Making Connections in the Midwest
Chili on spaghetti: in only one place in the country can such a dish seem almost normal. Yes, Cincinnati, Ohio — the Queen City of the West — a dynamic mid-sized town home to some of the world's largest and most recognizable companies and the legendary, if not notorious, Skyline Chili.
Cincinnati set the backdrop for an experiential learning journey that broadened the professional networks of a group of students from Culverhouse's First-Gen Community and opened their eyes to possible career pathways.
The visit kicked off with a day of meetings at Procter & Gamble, starting at the consumer goods giant's downtown corporate headquarters.
There, the students met with employees at different levels of responsibilities, including UA grads Lauren Evans and Jillian Fields, both senior brand managers, to learn about P&G's operations and history.
Growing up in a small town, I did not have much exposure to a company larger than 100 people, let alone a Fortune 500 level. Physically being in an office of that caliber and size gave a taste to what my day-to-day could look like. I learned what different departments do and the long-term objectives that ultimately guide the company. It created a link between the classroom and my career that I had not seen before.
Jennifer Davis, global CEO of P&G Health Care, flanked by the Culverhouse student contingent.
Jennifer Davis, global CEO of P&G Health Care, flanked by the Culverhouse student contingent.
Participating on this trip was a very memorable and eye-opening experience for me, this was my very first time attending an experiential learning trip and…I loved being able to see the different types of working environments from the bigger corporations to the businesses on a slightly smaller scale. Along with that, being able to interact with the different employees at P&G on a more personal level was very valuable.
Arianah Lomnick, Culverhouse Student
Later, students traveled to P&G's Mason Business and Innovation Center, which is home to the company’s global health care business.
One of those meetings was with Jennifer Davis, global CEO of P&G Health Care, and senior leaders within that business. Davis, who visited Culverhouse earlier in the fall and spoke to students as part of the college's Lowder Lecture Series, talked about the importance of the health care business within P&G's portfolio. Students also gained valuable knowledge on identifying consumer needs and creating beneficial solutions that make a tangible difference.
Jennifer Davis and her team talked about the importance of leadership in business. They shared about what it is like working in different parts of P&G’s business -- baby care vs. health care, marketing vs. data analytics, and how such a large set of brands can come together against a unified objective. They also spoke about their journeys as leaders, and the intricacies of performing well in business and as a team.
The Culverhouse students also learned about the thoughtful design behind P&G's Mason facility; the layout supports both current operations and expected future growth.
Meeting with them was beyond cool, having people that were so far in their careers and that had such a wealth of experience was an amazing opportunity. They were also very down to earth and charismatic; I was initially a little nervous to be interacting with people that had such illustrious positions, but they did a really good job of making us feel comfortable and important. They shared some really insightful information about how they got to where they were and about P&G as a company and what they do. They also really took the time to listen to us.
Camila Ramirez, Culverhouse Student
The students' agenda also included a networking reception with UA alumni who have made Cincinnati home. One of the attendees was Nick Ramos, who graduated from The University of Alabama in 2021 and works as a data scientist for 84.51º, the retail data science, insights, and media arm of grocer Kroger.
Later on, the students toured 84.51º's operations, where they met with some of Ramos' colleagues, including other UA alums.
"The students that visited with us in Cincinnati were great! They were genuinely curious about what the company does, what different roles look like, what it's like to live in Cincinnati, and what it's like to have a "real job." Many of them were still exploring different career paths, but it was awesome to see them connect the dots on opportunities they hadn't considered before."
Furthermore, they had a whirlwind set of other meetings across the Cincinnati metro: the group got a behind-the-scenes tour of the Cincinnati Reds stadium, made possible by the power of the Culverhouse alumni network. The students also met with leadership of boutique online baseball card retailer Dean's Cards, including Chief Marketing Officer Jon Hanley, a 2019 graduate of Culverhouse's marketing program.
Finally, students had a meeting with senior leadership at FEG Investment Advisors thanks to an introduction made by Culverhouse alum John Baschab.
And as far as the students' take on Cincinnati-style chili? Mixed opinions, but mostly unfavorable. What wasn't mixed was their positive view of Cincinnati as a possible destination for a career and life.
Gratitude to all those who helped make this trip possible and gave their time to meet with the Culverhouse students or coordinate meetings and interactions.
Discover ways to get engaged with the Culverhouse First-Gen Community by contacting Caroline Malone at caroline.malone@ua.edu.