Alcorn students attend Toyota career fair

Alcorn students attend Toyota career fair

As part of a mutual cooperation between Alcorn State University and Toyota Motor Corporation, Alcorn students had a chance to attend a Historically Black Colleges and Universities Consortium Career Fair hosted by Toyota in Jackson, Mississippi, March 24, 2014.

During the morning session, the company provided an overview of its operations and gave students an opportunity to dialogue with representatives from various departments within Toyota. The afternoon session was dedicated to interviewing selected students for cooperatives and full-time post-graduation employment. Students had an opportunity to network and gain information about potential employment opportunities.

Dr. Valerie K. Thompson, assistant vice president for Professional Development and Readiness, attended the initial meeting to begin the path of building a talent pipeline between Alcorn and Toyota. Three Alcorn students selected for interviews were Dominick Fears, a senior robotics and automation technology major, Ka’Shield Shaw, a senior biology/ pre-physical therapy major, and Justin Johnson, a senior agriculture business management major.

Fears was elated when Toyota representatives offered him a co-op position for summer 2014. He states, “Attending this career fair is a significant step for me on my path to becoming an engineer. I gained a higher level of awareness of how Toyota operates and met its dedicated team members.”

At the Fair, Alcorn students also met their peers from Coahoma Community College, Jackson State University, Mississippi Valley State University, Rust College, and Tougaloo College.