HIGH POINT, N.C., Jan. 25, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- High Point University’s commitment to equipping students with life skills is producing extraordinary results. Data collected by HPU in accordance with the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE) standards shows 98.9% of all graduates in the Class of 2022 were employed or furthering their education within 180 days of graduation, which is 14 points higher than the national average reported by NACE.

Undergraduate students had an outcome rate of 98.5%, while graduate students had an outcome of nearly 100%, with 99.5% for master’s degree recipients (11 points higher than the national average) and 100% for doctoral degree recipients (9 points higher than the national average).

As the Premier Life Skills University, HPU regularly surveys the global marketplace and asks leaders for feedback. HPU then combines the best of a liberal arts education with state-of-the-art labs, technology and experiential learning opportunities, all underscored with the life skills that outlast inevitable change and prepare students to adapt in a constantly changing world.

HPU’s Class of 2022 graduates have gone on to land highly competitive positions across the country, as well as attending prestigious graduate schools. Henry Voelpel, a finance major from Cape Coral, Florida, now works at the Florida-based company Gartner as a business development associate. He credits HPU to opening his horizons and encouraging him to try new things as an undergraduate.

“HPU instilled the drive in me to leave my comfort zone and try new things,” said Voelpel. “Whether taking a negotiations course with Professor Larry Quinn, chair of the marketing and sales department, or accepting a summer marketing internship with a professional ice hockey team, I never felt out of place. Encouraging myself to enter new regions of the business world is one of the many things I learned while at HPU. HPU teaches students to reach for the stars from day one. Every member of the faculty, staff, administration and student body is in your corner. Nothing is impossible when you have perseverance.”

Rima Buolos, a Master of Business Administration graduate, echoes Voelpel’s words that HPU has an inspiring environment, encouraging all who attend to take hold of every opportunity.

“One thing that caught my attention at HPU is the people there want you to succeed,” said Buolos, from Advance, North Carolina, and now pursuing her Ph.D. in organization and management. “The acknowledgment of opportunity is a life skill HPU helped me develop. Being able to watch and talk with successful leaders and speakers in such close proximity showed me that opportunity is everywhere — but it’s only available to those who reach for it. The campus is constantly hosting speakers and experts in residence, through Access to Innovators, opening doors of opportunities for students to grab and learn from. It is certainly not coincidental. There’s a reason other schools don’t have a 99% post-graduation placement rate. When students know that they have a support system, they are more willing to get out of their comfort zones, build on their confidence and put themselves out there to succeed.”

Even seniors who haven’t yet graduated from the Class of 2023 are already landing jobs ahead of the May Commencement. Alex Bouvier, a senior from Exeter, New Hampshire, will join Amazon in Huntsville, Alabama, as an area manager. He says HPU helped him land this job before graduation by preparing him to show his value to his future employers.

“Being a good communicator is one of the biggest skills I have learned,” says Bouvier. “When leading a team of 50-200 associates, you need to be able to communicate well to a broad group of individuals. At HPU, I also completed many writing assignments and improved my writing skills with the help of my professors. When I wrote my 10-page white paper at the conclusion of my Amazon internship, the senior management team was impressed with my writing and attention to detail. This research paper on the facilities operations was a large contributing factor into achieving a full-time job offer.”

Why Employers Hire HPU Graduates:

HPU graduates stand out as professional and prepared. That’s one of the many attributes employers note when hiring students for internships and jobs.

“The students we get at HPU working at Kontoor Brands are wonderful, hardworking and do everything a good employee should do,” said Craig Schneid, a talent acquisition partner at Kontoor Brands and a 2015 HPU graduate. “Being an HPU alum, I know the kinds of skills that are taught, including career development and all the different facets. Students who come from HPU bring skills that many employees don’t have.”

“We love how much HPU students crave curiosity no matter what,” said Amanda Nassar, business development specialist at Coca-Cola Consolidated and a 2021 HPU graduate. “At Coca-Cola, we tell our employees to ‘stay curious and stay open to new opportunities.’ I think this is something that HPU gives their students, to push them to stay curious.”

 How HPU Prepares Graduates for the Real World:

The Office of Career and Professional Development offers support to students for personal and professional development and goals through personalized, face-to-face and in-person interaction with career advisors, recruiters and more. The goal is to create extraordinary experiential learning opportunities that direct students to their passions while developing life skills. Located in the innovative Cottrell Hall, where other professional development offices such as the Office of Undergraduate Research and Creative Works, HPU’s Entrepreneurship Center and the Norelli Global Education Suite are housed, HPU students can easily access the professional growth opportunities they need to thrive in one space that’s hyper-focused on their success.

“The Office of Career and Professional Development’s mission is to educate and empower all students to translate experiential learning into the professional world,” said Dr. Doug Hall, vice president for career and professional development. “That means during our students’ time at HPU, they are acquiring experiences and being intentional about leveraging transferrable learning into roles that they know of, as well as opportunities that don’t even exist yet. The preparation our students receive both in and outside the classroom by way of our stellar faculty and staff, serves as great fuel for our office to help students fine-tune their career goals as well as articulate their value to employers and graduate schools.”

A Glimpse at Upcoming Events Hosted by Career and Professional Development:

• Illustration to Handshake, career management platform tool for students: Tuesday, Jan. 17 at 4 p.m. in the Kushner Ballroom in Cottrell Hall.
  • Learn more about the career management app that allows students to access full-time and internship opportunities.
• Spring Involvement Fair: Friday, Jan. 20 at 3 p.m. in the Slane Gym.
• Spring Internships Panel: Friday, Feb. 3 at 3:35 p.m. in Phillips 120.
• Make Your Contacts Count: Tuesday, Feb. 7 at 4 p.m. in the Kushner Ballroom in Cottrell Hall.
• Navigating the Follow Up: Friday, Feb. 10 at noon in the Kushner Ballroom in Cottrell Hall.
• Spring Career and Internship Expo: Tuesday, Feb. 14 at 11:30 a.m. in the Qubein Conference Center.
• Graduate School Panel: Friday, March 17 at noon in the Kushner Ballroom in Cottrell Hall.
• Crush the Dinner Interview: Tuesday, April 4 and Thursday, April 13 at 5 p.m. in 1924 PRIME, one of two fine dining restaurants on HPU’s campus.

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Cinde Ingram
High Point University
3368419258
cingram2@highpoint.edu