Georgia’s Own Credit Union, the third largest credit union in the state, announced a three-year, $300,000 partnership with Georgia State University’s (GSU) Career Advancement Center. A division of the Robinson College of Business, the initiative is designed to engage undergraduate students and offer opportunities to match their formal education with “real-world” opportunities from the local business community. 

Focused on sophomores within the Robinson College of Business, the program will include guest speakers from Georgia’s Own and other prominent businesses, opportunities to shadow Georgia’s Own employees in their workspaces, student panel discussions, advanced classes in the areas of personal and professional development, internship placement and more.

“This partnership will open so many doors for students striving to take their first steps into the business world,” said Georgia’s Own president and CEO Dave Preter. “We are incredibly excited to play a role in shaping the futures of GSU’s business students and can’t wait to see the impact this will have on their academic careers and beyond.”

The $300,000 commitment will fuel the program for the next three years, with the goal to engage at least 1,000 students annually with the multitude of programs and events offered by the school and the Career Advancement Center. As the driving force behind the initiative, Georgia’s Own will have priority access to the graduates from this program, creating a pipeline of diverse talent ready to make an impact locally. 

“Robinson is always looking for ways to grow and bridge the gap between business education and the business world, so we are very grateful to Georgia’s Own for playing such an active role in this effort,” said Richard D. Phillips, dean of the Robinson College of Business. “From both our research and anecdotal evidence, we know how critical sophomore year is in setting the tone for future success, so Georgia’s Own’s investment in this program will undoubtedly pay dividends for our students and the community-at-large.”

For more information on GSU’s Career Advancement Center, please visit robinson.gsu.edu.