can be hard, so events like these make it easier,” Thomas said. “Being in this program has been really helpful, and the Black community here is small but very family-like. Everyone is always willing to help.”

The career fair also allowed students to make connections with alumni in their field of study, providing valuable networking opportunities and career insights.

Noelani Juarez, a senior double-majoring in criminal justice and philosophy, attended the fair in her role as a board member of the Black Pre-Law Association. 

“We’re here giving presentations about the path to law school because SDSU doesn’t have a pre-law major,” Juarez said. “It’s a great opportunity to help students of color navigate their way into law school and network with professionals.”

Red Door Interactive, a marketing agency with strong ties to the SDSU community, also tabled at the fair.

“We have quite a few alumni working at Red Door, and we always want to give back and support students looking to start and grow in their careers,” said La Ren Payne, senior talent manager at Red Door Interactive. 

“For internships, we look for individuals who are curious, excited to learn and collaborative team players,” Payne said.

Courtney Willis, an SDSU alum from the class of 2022, found the career fair useful for her aspirations of attending graduate school. 

“I recently went to career services and saw this event on Handshake,” Willis said. “I didn’t get the chance to go to many career fairs as a student because everything was online, so coming back as an alum allows me to finally take advantage of these resources.”

Sera Choe, a representative from All’s Well, a healthcare staffing company, emphasized the importance of passion and empathy when seeking interns.

“We look for students who have an interest in healthcare and a passion for working with individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities,” Choe said. “If you want something fulfilling to do, this is such a meaningful program.”

Dr. Stewart emphasized the importance of students utilizing career services and explained how they collaborated with SDSU Career Services, utilizing their networking and database programs like Handshake to attract companies. 

“Prior to that, I have personally also reached out to different companies and employers to make these fairs happen.” 

She further emphasized the breadth of support available to students, stating,

“Career services has so many resources, from interview prep to resume assistance. They even have counselors who can help students with their career trajectories. I don’t think a lot of students really know the extent of what career services has to offer.”