Randolph-Macon College students learned the importance of career preparation at the eighth-annual EDGE Career Boot Camp. Facilitated by the EDGE Center for Career Development and 250-plus alumni, faculty, staff, and other connections to the college, Boot Camp took place February 7-8, 2020 on campus.

A Competitive Advantage
Boot Camp is an integral part of the EDGE, RMC’s four-year career program that provides students with a competitive advantage when applying for jobs or graduate school. A fast-paced immersion program, Boot Camp helps students identify their career passions and polish their interview and communication skills as they prepare for life after college.

Boot Camp participants developed their own elevator speech and “brand,” learned how to communicate with confidence, and identified their strengths and capabilities—all with the help of expert speakers and facilitators, including RMC alumni.

This year, 175 students participated in Boot Camp. In addition, six Ambassadors (students who participated in last year’s Boot Camp) and one student assistant helped the weekend run smoothly.  

A Unique Network
Throughout the weekend, Boot Camp participants attended workshops and engaged in simulated interviews.

“I’m so thankful to attend a college that offers such unique experiences and has a network of staff, students and alumni who have a vested interest in every individual connected to the college,” says Chloe Hodges ’22, a political science and environmental studies major. “Boot Camp was rewarding, challenging and a great deal of fun, and I look forward to supporting the college though events like this as a lifelong Yellow Jacket.”

Taylor Dean Latham ’21, a business management major and communication studies minor, says, “This was a wonderful experience that I thoroughly enjoyed. By attending Boot Camp, I feel more confident. I learned a lot of skills that I know I will implement throughout my life.”

For Will Mullins ’22, Boot Camp was an opportunity to learn, grow and plan for the future.  

“I greatly appreciate the opportunities that Boot Camp offered and will be utilizing the skills I learned,” says the business major and accounting minor.  

“Boot Camp opened my mind,” says political science major and criminology minor Roddy Watson ’21. “I am now confident that I can walk into an internship knowing what to do and what not to do. I am grateful that I could participate and learn from our alumni who have accomplished so much.”  

At the Entrepreneurial Workshop, Board of Trustees member Adam Vasquez ’99 discussed the entrepreneurial spirit, growth mindset and how to bring ideas to life as an entrepreneur or an intrapreneur. Vasquez has also been a reoccurring face in the EDGE Entrepreneurship program.

A Different Perspective
RMC Computer Science Professor John McManus ’84, one of many alumni who volunteered during the weekend, says Boot Camp is one of his favorite events.

“This was my seventh Boot Camp,” says McManus. “It gives me a chance to see our students from a different perspective. I really enjoying getting to know students from other disciplines and hearing their stories. I am always impressed by their preparation, their focus, and their growing self-confidence. You can see the students applying what they are learning over the two days. Hearing students talk about what they have learned, and how they can apply that knowledge, is really fulfilling. I am also appreciative of the faculty, alumni and friends of the college who volunteer their time. They bring talent, experience and energy to Boot Camp.”

Keynote Speaker
Bill Crouch, Founder & CEO of BrightDot, delivered a riveting keynote presentation about how to connect the dots in life—strengths, experiences, relationships, and opportunities—that will lead to moments of joy, success and legacy. Yellow Jackets walked away inspired to be “eagles that soar to great heights.”

Awards Dinner 
This was the first year for the Awards Dinner and was a way for the EDGE to recognize those who have been excellent in their service towards Boot Camp. EDGE Executive Director Dontrese Brown and Associate Director Josh Quinn presented the first EDGE Excellence in Service Awards to Jeffrey Allende, Shelley Burns ’87, Spencer Gilmore ’89, John McManus ’84 and Bill Sprinkle ’67.

Growing and Flourishing
Brown says Boot Camp is an essential part of the Randolph-Macon experience.

“Boot Camp is an incredible opportunity—one that has repercussions well beyond the two-day program. Yellow Jackets tell us time and time again that Boot Camp helps them sharpen their communication and networking skills and steer them toward a future in which their purpose and passions align.”   

The Randolph-Macon EDGE
At Randolph-Macon College, everything’s connected. Our curriculum challenges students; our EDGE Center for Career Development turns skills into action. With an extraordinary education and the help of faculty advisors, coaches, and alumni, preparation for success begins the moment students set foot on campus. The EDGE takes students from résumé-building to networking opportunities to careers. Yellow Jackets learn how to be leaders, thinkers and communicators.