By Sarah Sell, University Communications and Marketing
A collaboration between Delta Sigma Pi, one of the nation’s largest business fraternities, and USF’s Muma College of Business is connecting students with industry leaders in the Tampa Bay area to help them prepare for their careers.
On March 7, Delta Sigma Pi and the Bellini Center for Talent Development on the St. Petersburg campus joined forces for the first-ever Summit to Success that included an afternoon with top finance, consulting and accounting professionals.
The sessions featured Tampa Bay area employers such as J.P. Morgan Chase, Grant Thornton, LLP and PwC.
Students gained valuable insights into what employers seek in candidates, strategies for standing out, industry pathways and opportunities, as well as tips for navigating the application and recruitment process. They asked industry professionals questions about making the most of their college years, focusing on what steps they should take to both prepare for their careers and secure the job they want.
Thomas at a tabling event promoting Delta Sigma Pi at the Kate Tiedemann School of Business and Finance.
“When I was researching my career, I wanted to have as much of a definitive plan as possible,” said Mason Thomas, a finance major and president of the Delta Sigma Pi chapter on the St. Petersburg campus. “That helped me plan what I wanted my college years to look like and what to get involved in.”
Thomas created the Summit to Success event with the support of USF’s faculty and leadership.
“We enjoyed the opportunity to collaborate with Delta Sigma Pi,” said Ashley Curtis, assistant director of the Bishop Center for Ethical Leadership and coordinator of the Bellini Center for Talent Development. “Thomas and his team demonstrated servant leadership in working to create an event that would help USF students build their professional development skills and prepare them for life after graduation.”
Thomas hopes the Summit to Success will continue to grow after he graduates this summer.
“Students need to be very intentional and methodical with how they go about their college career. We want to take as much guesswork out of that as possible just to simplify it and prepare them as much as possible,” Thomas said.