Abby Peschges/Winonan

The Warrior Success Center is now offering community service opportunities for Winona State University students to work alongside employers in Winona, Rochester and the surrounding areas.

The Warrior-Employer Community Impact programs aim to teach students how to network and give them the opportunity to do so.

Students can sign up for offered programs on EZ link or create their own by contacting DeAnna Goddard, Associate Director of Career Services. “The end goal is to connect students and employees while giving back to the community,” Goddard said.

It began when a panel of students stated that they wanted more of a connection with employers earlier in their careers. By working alongside employers, students are able to learn how local companies give back to the community and what employers are looking for when they hire. Each service opportunity consists of working on a project and having a chance to hear from the employer.

By working with employers, students are also able to see the kind of culture that certain companies have.
Goddard, who organized the program, said that networking is a vital part of being hired, and it is important for students to understand how to do it.

The number of students allowed to participate in each project is limited; this ensures the networking can happen more easily.

Students who sign up for an Impact project are required to be dedicated and actively engaged in the project. They must attend an orientation session prior to the event and will receive a book of daily readings that has a different organization assigned to every day of the year with information on how to get involved.

“If every person gave one hour to someone else a week, imagine how much better the world could be,” Goddard said.
She hopes that these projects will give students ideas in how to incorporate community service into their everyday lives before and after they graduate.

Contact Abby at [email protected]