On Friday, Oct. 24, Willamette University officially opened its renovated Career Center, marking a new era in how the university prepares its students for life after graduation. The campus community joined in the celebrations with a grand opening ceremony and ribbon cutting.
The opening of the new Career Center marks the end of a multi-year expansion of the career development services at the university. Serving students from every school at the university, the center features advising offices, private reservable interview rooms, and community spaces for career programming. The Center will be the home for career advising and mentoring, virtual or in-person interviews, educational programming, and more. The Center will also connect students with the region’s top employers for internship opportunities that build career-ready skills, shape professional identity, and forge important industry connections.
The $2 million transformation in the heart of Willamette's historic Salem campus is a visible statement that career development isn't an afterthought, but central to the Willamette experience. The investment reflects the university’s commitment to supporting students from their first day on campus through graduation and into their careers.
Willamette University Career Initiatives Executive Director Anne Lapour says that Willamette’s Career Center offers a best-in-class experience for students. “This evolution of career development at Willamette, including this new space, rivals those of even the largest institutions in our state, especially when you take into consideration the ratio of advising staff to students at a place like Willamette.”
To celebrate this milestone the university invited trustees, donors, faculty, staff and students to a grand opening event. University President Steve Thorsett recognized the strong network of donors and supporters who made this project possible. “The majority of this project is funded by alumni who continue to believe in the mission of our university,” Thorsett says, “Their generosity gives a tangible example of the positive difference these services have both on students and the university community as a whole.”
As the premier private university in Oregon, Willamette is a launchpad for connecting the skills and talents of its graduates with employers’ needs. The university’s career development team plays a crucial role in making those connections.
“Sixty percent of undergraduate students complete an internship during their time at Willamette, and nearly 100 percent of students connect with career services in some capacity,” says Lapour, “We’re trying to build career-long skills. When students graduate and land those opportunities they’ve been working toward? That’s the payoff. That’s why I love this job.”
