At the Center of Everything

by Clay Skipper, BA'12

In March, just as winter was thawing and giving way to warmer weather, a huddle of 20 Vanderbilt freshmen and sophomores were midway into their spring break-not that you'd have been able to tell by looking at them.

Instead of donning swim trunks and sandals, they'd traded their backpacks and Vanderbilt hoodies for business attire and headed north to New York City, resumés in hand. Half of the group was downtown, headed onto the trading floor of Goldman Sachs after a morning spent at Wells Fargo. Ten of their classmates were farther uptown, dressed less business casual and more fashion-forward, preparing to enter a conference room overlooking the Hudson River at the L'Oreal offices in the Hudson Yards development.

This was the first of two days that these enterprising Commodores would spend in New York City as part of a trip meant to help them think about and prepare for their careers. The excursion was just one of several opportunities throughout the semester in New York City, Miami, Houston and Atlanta. These cities share one common denominator: being home to a Vanderbilt regional hub. The hubs are key to one of Vanderbilt's signature initiatives: to grow the school's footprint beyond the Nashville campus.

"Several years ago, our provost and chancellor asked us to explore innovative ways to feel more a part of the communities that we are serving," says Doug Christiansen, vice provost for enrollment affairs. "First, we had to figure out where those communities were. So we researched: Where are our students finding jobs? Where are our students applying from? Where are our alumni friends and donors? Ultimately, we narrowed about 10 choices down to New York, south Florida, Houston and Atlanta, and the hubs were created."

For current Vanderbilt students-like the ones on the spring break trip-the hubs can help with job placement, helping future graduates find potential internships and eventual careers in America's major cities. But the hubs serve many other purposes. They can be home base for the university to establish relationships with prospective students or to re-establish relationships with Vanderbilt alumni who might have lost touch.

"Operating from New York affords me a unique opportunity to cultivate deeper, more substantial relationships with our corporate partners," says Andrea DiMarco, director of corporate partnerships for the New York hub. "This dynamic allows us to accompany students throughout their Vanderbilt journey-from initial interest in Vanderbilt, during their hands-on learning and internship experiences, to their transition as dedicated Vandy alumni who continue to contribute through time, talent and treasure."

Vanderbilt staff members Nicole Molina, Rori Chuck and Andrea DiMarco convene in New York City. (Barry Williams)

Each of the hubs has a four-person staff working full time in three areas: enrollment, career advancement and alumni relations. At many schools, those departments are siloed off from one another, but not at Vanderbilt's hubs. Tim Paul, who works in the Department of Alumni Relations for the NYC hub, might set up a meeting with Vanderbilt alumni who work at a consulting firm to talk about that company recruiting more Vanderbilt graduates. Through that conversation, Paul might learn that an alum knows a 16-year-old who wants to apply to Vanderbilt. Paul can easily connect that student to the admissions representative at the hub-reinforcing Vanderbilt's ethos of excellent customer service and adding local flair.

In this way, the hubs are furthering Vanderbilt's initiative to be a student-first institution-something that Nicole Molina, director of regional engagement for undergraduate admissions in the NYC hub, highlights when she visits high schools to recruit future Commodores.

"It's not just about the student getting into the college," she says. "It's nurturing the student as a full-fledged adult. We're going to make sure that when they see Vanderbilt, they understand that we're not just wanting kids to apply to the institution. We're going to take care of them. They're going to be part of our community."

During spring break 2024, the New York City hub connected students with alumni and corporate partners there to explore industries and career paths. (Barry Williams)

Expanding opportunities and connections

The 20 students on this alternative spring break trip are divided into two tracks: finance/business and fashion/beauty. They'll visit the offices of some of the industry's biggest players and interact with a panel of current employees who are Vanderbilt alumni. It benefits the first- and second-year students by helping them make connections that might help them land a summer internship or a job when they graduate. It also serves the companies by exposing them to a wider pool of high-achieving recruits.

A Vanderbilt student pays close attention during the spring break trip to Vanderbilt's New York City hub. (Barry Williams)

"There is no fashion design major at Vanderbilt," Molina says. "But that doesn't mean the students are limited in their toolbox of being present and making an impact. But we gotta get them in the door."

Alex Sevilla, vice provost for career advancement and engagement, echoes this sentiment. "Our team's North Star is delivering career empowerment for every student and every career pathway, aiming to transform aspirations into tangible outcomes. We're committed to putting this principle into action and into practice."

On this particular afternoon in New York, that meant literal practice: mock interviews at Goldman Sachs and pitch presentations at Bloomingdale's. Kate Greenberg, a sophomore on the finance and business track, had tapped into Vanderbilt's resources by doing a resume workshop with the on-campus Career Center. And she appreciated the additional hands-on exposure she was getting in New York. "The in-person experience and seeing the firms firsthand, meeting the actual people, was extremely helpful in getting a better idea of what my career could look like in the future," the human and organizational development and communication studies major says.

Greenberg also highlighted how helpful it was to have her questions answered by people who were working at the firms and who, as former Vanderbilt students, had been through the exact same transition she would go through. Learning about a career in the abstract is one thing. Actually meeting with people who have lived it is another thing entirely-like the difference between having the map of a place and getting a chance to walk the actual territory. In talking to those who have already experienced working life after graduation, they can learn not just about tangible skills, but also about the intangibles of organizational culture, something that might not come up at a career fair.

Student Makayla Palmer, Class of 2026, participates in a student trek to New York City. (Barry Williams)

Ethan Choi, a sophomore planning to major in human and organizational development and economics, highlighted a conversation he had after one of the panels with a managing director at Wells Fargo. "He talked about what you wear to the workplace and workplace fashion, and I thought that was super interesting because it's not something that's talked about ever," he says. "I know what business casual is, or business formal, but he homed in on things I never considered: getting tailored-I didn't know how important that was-dress socks, things we're not taught in our classes or in our clubs. To have that discussion was really eye-opening for me. Just having that conversation, having someone so high up at a company like Wells talk to us about it really shifted my perspective and reframed how I think about professional dress."

The hope with the hubs is that they can deliver these experiences to the students now, and then foster and maintain that bond with Vanderbilt after they graduate and go out into the world.

"By uniting our community via this innovative approach, our hubs are career empowerment engines, aligning education with industry needs and nurturing partnerships that open avenues for growth and advancement for our students, our partners and for Vanderbilt," Sevilla says.

"This dynamic allows us to accompany students throughout their Vanderbilt journey-from initial interest in Vanderbilt, during their hands-on learning and internship experiences, to their transition as dedicated Vandy alumni who continue to contribute through time, talent and treasure."-Andrea DiMarco

"The hubs extend Vanderbilt's ability to recruit a highly talented and diverse incoming class," Christiansen says. "And the hubs help us make sure prospective students and their families have a great experience as they go through the college search and admissions process. When students graduate from Vanderbilt, they'll be starting a job, going to graduate school or pursuing any number of terrific opportunities. How are we connecting their college search with their VU experience and with their experience as VU alumni, all in an intentional way?"

If all that is connected, Christiansen points out, then the students will be happy alumni and, potentially, donors.

"It's just trying to develop a deeper sense of relationship," he says. "I think that's akin to what Vanderbilt is. The experience that the student has at Vanderbilt is not just the four years-it should be ongoing."

That relationship isn't just between the students and the school. It also involves the hubs' cities and communities.

From admissions to support for enrolled students and families to opportunities to connect with alumni and corporate connections, the hubs bring Vanderbilt into more communities and ensure that those communities are central to Vanderbilt.

And if that's not proof that Vanderbilt's in your community and in your neighborhood, then what is?

Learn more about the Vanderbilt hubs and how they work.

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