ELIZABETH CITY, N.C. (March 11, 2024) – Out of 150 applicants, Elizabeth City State University (ECSU) junior Qua’Nisha Clemons, was one of 12 students selected for this year’s Emerging Leaders Engagement Thurgood Marshall College Fund event.
The three-day experience was, “a game changer in some career choices that align perfectly with my skills, values, career aspirations, and desires,” said Clemons, a business administration student.
Clemons and the 2024 cohort were recently hosted by the hospitality and culinary company Aramark to discuss business leadership, strategies within the company’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion department, and diverse supply chain opportunities within collegiate hospitality. Program organizers fashioned the experience to immerse students in Aramark culture.
Event offerings included meetings with executives, career development sessions, a trip to an Aramark client location, an open exchange with Aramark employees who graduated from minority-serving institutions, and meeting an alumnus of the historically Black college and university (HBCU) Emerging Leaders Program.
Visiting Aramark’s corporate headquarters in Philadelphia, Pa. was a thrill, Clemons said.
“While representing my university, I had the privilege to bring insights, strategies, and possible opportunities back to my campus and implement feedback as a student leader,” she said. “I look forward to making an impact on campus.”
Long-term, Clemons aspires towards a career in marketing or sales in the collegiate hospitality division of Aramark or another organization. Among others, she credits Kim Scott, assistant professor in the ECSU Department of Business, Accounting and Sports Management, for helping her prepare to be present among other HBCU attendees, including students from Bowie State University, North Carolina Central University, Fayetteville State University, and South Carolina State University.
“Qua’Nisha's participation in the emerging leaders program with Aramark is a testament to her remarkable commitment to personal and professional growth,” Scott said. “As her professor, I couldn't be [more proud] of her exemplary display of leadership skills and her unwavering determination to make a difference.”