GEM provides a unique experience

By Joseph Tkacik
Staff Writer

A new and exciting opportunity is available to all GC&SU students — The Georgia Education Mentorship Program — and 25 students will be selected per semester out of those who apply.
GEM provides a unique experience for GC&SU students to spend time tagging along with some of Georgia’s most prominent leaders in areas such as business, education, politics, medicine, law, utilities and manufacturing.
The relationship between GC&SU and the Georgia Chamber of Commerce gives students an excellent opportunity to apply classroom learning with the real world and helps the students recognize their own strengths and weaknesses in the workplace and in the surrounding community.
“We would like to have students of all majors come out and sign up for this excellent opportunity,” said Dr. Robin O. Harris, director of the Office of Experiental Learning. “When we were recruiting students last year, we had a great turnout, but most of them were Computer Science majors. That was great, but we want more diversity.”
The GEM concept came about from of a conversation that our president, Dr. Rosemary DePaolo, had with some of Georgia’s most recognized state executives regarding what employers look for in their employees.
Dr. DePaolo described GC&SU’s new liberal arts mission and how students and faculty here strived to be great communicators and critical thinkers. The executives liked the idea of college students working directly with possible future employers. They thought that the program would be a good way to teach students to think and lead rather than just “parrot” and follow.
GEM “class” will communicate with assigned mentors via e-mail and shadowing visits that will give the students and the mentors opportunities to develop a business relationship and discuss good leadership qualities and ways in which classroom learning correlates with the real world. Participants in the program will attend one Saturday workshop/luncheon session during the semester.
The workshop will be put on by the Fanning Institute of Leadership at the University of Georgia and is intended to help students identify personal leadership qualities such as their particular strengths and weaknesses.
“Last year’s workshop went great, and the students were able to see the strengths and weaknesses that they had applying leadership in the workplace,” said Dr. Harris. “I thought the workshop session was especially beneficial in pointing out those strengths/weaknesses.”
The workshop/luncheon is also a great opportunity for the student and the mentor to relax and discuss issues that pertain to their future plans. At the beginning of the semester there will be a “Kick-off” ceremony and a “Graduation” at the end. Students in the program will keep a journal throughout the entire experience, and this paper will help students realize and reflect on how great leaders in the workplace communicate and work with others.
GEM is a pilot project being funded by the Robert W. Woodruff Foundation and is unique in the state. Being a GEM participant will look great on your resume, help you develop new contacts to get your career started and help you develop and identify the qualities necessary to build great professional character.
If you are interested in applying for the fall 2002 GEM program, your application is needed by April 15, 2002.
“I encourage anyone to apply for this program,” said Dr. Harris. “We had a lot of seniors last time around. This time I would like to see a lot more variety.”
The application is available on line or by going to the Office of Experiental Learning Web Site (www.gcsu.edu/experiential) or by simply going to the Office of Experiental Learning located in Lanier 130.
If you have further questions about the program, you can contact Dr. Robin O. Harris, director of the Office of Experiental Learning (rharris@gcsu.edu) 445-3209. She would be more than happy to answer any questions that you may have.

Posted by Colonnade Archives on Apr 12 2002. Filed under News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry