Rosés and Résumés wins Program of the Year award

This award is presented to an outstanding event or program developed and implemented by, or in collaboration with, one of more departments within Student Affairs at JMU. This should be a new program or an existing program that has undergone significant innovation and change to positively impact our community.

We do great work in Student Affairs, so it was not surprising that we received so many nominations for worthy programs that were started or revisioned this academic year, making the task of selecting a winner truly difficult.

This year’s winning program was a collaborative effort. In honor of "100 days until graduation," graduating JMU seniors had the opportunity to receive help with their preparation for entering the workforce by having their resumes reviewed by JMU University Career Center staff as well as build their professional network by engaging in a reception and conversation with members of the Office of Alumni Relations staff and members of the JMU Alumni Association Board of Directors.

The event was well attended. Students commented how much they learned from Board members and how they felt more confident entering into professional networking spaces in the future. Furthermore, students said they hoped this event would be continued for future graduating students.

This program intentionally supports the divisional mission of engaging students in inclusive and accessible opportunities of personal or professional development. The key organizers, Alyssa Hawley, the inaugural UCC Career Liaison to our alumni, and Katelyn Galbraith from Alumni Relations, strategically planned and executed this event with this mission in mind.

From choosing a central and accessible location, partnering with local vendors such as Bluestone Winery, and outreach with a wide array of alumni to have representation across career industries and career paths for our students to engage with, Alyssa and Katelyn worked collaboratively for months leading up to the event to ensure this opportunity was centered around setting our graduating students up for success.

This event was such a success that both offices plan to continue this event annually in the years to come to better serve and celebrate our graduating seniors as well as to foster greater community among alumni and our current student body.

We are very proud to present this year’s Program of the Year award to Rosés and Résumés!

Rosés and Résumés was inspired from a chapter event by the NC Triangle Dukes in June 2021. The creators of the event were chapter leaders Jen Mitchell (’98), Emma de Leon (’19), Lauren Hartnett (’11) and Megan Gotimer (’15). Thank you to all of them for creating that initial event!