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UVA Wise Career Fair Shows Power of College’s Career Discovery Options

Tori Villiard
Lauren Montes speaking with employer at career fair
Photo by Mark Robertson-Baker II

Last week, the 2024 Spring Career Fair was hosted by the Office of Career Discovery and Planning at the University of Virginia’s College at Wise (UVA Wise). There, students crowded around tables of regional and national employers to learn about all the exciting employment opportunities available to them. 

Several companies, organizations and schools filled the space, ready to engage with students from every major in hopes of establishing professional relationships and sharing potential job and internship opportunities. 

“The Office of Career Discovery and Planning has been so helpful to me in my journey so far,” said Lauren Montes, a UVA Wise junior, volleyball player and business administration major. “They helped me get ready for situations like this! From learning about resume writing, what to wear and how to act professionally, I was prepared for today because of them!”

Montes was one of the many students going from table to table, looking for upcoming internship opportunities.

“I ended up establishing a lot of great relationships and receiving some awesome feedback. I was told by a few organizations that they would be in touch with me soon, so I am very excited to see where that goes! Attending the fair really helped me prepare for my future, especially being in such a professional setting,” Montes added.

Some of the employers behind the table were familiar faces. From Virginia State Policeman Patrick Cantrell ’19 to Rodefor Moss accountant Austin Johnson ’20, UVA Wise alumni were scattered all throughout the fair. 

“We need more people in the accounting field, especially in this region. I think it’s really awesome being able to return to my alma mater to hopefully spark some interest in the field,” said Johnson. 

For sophomores Aidan Sower and Asha Nieminen, this was their first time utilizing the College’s career discovery and planning resources. After circling the room, they both agreed that they were very excited to continue to use the office for all their career-related needs. 

The Office of Career Discovery and Planning plans to make this an annual event.