Q-camp

Year after year, the popularity of Q-camp increases. Registration was closed shortly after it opened and the students that were lucky enough to secure a spot were eager for the weekend to arrive. In it’s eighth year, Q-camp continues to refine the career interests and goals of students, identify resources for the job search, define critical skills for internship success, and learn strategies for development as future business leaders. 

Shelley Olds Burns, director of the program since it’s inception in 2008, kicked off the weekend with “Business beyond the Classroom” followed by a “Networking 101” from Dave Luca, ’97 of Indeed.com. The man behind the “Q”, Paul Queally, R’86, co-president of Welsh, Carson, Anderson and Stowe, addressed the students about “Why Q-camp”.

After an evening of dining their way to success, an intensive etiquette dinner, 150 sophomore students are up and ready to engage in Saturday’s itinerary of career development. The day started with “The Art of Communication” and “Speed Reading People” sessions. Patti Carey, Workforce, LLC, presented the art of communication and Charles Collie, G’89, Paraclete Answers, taught students how to speed read people. Knowing how and when to communicate is the foundation on which students will build upon throughout their time at the Robins School. They will add additional skills, educational and internship experience to create the ideal candidate for the workforce. 

A new addition to Q-camp this year was the LinkedIn photo-booth. During lunch and breaks throughout the day, students had the opportunity to have headshots taken to ensure their LinkedIn profiles appear professional. Over 100 of the 150 students took advantage of the booth.

After lunch, Christina McClung, Capital One, spoke about what options there are for students during the summer. Maurice King, ’85, Nike Golf, followed with “Define Your Own Brand”. King shared his own experience at the University of Richmond and how it has helped him define himself in his career and career path.

The afternoon consisted of 6 breakout sessions. Each student chose a session that interested them the most: accounting, consulting, entrepreneurship, finance, marketing and sales, and social impact. Faculty, alumni, and community members were gracious enough to lend their expertise to the sessions.

The weekend culminated with a networking event for students to use their newly acquired skills with alumni, faculty and corporate partners. The annual Dean's Dinner closed out the evening.

Thank you to the faculty, staff, alumni and corporate partners that make Q-camp a success year after year. A special thanks to Andi Minor, special events manager, and Shelley Olds Burns, director of the center for professional skills and development.

For more information on the Q-camp Process, visit the Q-camp website.