Moving Forward with the DRIVE for Success Career Fair
9/27/2019 11:42:00 AM | General
More than 30 companies took part in the annual event in Bryant-Denny Stadium
Zane Waddell has a plan. The SEC, NCAA, World University Games and World Champion is slated to finish up his double major in management information systems and finance right around the time he closes his storied Crimson Tide career. After that, he plans to start his career as a professional swimmer and take his shot at the 2020 Olympic Games.
And even though there was no booth for "professional swimmer" at DRIVE for Success' Career Fair held recently in the North Zone of Bryant-Denny Stadium, Waddell was still there in a suit – the business variety – talking to potential employers.
"I'm looking forward to this spring and swimming for Alabama at NCAAs, but I'm also excited about turning pro and hopefully making it to the Olympics," Waddell said. "But I also know that I need to be ready for life after swimming, so events like this are a great way to make sure I'm ready to take that next step."
Waddell and more than 100 of his fellow Crimson Tide student-athletes mixed and mingled with professionals from over 30 different companies at the annual event put on by UA's Student-Athlete Enhancement initiative.
"Being at Alabama has set me up for success," soccer's Kaley Verpaele said. "The resources we have … I am taking advantage of every ounce of it and doing that is going to help me tremendously."
Just like practicing to be the best they can in their particular sport, the career fair offers UA student-athletes the chance to practice being in a career environment.
"One big factor at The University of Alabama is that it's not just athletic and academic education but also that you grow as a person," swimmer Daniel Kober said. "I definitely notice a difference between me and my freshman year when we had a major exploration fair when we were just talking to people about our major and why we want to do that and now we have our career fair where we actually set ourselves up for the future. I feel a lot more comfortable talking to everyone and I'm enjoying the event, talking to people, meeting new people, different faces, different backgrounds."
The professionals at the career fair recognize the strengths that the Crimson Tide student-athletes bring to the table.
"We have recruited from this event the last three or four years and we have had two or three students who we've met here who have actually come out and had internships," Joe Cousineau from Mercedes-Benz said " A couple of them have come back and we are hoping to land them in a permanent role. What we like about student athletes is they have that edge, that competitiveness. They are go-getters, they're very well structured and organized and they fit well within the team. They know what it means to be within a team and they really help with the group dynamics."
Alex Jordan with the Stryker Corporation, echoed that sentiment, especially when it comes to student-athletes from his alma mater.
"We look for people who have demonstrated in their life a way to overcome obstacles, to stay dedicated and focused on a goal," Jordan said. "Athletes at this level have to work hard to achieve their goals. You have to spend a lot of time, be dedicated, so we know someone who finishes a career at the University of Alabama as a student-athlete are prepared to transition from having done that a number of times, over time, into doing that as a career, just in a different capacity."
The Career Fair is just part of Alabama Athletics' DRIVE for Success Career and Leadership Development program's ongoing efforts to provide a strong foundation for the Crimson Tide's student-athletes. Highlighted through the DRIVE acronym the program's values are Dedication, Responsibility, Influence, Vision, and Excellence. Now in its fifth year, DRIVE for Success' mission is to actively support professional and leadership growth of current and former Crimson Tide student-athletes through practical educational workshops, professional events, leadership programs and various opportunities for growth.Â
All the latest information on Alabama Athletics can be found via @UA_Athletics on Twitter and Instagram and Alabama Athletics on Facebook. You can follow Alabama's DRIVE for Success program on Twitter and Instagram via @TIDE_Enhance.
