As students begin to look for jobs and internships, Chapman’s Office of Career and Professional Development has organized a series of events to assist them in their search, with the most recent event being the Inclusive Employer Night.

Beginning in the fall of 2022, the now annual event aims to bring together students of diverse backgrounds and connect them to companies that place value in diversity and inclusivity. This year, the Inclusive Employer Night took place on Oct. 23, and it saw students and companies converge in Beckman Hall for an evening of conversation, laughter, and connection. 

For students like Brandon Klein, a junior business administration major, it was an important opportunity provided by Chapman. 

“I came here tonight because this is actually my first exploratory event that I’ve ever been to. So I really wanted to gain some experience,” Klein said.

“I’ve been kind of behind in all this career stuff,” said sophomore software engineering major Nikolai Semerdjiev. “I realized I haven’t really gone to these events, and I kind of thought I want to put myself more out there.”

A shared feeling among all the students The Panther talked to was an appreciation for the chance to directly connect with employers. This was especially true for junior screenwriting major Challen Latham, who as a screenwriter and member of the LGBTQ+ community, this was an opportunity to discuss internships available, but also to get advice directly from people working at big companies.

Many of the employers present had similar sentiments about the opportunity presented by the event, as they recognize how important networking is. Several of them were even Chapman alumni, such as Orange County Deputy District Attorney Shannon Knight. 

“When I was at Chapman in law school, I ended up interning at the DA’s office a couple of times, and it made me really excited to become a DA when I graduated law school,” said Knight.  “It’s really important to network, to have the ability to meet people, to be exposed to lots of different things. And hopefully, that’ll help direct you to find where you want to end up after you get out of school because it’ll happen sooner than you think.”

For some employers, the chance to embrace diversity through the event was especially important due to the nature of their companies and the work that they do. 

“I’ve been coming to various Chapman events for the last year. When I saw that they had this Inclusive Employer Night, I was really interested because our program is all about diversity, not only of the women that participate but also the work that we do is usually in underserved populations right here in Orange County,” said Nina Baumgartner, the program coordinator for the St. Joseph Worker Program, a program which gives young women a chance to gain experience working in health care and other local necessities. “We’re kind of like one big happy family here, trying to make the city of Orange and Orange County more of a community.”

Chapman’s Career Office hosts a number of events throughout the year, but the Inclusive Employers Night has quickly become one of their favorites.

“(Students) are able to feel like they’re in a safe place to have those kinds of conversations and talk about their values, and also connect with employers who really appreciate them for who they are,” said Lisa Chow, a career education manager for Chapman’s Career Office.

“Going into the workforce and talking to employers can be daunting for anyone,” said Andrea Straccia, Chapman’s director of career and professional development. “But I think especially for students or individuals from marginalized backgrounds or underrepresented backgrounds, it can be all the more scary. I think that our team really values the fact that there are a lot of employers who are doing really excellent work to make sure that they are not just hiring a diverse workforce, but also putting in place all the measures that are needed to retain that workforce.”

For students who weren’t able to attend the event, Straccia recommended other resources from the Career Office they can access, such as the newsletter that goes out every Tuesday. In the newsletter, they highlight all the events and workshops that the Career Office has coming up.