Spiders rarely back down from a challenge because we believe that at UR, we’re not just taught about the challenges of the world, we’re taught how to tackle them, too.

Students from the School of Arts & Sciences recently collaborated with faculty and alumni to learn how to use their Richmond education to build a career that they love. A&S NEXT is one of UR’s school-based career development programs, along with the Jepson School of Leadership Studies’ EDGE Institute and the Robins School of Business’ Q-Camp.

Learning from other successful Spiders from a variety of industries, the undergrads gained hands-on experience that will help them leverage their A&S education into life after UR. Armed with expertise and experience in contemporary issues ranging from food deserts to gentrification, our faculty and alumni led student groups to identify how their varying educational experiences and skillsets could be translated into team-based complex problem solving — something employers say is highly valuable.

“This program aims to foster educational growth in our students and prepare them for a successful transition out of college,” A&S Dean Patrice Rankine said. “We want to ensure each of our students is prepared to activate their education for lives of purpose that initiate positive change in our local, national, and global communities.”

A&S NEXT’s workshops are the latest example of the strength of our alumni network. We’re so proud the Spider connection is a lifelong one, and thankful our current students are able to benefit from our alums’ work experience.