GCC Career Services Honored by SUNY with Career Development Awards for Excellence

BATAVIA, NY (06/27/2016)(readMedia)-- In recognition of its continued work building successful relationships with students, alumni, faculty, staff, employers and community members to assist in navigating career and educational planning, Genesee Community College's Career Services was recently honored by the State University of New York Career Development Organization (SUNYCDO) with multiple awards at the 40th Annual SUNYCDO Conference in Tarrytown, NY.

"Our office is extremely proud that the work we are doing has been recognized at the state level," Jamie Edwards, GCC career services specialist said. "These awards have given us momentum and strengthened our motivation to continue working hard in order to provide educational and innovative ways for our students to succeed in their career development process."

Over 100 career services professionals attended this year's conference, representing 25 employers and 10 exhibitors. In addition to honoring its award recipients, SUNYCDO offered 16 concurrent career development sessions throughout the three day event from June 15-17, including two keynote speakers.

The College was first selected as the two-year college winner of the Award for Excellence in Employer/Community Collaborations for its Cougar Connects initiative, a mentor network program supported by the Alumni Affairs and Career Services offices. The program connects students to professionals in their desired career fields to provide educational experiences which promote intellectual and social growth by matching students with mentors based on similar career interests to participate in one-on-one Mentor-Mentee interactions. It also provides a database of mentors as a resource for student career planning and educational needs.

"We place a huge value on GCC alumni and look for unique and different opportunities for engaging students with career exploration activities," noted John McGowan, director of career services. "Cougar Connects provides an excellent opportunity for alumni to assist the future of our current students."

Additionally, GCC's Career Exploration Fair earned the Award for Excellence in Career Development & Planning Program for two-year colleges. The Career Exploration Fair was created as an opportunity for students and community members to explore the various programs and career opportunities that GCC has to offer by showcasing degree programs at tables staffed by faculty. Attendees learn how to boost their resumes by getting involved on campus, complete a career assessment, take a professional headshot for LinkedIn, and access additional career related resources.

The College's involvement with SUNYCDO goes beyond awards as both Edwards and McGowan serve important roles with the organization. For the past three years, McGowan held the role of two-year director liaison and Edwards will assume the duties of board member as this year's new member-at-large. Edwards was also personally recognized at this year's conference as the President's Award winner for Outstanding Work in Strategic Planning for her involvement on the Long Range Planning Committee. She served as programming co-chair.

For further information on GCC's Career Services, visit http://www.genesee.edu/offices/career/. Summer is the perfect opportunity to explore new career options or a career change by calling the Career Center to discover the many options: (585) 345-6888. All services are free and open to the public. Don't wait! The fall semester begins on August 22, 2016.

For more information, contact Marketing Communications Associate Director Donna Rae Sutherland at (585) 343-0055 ext. 6616, or via email: dsutherland@genesee.edu.

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