Our Sessions
Learn more about each conference session and plan your day with the full conference schedule.
12:00-1:00 p.m.
Designing Your Life
Session Speaker: Bill Burnett
Session True Blue Skill: Values Driven
Session Location: Virtual; Watch Party in Sheslow Auditorium
The question “What do I want to be when I grow up?” is one that never truly goes away. Whether you are a college grad entering the workforce, a forty year-old shifting careers, or a sixty-eight year-old trying to define an encore career, the search for a fulfilling life never stops. In this riveting keynote that can be adapted to a hands-on workshop, award-winning product designer Bill Burnett teaches audiences how to look at career and life planning through the lens of design. Participants are given the tools to build their way forward and to develop various life scenarios just like a designer tests multiple prototypes. This approach fosters creativity and adaptability and allows audiences to accept that there is never just one right path.
Keynote
1:00-1:45 p.m.
Discovering my identity and designing my life; It’s not an end but a journey.
Session Speaker: Neil Ward, MFA
Session True Blue Skill: Values Driven
Session Location: Levitt Hall, Old Main
It was the Spring of 2021, and I was filing for divorce. I had failed as a human to keep a relationship strong and healthy. Everything I had thought was true and solid about myself and my world had just evaporated. It made me question my identity, my choices, my career and if I even liked what my life had become. To sum it up - who am I now and what do I want my future to be? This presentation will provide visuals, a timeline, and resources along with the successes and failures into my own identity and life design journey. It will also cover how I engage with identity discovery in my classroom.
Breakout
1:00-1:45 p.m.
There's More to Community Engagement than Engaging with the Community: Building Skills for the Workforce
Session Speaker: Leslie Jackson, OTD, MEd, OT/L, FAOTA
Session True Blue Skill: Global/Intercultural Understanding
Session Location: Virtual; Watch Party in Sheslow Auditorium
Evidence demonstrates that students who participate in community engaged learning while in school can lead to increased student achievement and higher graduation rates. As students participate in meaningful, real-world learning opportunities, they learn how to solve local problems, contribute to civic life, and respond to a changing economy. It is through these activities that students develop the "soft skills" and professional behaviors valued by employers. In this session, a group of recent Drake graduates and soon-to-graduate students will share their reflections on their experiences engaging the community and how it has prepared them for life after Drake.
Breakout
2:00-2:45 p.m.
Understanding and Navigating Cultural Diversity in Healthcare
Session Speaker: Corey Lewis
Session True Blue Skill: Global/Intercultural Understanding
Session Location: Levitt Hall, Old Main
Understanding and Navigating Cultural Diversity in Healthcare aims to talk about the importance of cultural awareness in healthcare and provide strategies for building cultural competence. The presentation covers the impact of cultural differences on healthcare, real-life examples of the challenges and solutions, and resources for further learning and engagement. The goal is to empower those in the audience to navigate cultural diversity effectively and provide equitable care for patients from diverse backgrounds.
Sponsored by: The Ralph and Sylvia G. Green Family Foundation
Breakout
2:00-2:45 p.m.
Global Careers and Post-Graduate Opportunities
Session Speakers: Annique Kiel, MA
Session True Blue Skill: Global/Intercultural Understanding
Session Location: Virtual; Watch Party in Sheslow Auditorium
Have you thought about living and working abroad after graduation? Join the Office of Global Engagement for a panel discussion with Drake faculty, local business leaders, and recent alumni to learn about their experiences in a global career field and international opportunities for students after graduation. One such opportunity is the Fulbright U.S. Student Program, considered the largest and most prestigious educational exchange program, which provides recent college graduates, graduate students, and young professionals the opportunity to continue their education or professional development through research and/or teaching English in a foreign country.
Breakout
3:00-3:45 p.m.
The Best You: Your Key to Career Success
Session Speaker: Bernie Frazier, SPHR
Session True Blue Skill: Growth Mindset
Session Location: Virtual; Watch Party in Sheslow Auditorium
When striving for success, many people focus on working hard and doing good work. Both are important, but are they enough to help you achieve your goals? If you really want to be successful, the best thing you can do is show up as your best YOU. Bernie will share powerful insights to help you understand the areas in which showing up at your best are critical for your success. By always putting your best you forward, you can secure greater leadership support, access to growth and development opportunities, and greater career satisfaction. In this talk, Bernie shares:
- - What “showing up” looks like, and its impact on your future opportunities
- - The eight areas of the Career Success TreeTM which are critical for your understanding and to your career success
- - Tips for maximizing your opportunities to show up as your best
Sponsored by: JW Paquette Family
Breakout
3:00-3:45 p.m.
Building Your Skills and Resume through Community Engagement Experiences
Session Speaker: Amanda Martin, M.Ed.
Session True Blue Skill: Global/Intercultural Understanding
Session Location: Levitt Hall, Old Main
Getting involved in community engagement efforts can help you build the True Blue Skills that employers are looking for. Additionally, 82% of employers prefer applicants with volunteer experience. In this session, you'll learn about why it's important to include your service and community engagement experiences on your resume and best practices for doing so. You'll have the chance to workshop some resume bullet points with other students, so feel free to bring a copy of your current resume.
Breakout
