Submissions (2)
Accepted (2):
Bridging the Gap Between Education and Employment — Michelle Hale <mahale@southalabama.edu>
This session introduces LevelUP initiatives that were designed to help students build their sense of identity, engage in career readiness, and communicate professionally at both undergraduate and graduate levels. Grounded in the conference theme Humans, Humanity, and the Humanities, these projects focused on the human experience of learning, exploring how identity, values, reflection, and purpose shape academic pathways, leadership engagement, and workforce preparation. Examples include helping Honor students develop their intersecting personal and professional identities, encouraging graduate students to use ePortfolios, supporting leadership skills in student organizations, and using competency-based digital portfolios in executive nursing programs. Participants will engage in guided discussions, reflect on targeted prompts, and share strategies that support holistic student growth. By the conclusion of this session, attendees will acquire new approaches for facilitating connections between student identity and career planning, integrating reflective and skills-based outcomes to help students connect their identity to their future career plans, and generating actionable strategies to enhance student self-awareness, communication, and alignment between academic experiences and future employment. ## Presenters - Michelle Hale <mahale@southalabama.edu>, University of South Alabama - Sohee Kim <skim@southalabama.edu>, South Alabama - Heather Sprinkle <hsprinkle@southalabama.edu>, South Alabama - Donna Streeter <dcopeland@southalabama.edu>, South Alabama - Megan Sparks <msparks@southalabama.edu>, South Alabama - Michelle Hale <mahale@southalabama.edu>, South Alabama - Julie Estis <jestis@southalabama.edu>, South Alabama
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From Student to Professional: Intentional Strategies for Career Readiness — Michelle Hale <mahale@southalabama.edu>
As AI reshapes higher education and workforce expectations, academic advising and mentoring must remain deeply human-centered while intentionally advancing career readiness. This interdisciplinary panel from the University of South Alabama presents five LevelUP initiatives spanning the full student lifecycle: first-year students, majors, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows. Across disciplines, these projects embed career mapping, career competency development, leadership identity formation, and workforce alignment into advising and mentoring structures. These initiatives position advising and mentoring as a developmental space where students cultivate professional identity and career readiness. Through brief project snapshots and engaging dialogue with the audience, participants will explore scalable and transferable strategies for integrating career readiness into advising at multiple academic levels. Attendees will leave with adaptable strategies that strengthen student advising and career development frameworks that can be implemented to suit classroom to program needs. ## Presenters - Michelle Hale <mahale@southalabama.edu>, University of South Alabama - Molly Miller <mollymiller@southalabama.edu>, South Alabama - Jessica Owsley <jessicasims@southalabama.edu>, South Alabama - Alani Rodgers <arodgers@southalabama.edu>, South Alabama - Bailey Smith <baileysmith@southalabama.edu>, South Alabama - Megan Sparks <msparks@southalabama.edu>, South Alabama - Michelle Hale <mahale@southalabama.edu>, South Alabama - Julie Estis <jestis@southalabama.edu>, South Alabama
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