HPU Students Make Connections with Employers at Life Skills Career Summit

High Point University students met with recruiters from national, regional and local employers on Sept. 23 during HPU’s annual Life Skills Career Summit at the Nido and Mariana Qubein Arena and Conference Center. Pictured at left was Brayden Moraes, who is pursuing a master’s degree in communication and business leadership, talking with Natasha Nieves, university recruiter for research and advisory firm Gartner.

HIGH POINT, N.C., Sept. 26, 2025 – High Point University students met with recruiters from national, regional and local employers on Sept. 23 during HPU’s annual Life Skills Career Summit at the Nido and Mariana Qubein Arena and Conference Center.

Dressed in professional attire, students spoke with dozens of recruiters, including from well-known brands such as Gartner, Northwestern Mutual, Cintas and Coca-Cola Consolidated, about securing a summer internship or a job after graduation. They also had the opportunity to take a complimentary professional headshot to update their LinkedIn accounts.

“Networking is obviously very important but also how you present yourself,” said Catrina Gromley, a freshman from Centerville, Maryland, who is majoring in exercise science and dance. “This is an amazing opportunity for us, especially as freshmen. A lot of other universities won’t do this for underclassmen, so it’s nice to get more comfortable with networking, and it gives us chances to experience it.”

Ben Hickey, a freshman pre-pharmacy major from Windham, New Hampshire, made connections with multiple companies.

“This is a steppingstone to an internship or possible job in the future,” Hickey said. “I would love the experience of working in the pharmacy field, even if it’s in the back of a CVS pharmacy and then moving into an actual lab setting doing drug development or quality control with medicine. I want to be a pharmacist to help people who need medication and have trouble with resources in any way I can.”

Violeta Ruiz Sanchez, a freshman biology major on the pre-medical track, agreed the career fair gave students the opportunity to practice presenting themselves to recruiters and potential employers.

“It’s one thing to learn about networking, and it’s another to be in a live setting like this and actually present yourself,” said Sanchez, who is from Huntersville, North Carolina. “It’s important to make and keep up connections with people because who you know is just as important as what you know.”

Natasha Nieves, university recruiter for research and advisory firm Gartner, encourages students to meet employers so they can start to figure out what they want to do and have conversations about what the jobs look like.

“We’re getting an idea of what the job market is like because as freshmen we really haven’t done anything like this,” said Brooks Carpenter, a finance major from Hagerstown, Maryland. “We’re just figuring out how to get internships and how to make connections. I’m starting to make connections with people to see where I can best fit in the future.”

Mark Metcalf, a senior majoring in computer science and game design with a concentration in cybersecurity, made connections with Coca-Cola Consolidated and the North Carolina Department of Information Technology at the career fair.

“It was a good learning experience,” Metcalf said. “You’ve just got to put yourself out there with possible employers.”

Meanwhile, Brayden Moraes, who is from Alpharetta, Georgia, is pursuing a master’s degree in communication and business leadership. He met recruiters from different companies while walking around the conference center and learning what opportunities are available for students.