Students have the opportunity to connect with professionals from the Butler community at a monthly networking event. Photo courtesy of Carolyn Gentle-Genitty.
LILY O’CONNOR | NEWS EDITOR | lkoconnor@butler.edu
This semester, Butler’s Founder’s College launched its Friends of Founder’s College: Bridge to Bond program, which provides monthly networking events. Faculty, staff and alumni are invited on the Friday before or the seventh day of every month to connect with Butler students within all colleges.
Held from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. — the “bridge” between the Founder’s College morning and afternoon classes — in the Founder’s College Commons, the program allows a unique networking opportunity catered to the interests of Founder’s College students.
Carolyn Gentle-Genitty, the inaugural dean of the Founder’s College, conceptualized and organized the program. She invited professionals that directly relate to the career goals of the Founder’s students and who expressed interest in supporting students in the Founder’s College.
“One student was asking about being a judge when she leaves Founder’s, so we invited a judge to be there,” Gentle-Genitty said.
Additionally, the professionals that the students meet are encouraged to exchange contact information to connect with and follow up at least three times throughout the year, whether that be for coffee or a Zoom call.
Karmani Burton, a first-year business management studies major in the Founder’s College, talked to a few professionals at the event relating to her goal of working in real estate.
“We met a lot of nice people,” Burton said. “All of the companies opened all of our eyes. They gave us a lot of knowledge about how it actually is in the industry — rather than what you perceive from the outside of the industry — actually knowing how their day-to-day goes, what they go through and how they got there.”
Gentle-Genitty believes that Bridge to Bond provides a space for the Butler community to get to know students, especially those in the Founder’s College.
“[The program] is held at Founder’s for students to showcase their skills and interests, but also for [the] community, Butler affiliates and Butler staff and faculty come and learn about our students, so that it removes the stigma,” Gentle-Genitty said. “When people are new, there’s a distance between you. You don’t connect as often. And so after you’ve crossed that bridge, then you bond.”
The first event was on Oct. 7, drawing about 50% attendance of Founder’s College students and over 20 community members, alumni, faculty and staff. The last two events of the semester are on Friday, Nov. 7 and Friday, Dec. 5.
Gentle-Genitty expects even higher attendance for the next events after receiving feedback from both students and the Butler community that the event was beneficial for both parties.
Participating students agreed that the Bridge to Bond event aided in developing networking skills and made them more confident in their ability to achieve their goals.
“The Bridge to Bond and just being in Founder’s, in general, is very beneficial,” Burton said. “We’re gaining a lot of knowledge and skills. We’re learning our strengths [and] our weaknesses. People who came here didn’t know how they’re going to succeed … Founder’s has set that path and [is saying] we’re here to support you.”
Tia Miles, a first-year business management studies major in the Founder’s College and Butler’s Student Government Association Founder’s College senator, explained the advantages of networking with Butler alumni, faculty and staff.
“Most of the people who came were Butler alumni, so I think the benefit is seeing how Butler, even after you graduate, continues to help you,” Miles said. “[Some] also work at Butler, so seeing how Butler helps you after college, or how they formed you during your college years [is also a benefit].”
Clerwold “Kiki” Haure, a first-year business data analytics major in the Founder’s College, attended the first event. He expressed gratitude for Founder’s and the Bridge to Bond program for supporting him in achieving his career goals.
“I think Founder’s is one of the biggest ways for students that didn’t even know how they’re going to succeed in life [to find their way],” Haure said. “[The Bridge to Bond program] helped us through the process of being a Butler student and also being somebody that we didn’t know we could be.”
