By Elizabeth Condall and Julianna Moreland
William Peace University is hosting their seventh annual Purpose @ Peace Event where students who attend can speak with future employers, university faculty, learn about potential internships, and connect with students clubs and organizations.
Students who attend will also be awarded with a free Jay’s Italian Ice, which will be at the event.
The engagement fair is being held on Wednesday, Sept.13 from 1:30-4 p.m. on Main Lawn.
Erin Guarine, who is helping to coordinate the event, called it a “one-stop shop” with a wide variety of opportunities.
“The goal is to have one place where students can get connected both on and off campus in the greater community of Raleigh,” said Guarine, an academic and career advisor.
Students can explore majors with representative from academic departments and connect with clubs or other activities. Campus partners such as residence life and will have booths, as will community partners such as the YMCA, which has provided both internships and part-time jobs to students Peace.
Some students are required to attend Purpose @ Peace for certain classes like PDS 300 and the internship class. Other instructors offer extra credit for attending.
Abby Joachim, a senior at WPU, has attended the fair in the past. She encourages all students, but particularly first-year students, to attend.
“I got to meet new people, make new friends, and gain connections,” Joachim said. “It can be lonely your freshman year, this is an excellent way to reach out.”
Keslee Hylton, a senior and president of the student club Peace Ministries, has found the fair to be a useful way to make a first contact with students who might be interested in joining.
“It allows students to learn about all the clubs and organizations on campus so they know what they would like to be involved in,” Hylton said. “If someone goes their whole college career uninvolved and not connected, it is likely they will feel unfulfilled by the end of it.”