There were some big changes for K.O.C. in the final month of the school year! From jumpstarting our K.O.C. Ambassadors program to resume building and mock interview sessions, we capped off the year with some serious professional development for our students. With the summer upon us we’re already working on improving and developing K.O.C. for its second year at Booker T. Washington, but for now let’s look back at how the last month shaped the organization.
As we move into K.O.C.’s sophomore year, we’re getting ready to implement the K.O.C. Ambassadors program, the second phase in K.O.C.’s four-year plan. Our most dedicated students from the last year will be working alongside staff to organize presentations, mentor younger students, and continue to expand their and our professional networks. K.O.C. Ambassadors are will be taught to take ownership over not only their own development, but the development of their younger peers, and will have access to K.O.C. resources to support them. Under staff supervision, these students will be thrust in management roles, and will sharpen their leadership and professional collaboration skills in the best way possible—by using them every day. We are very excited to see how the students bloom in the Ambassadors program, and we can’t wait to see what the year ahead has in store for them! Our K.O.C. Ambassadors truly are professionals in progress!
As our freshman year curriculum came to a close, we held sessions for our students on resume building and mock interview sessions. With assistance from the University of Miami’s Public Health masters program, we held a class session in which all students, not only those enrolled in the K.O.C. program, were invited to go over the basics of building an effective and impressive resume, which was followed by one-on-one tutelage during which each student created a resume of their own. From page structure to detailed academic lists, the students each constructed resumes that would be impressive to any employer!
After the resumes were finished, the students continued to a lecture on interview etiquette and technique, followed by individualized mock interviews. Each student was interviewed by a K.O.C. staff member or a UM masters student, who asked them questions relevant to their professional aspirations that would be asked in a professional interview. Students were corrected on answers and behavior during the session, and given the chance to improve upon and change their responses, and quickly became comfortable in the interview setting, providing unique and explanatory responses to questions provided. Some of the students even told us about summer work they’ve been pursuing, and we can’t wait to see them all again in August to learn how their interviews and jobs went!
Finally, over the past year K.O.C. has been strengthening our connections and relationship with the neighborhoods around us, especially local businesses and restaurants. After having recent events at The Vagabond Hotel, Boxelder bottleshop, and Libertine Miami, as well as receiving sponsored raffle prizes from locations such as Wynwood Brewery and Kush restaurant, we only want to develop these relationships more, so expect to have more opportunities this summer to meet and create connections with young and established local professionals. We’d like to give such a huge thank you to everyone who donated and supported us this year, and we invite you to like our Facebook page to stay up-to-date with all our upcoming events and opportunities this summer!
