UMass Dartmouth, Leading Businesses and Tribal Colleges Co-Sponsor First Tribal College Diversity and Careers Conference to Reach Diverse Students Aspiring to Enter Careers in Business and Technology
(L to R): Dr. Moise Saint-Louis, Interim Vice President for Student Affairs and Director, Frederick Douglass Unity House (FDUH); Florcy Morisset, Founder, Tribal College; Peggy Dias, Executive Director, CITS IT Services; Degion Craddock, Dell Head of Technology; Cindy Etherington, Vice President, Dell Technologies; Nishita Roy-Pope, Founder, Tribal Academy; Un Yeong Park, Director, UMass Dartmouth Career Center.
On Thursday, October 6, UMass Dartmouth hosted Tribe Academy’s Diversity and Careers Conference, one of the region’s most dynamic and engaging diversity career events for college students and early career professionals .
Free to attendees, the event takes place in the newly renovated Marketplace conference hall and connects more than 150 diverse students with top companies in technology, finance, insurance and more. Dell Technologies, Wayfair, Fidelity Investments, Amica Insurance, CyberArk, IGT, Hanover Insurance and CrowdStrike sponsored the event and sent representatives to interact with students.
“Tribal College feels it gives us students of color an opportunity to shine and show what we can bring and how we can impact companies,” said Jayden Bay, 2022 UMass Dartmouth alumnus and current Charlton graduate student Jayden Betances said. Business. “This is a very important event as we have the opportunity and the network in front of us to open doors that we would not have been able to enter if it wasn’t for Tribal Academy! Personally, to be able to meet such amazing people and be with them It’s a blessing to be together.”
The day included keynotes by experienced business leaders making progress in their careers, presentations by UMass Dartmouth senior leaders, presentations by early career professionals of color, including UMass Dartmouth alumni), $2,000 in prize money through the Student Business Technology Competition, scholarships and sweepstakes, opportunities to connect with industry volunteers in a personal and meaningful way, and an exclusive Dell Technologies post-conference at Frederick Douglass Unity House reception. More than 20 highly recommended students have the opportunity to be screened one-on-one with companies looking to recruit for internships and full-time positions.
“This event is truly handcrafted for students, not just a traditional job fair,” said Sr. Laodecia “Lala” Fevrier, 2018 UMassD alumnus, Influencer Marketing Associate at Wayfair, and host of the Early Career Panel. “Students get practical help with resumes, interview preparation, and the opportunity to connect with real leaders who see diversity as a key function of their business. I’m excited to hear from and support these future leaders .”
“I was able to find out what it means to be in one place where you can see people who think like you and do what you do better!” said Dr. Cybersecurity. Gaspard Baye, student and president of the National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) chapter at UMass Dartmouth. “This event connects our UMassD students with experts in various fields who are happy to share their experiences and hire us. I feel a real sense of belonging.”
The October meeting was an example of Tribal College’s multifaceted planning and measurable impact. Since its founding in 2019, this startup accelerating the diversity of STEM and business talent has attracted more than 450 students and professionals from more than 25 U.S. colleges and universities through its immersive training and programs, unique events and mentoring opportunities, Designed to act as a bridge between talent and over 30 leading companies. Tribal College alumni go on to work at top companies such as Microsoft, Amazon, Dell Technologies and Fidelity Investments.
“Tribal College’s post-COVID return to campus is critical as it allows industry leaders to meet face-to-face with UMassD’s students of color who have demonstrated their grit, dynamism, and unprecedented opportunity and genuine access to internships or full-scale internships Understanding of Possibilities – Working with companies committed to DEI,” said Peggy Dias, UMassD Tribal College Campus Leader and Executive Director of IT Services. Dias also thanked Tribe Academy co-founders Nishita Roy-Pope and Florcy Morisset for their long-term commitment to UMassD BIPOC students.
To learn more about work at Tribe Academy, visit TribeAcademyDiversity.com or connect on LinkedIn. To learn more about how Tribe Academy is partnering with UMass Dartmouth, please contact peggy.dias@umassd.edu.