At the Alcorn State University School of Business, the very first Wells Fargo Day took place on Thursday, January 25, 2024.
This was a two-part event, which began with Conversations with the Dean of the School of Business, Dr. Antwon Woods, and was followed by a ribbon-cutting ceremony. The renovation of the Finance Education Center began in October 2023 and ended on January 17, 2024.
The event started in the Dr. Rudolph E. Waters Sr. Classroom Building at 1:00 pm and the Master of Ceremonies was the Director of Career Services and Pre-Professional programs, Michael Harper. There were three featured panelists from Wells Fargo who attended in support of this partnership and participated in conversations with the Dean.
James Creamer works for Wells Fargo advisors as Senior Vice President and Area Manager for the Midsouth program, Ayana Collins serves as the Business Execution Consultant and Talent Acquisition and Ruby E. Fenton is the Senior Community Impact and Sustainability Specialist.
Collins emphasized their committed effort in maintaining a fruitful relationship with Alcorn.
“One of the things that we’re trying to do is really understand the course curriculum within the College of Business and where can we insert some of our knowledge and some of what we know that’s happening in the industry to incorporate into your curriculum. So, when the students are applying for an internship, they know those key words and those key concepts,” said Collins.
The discussion emphasized the importance of the bridge that is now built between Alcorn and Wells Fargo in terms of education and career development. Students were made aware of the internships and career prospects that the company has to offer for Business majors.
The panelists also stressed what Wells Fargo recruiters would be looking for in candidates. Juniors and Seniors who are applying for internships and jobs should keep in mind that the recruiters are looking for people with experience, a willingness to learn, and active participants.
The new Finance Education Center will ensure that students have the tools that they need to excel in their future training. The partnership with Wells Fargo sparked from a conversation with a mutual friend of Dr. Woods who served in the headquarters at Wells Fargo. The conversation led to Dr. Woods being introduced to the panelists who were present at Wells Fargo Day. This then led to a proposal that was met with enthusiasm and a $125,000 check that was presented at the ribbon-cutting ceremony.
It is important to note that the establishment of the Finance Education Center is very important for teaching financial literacy.
“This event was extremely important because it informs the students about financial literacy and the importance of it. It tells them about the importance of breaking down financial literacy in regard to budgeting and stock investment. Things of that nature really can be transformational for them in the financial sphere. Also, it shows them that you can do more with money instead of just the things that we have been taught in the past about money, you can expand it a whole lot,” said Woods.
Dr. Woods also has plans to have Alcorn host a stock market game that will involve local high school students. They will simulate stock trading rooms, budgeting, and investing. This is just the beginning of a great future that Alcorn will share with its community with the help of Wells Fargo.