HPU Students Make Connections with 100+ Employers at Career Summit

HIGH POINT, N.C., Oct. 2, 2026 – High Point University students met with recruiters from more than 100 national, regional and local employers during HPU’s annual Life Skills Career Summit at the Nido and Mariana Qubein Arena and Conference Center.

Students also received career advice from Teena Piccione, HPU’s Data Expert in Residence, a former Google global transformation and operations executive and the former secretary of the North Carolina Department of Information Technology.

Dressed in professional attire, students spoke with dozens of recruiters on Sept. 22 about securing summer internships or jobs after graduation. Students also had the opportunity to take a complimentary professional headshot to update their LinkedIn accounts.

HPU’s Office of Career and Professional Development organizes career and internship expos twice each academic year to connect undergraduate and graduate students with employers, including well-known brands such as Lenovo, the Charlotte Hornets, Cintas, Disney Entertainment, the FBI, Furnitureland South, Northwestern Mutual, Old Dominion Freight Line, Syngenta and Volvo. The career summit attracts companies from across the country, as well as local and state-level firms. The variety of companies offers a forum to help educate students about industries they may never have considered, said Dr. Doug Hall, HPU’s vice president of career and professional development. HPU also hosts career fairs focused on specific majors and dozens of professional events.

“We’ve got companies here that are presenting opportunities for students to develop meaningful skills and allow their first job out of college to be an earning-while-learning space,” Hall said. “This is one way we are navigating artificial intelligence. Beyond great tools and resources, this is very important for students to have live interaction and human-to-human connections. We also have alumni representatives here and they want to talk to our students.”

Students Gain Insight, Networking Skills

Tyler and Nicholas Jung, twin senior business administration majors, participated in the career summit to explore their options.

“First, it’s to connect with potential employers and see if I can set up future meetings and get a job offer,” said Tyler, who is from Long Island, New York. “It’s simply beneficial because they’re all here in one spot.”

Although he already landed a full-time job after graduation, Nicholas attended career fairs during each of his four years at HPU “to get more experience, talk with professionals and get better at talking with them.”

Tracy Steingard, a junior finance major with a minor in healthcare management, said he participated in the career summit with a goal of getting his foot in the door with healthcare companies.

“I want to meet as many organizations as I can to network with the companies,” said Steingard, who is from Atlantic City, New Jersey. “I want experience talking with the companies and the people in charge.”

Networking with healthcare administrators also was a goal for Pierre Dobbelmann, a senior business administration major.

“I also have construction management experience so I’m approaching a few of the construction companies that are here,” said Dobbelmann, who is from Manchester, Vermont. “I’ve applied to most of them already, so I’m trying to get them to send my name down the line.”

Alumni Return to Recruit and Mentor

Alexa Ondrush, a Class of 2022 alumna who works as a talent acquisition coordinator for The Walt Disney Company in New York City, was one of several alumni from across the country who returned to campus to recruit or mentor students. She was happy to renew connections she made last year with HPU’s career development team.

“I also met students last year who were passionate about Disney and reached out to me through LinkedIn,” Ondrush said. “I’m excited to see the same students again and hope they will reach out to me when they graduate and they’re ready to apply.”

Kiersten Garland, a Class of 2018 alumna who works at Furnitureland South, said the nation’s largest furniture retail store values HPU students’ professionalism and hires them often.

“The CEO and co-owner of our company (Jeff Harris) went to school here, as well,” said Garland, who is originally from Pennsylvania. “We get feedback from our leadership team all the time that HPU students are really a step above. We want to be here to network with these students and educate them on the furniture industry opportunities in their backyard.”

Melissa Vernon, a Class of 1996 alumna who works as a Chick-fil-A human resources director, said she was glad to return to campus because everything HPU does is extraordinary and its students are outstanding. “We want to be part of that community with High Point University to help our team members excel,” she said.

Elizabeth Schroeder, a Class of 2023 alumna who works for the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets as an account manager in membership services, was happy to return to campus to provide students with more knowledge about how to connect with a professional sports team.

“I always like to come home and be a part of High Point University to give back to it and help students learn. It makes my heart feel good,” she said.

Schroeder also mentors Karsen MacDougall, a Class of 2026 alumna who joined the Hornets as an inside sales representative. “It’s a nice development learning position,” said MacDougall, who is from Columbia, South Carolina. “We’re glad to be here and it’s awesome to be back.”

Caitlin Black, a Class of 2025 alumna who works for Old Dominion Freight Line as an IT program coordinator, said the company was interested in motivated students who were looking for a 10-week summer internship or a management training job. “Depending on how successful you are in an internship, you can be offered a full-time role,” she said.

That was the experience of Black and Olivia Herrin, a senior strategic communication major with a dual minor in graphic design and social media marketing, whose summer internship led to a job that will start after her graduation.

“Old Dominion was a great opportunity for me to be able to get into a real-world experience,” said Herrin, who is from Salisbury, North Carolina. “I feel the group genuinely cared about me and my success and wants to see me learn and grow.”

Valentino Flynn, a financial analyst with Syngenta, said the global agricultural technology company wanted to meet with students interested in research, plant technology and sustainable food solutions. “We’re a big company and we’re trying to build more of a local presence, source more talent and be more active with recruiting,” he said.

Career Outlook Beyond AI

The day began with Piccione addressing an audience of students and employers in the Earl N. Phillips School of Business. She spoke on the topic, “Standing Out When AI Flattens You Out.”

The former Google executive said AI is nothing more than a tool that people must learn to use correctly and make sure is accurate. The human aspect is what keeps it relevant. Students’ resumes compete against AI-crafted resumes and are reviewed by AI.

“When you think about it, when you graduate, you are graduating into a world that did not exist four years ago,” she said. “The most valuable person in an organization is the one willing to connect technology to human impact.”

To stand out, Piccione noted the differentiators are real relationships, connections with people who know you and the networks you build. She encouraged students to not only network at career fairs, but to go early, stay late, ask relevant questions, volunteer, strive to make a difference and be authentic in all they do. She was introduced by her daughter, Jennifer Piccione Lee, a Class of 2025 HPU alumna who works at Amazon. Later in the day, Piccione shared lunch with MBA students and met with business fellows and the deans of the business school and the Webb School of Engineering.

Piccione’s advice to students about how to set themselves apart from others, including little tips like following up with a handwritten thank-you note, was meaningful for Chanelle Vargas, a sophomore entrepreneurship major with a minor in social media and digital communication.

“I feel like my main takeaway was not to be average and not to do everything everyone else is doing,  which is kind of a given at this school because they emphasize that statement a lot,” said Vargas, who is from New York City.

Liam Fogel, a junior finance major, said he previously met Piccione because his father worked with her in the past. When it came time for Fogel to look for a college to attend, his father reached out to Piccione her for a recommendation.

Fogel said he could relate to Piccione’s advice about the importance of networking, especially when applying for jobs and internships.

“For me, it’s something I try to practice in terms of finding personal ways to connect with people,” said Fogel, who is from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. “Having that personal connection can help your resume rise to the top and help your chances of getting through the applicant tracking system. Once you do get through, you’ll have a familiar face and name to reach out to.”

Kyndall Quinn, a senior marketing major, found Piccione’s session informative. Although she is not focused on technology, she learned other job roles are needed roles at a tech company.

“She kept me engaged the whole time,” said Quinn, who is from Fayetteville, North Carolina. “Another thing I took away from it was her emphasizing using HPU resources for creating a resume and LinkedIn. It’s easier to see why it’s so beneficial when you see actual products coming back and telling us this really does work and sets you apart from somebody else.”