By Lilli Dubler, Building Kentucky
The Republic Bank Foundation Institute for Career Development & Graduate School Planning (ICG) at Thomas More University (TMU) is creating a lasting impact on the lives of the students it serves. Dedicated to empowering students on their career development journey, the ICG offers training and support for a range of job-seeking skills, provides graduate school advising and connects students with experiential learning opportunities, including internships, co-ops and full-time employment opportunities.
Tyrice Walker ’21 recalls that his involvement with the ICG began as an accident – or more so, an act of kindness. Shortly after transferring to TMU as a sophomore, Walker noticed a woman struggling outside of the cafeteria. “She had this huge, long folding table,” Walker said. “It did not look like a winnable scenario.”
Walker, then a 6’4’’ guard for TMU men’s basketball, stopped to offer his help. “The next thing I know, I’m checking people in, passing out tickets,” Walker said. He ended up staying for the entire event. The woman he had stopped to help was Samantha Palmer, then coordinator of career planning for the ICG.
The connection Walker made that day, forged through kindness, would later pay off with an opportunity to join the ICG in an official capacity as one of its first career ambassadors where he supported the ICG during campus events, helped manage Handshake (an online job board platform), created social media content and conducted peer reviews for students seeking help with their resumes.
A self-described “people person,” Walker said his favorite part of the role was helping students prepare for upcoming interviews. “It’s a combination of building a resume and then having the courage to speak about it,” he said, reflecting on the experience.
Through the ICG, Walker received in-depth training on how to build resumes and showcase skills and experiences to employers. What he didn’t realize at the time was that his training and experience coaching students in the ICG helped lay a foundation to begin his career, putting him on a path to discover his professional passion. He now works as a human resources manager for P&G’s Global Oral Care Design teams.
“Never in a million years did I think I’d be in HR when I was in college,” Walker said. “Looking back, I don’t think I fully appreciated the opportunity, at the time.”
Mason Kramer ’22 also gives credit to the ICG for helping him land his first internship. “I knew that networking would be important to finding a job,” Kramer recalled. While juggling responsibilities as a student athlete for the TMU football team, and working part-time jobs as a valet and for a local landscaping company, Kramer said he learned about the ICG through an advertisement for the career ambassadors program.
After applying and landing the role, Kramer said working in the ICG had one outcome he didn’t expect – not only did he learn new skills such as graphic design and interviewing, but his experience helped him create order in his busy schedule as a college athlete.
“I could go to the ICG, work on homework; it helped me with my academics and gave me some structure,” Kramer said. “After a few semesters, I was honored as an Academic All-American.”
Later in his college career, a friend introduced Kramer to a prestigious internship opportunity at Medpace, a global clinical research organization (CRO) headquartered in Cincinnati. Thanks to his academic success and experience at the ICG, Kramer landed an internship in the spring of 2021 and later secured a full-time job offer with the company.
“My experiences at the ICG – knowledge about resumes, experience with mock interviews and what businesses are looking for – helped me secure this role,” he said.
ICG programming continues to support career exploration and coaching, as well as job search and skills training for TMU students.
“Our plans for the upcoming academic year are chock-full of programs and initiatives to support our students and foster a culture of excellence,” said Kim Haverkos, assistant vice president for academic and student success. “We are excited to continue to leverage the Republic Bank Foundation Institute for Career Development & Graduate School Planning as a structure that provides comprehensive support to our Thomas More students in the development of professional skills, with a focus on high-impact practices and experiential learning.”
Services the ICG provides are open to all TMU students and alumni. For more information about services and resources, visit thomasmore.edu/icg.
