Thirteen underrepresented minority students majoring in business and communications took advantage of a special opportunity to engage in a CEO Roundtable with UW alumnus and former Educational Opportunity Program (EOP) student, Kim Hunter, ’82, at PACCAR Hall on Jan. 30.
The meeting, hosted by the UW Office of Minority Affairs and Diversity, gave students the chance to network and receive job-search advice from Hunter, president and CEO of LAGRANT COMMUNICATIONS, a Los Angeles-based multicultural marketing communications firm that specializes in African American and Hispanic markets. Hunter established the company in 1990 and eight years later, started The LAGRANT Foundation, a non-profit organization that provides scholarships, career-development workshops, internships, and mentorships to underrepresented minority students pursuing degrees in advertising, marketing, and public relations.
Dr. Sheila Edwards Lange, vice president for minority affairs and vice provost for diversity, introduced Hunter to the group. Also in attendance was Dr. Thaddeus Spratlen, professor emeritus of marketing with the UW Foster School of Business. In his remarks, Hunter noted that Dr. Spratlen was the only professor of color in the School of Business when he attended UW and served as a strong role model for him when he was a student.
Hunter talked about his experience at UW, gave helpful advice about resume writing and job interviews, and stressed the importance of securing internships. He also encouraged students to get their applications in for the scholarships awarded by his foundation and gave them tips for remaining connected to possible internship opportunities. Following Hunter’s remarks, students were able to ask questions and then talk individually.
LAGRANT COMMUNICATIONS celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2010, and The LAGRANT Foundation has awarded more than $1 million to 170 ethnic minority students nationwide. Both milestones were covered in the Fall 2010 issue of Viewpoints.
View photos from the CEO Roundtable with Kim Hunter.
Photos by Erin Rowley