Fresno State students from the mass communication and journalism (MCJ) department got a chance to meet and eat with industry mentors Wednesday through Take a Student to Eat (T.A.S.T.E).
T.A.S.T.E was cosponsored by the MCJ department and the Fresno Advertising Federation.
The event, put together by student coordinator Veronica Chan, included more than 33 local businesses and 57 students studying advertising, public relations, and broadcast and print journalism. Businesses involved included CBS 47, Comcast, KMPH, JP Marketing, Fresno Lexus and Children’s Hospital.
Students were matched up with different business professionals based on their area of interest, and spent the morning shadowing their mentors in their respective places of work.
“It was a great experience for everyone, because we could follow around somebody that’s in your profession and see what they do at work,” Chan said, who spent her day at Fresno Lexus. “You got to see what they do in their everyday work, and what you want to do in the future.”
T.A.S.T.E’s mission is to help students find jobs and to foster relationships, said Jan Edwards, MCJ instructor.
“The event gives students a chance to experience the daily work routine of a professional in their area of interest and get a ‘taste’ of life after graduation,” Edwards said. “In this business, networking and connections are very critical so this gives our students a launching pad.”
To foster these professional relationships, the students and mentors had a networking luncheon at Pardini’s.
T.A.S.T.E hopes to continue its efforts to provide these types of opportunities for students in the coming years, Chan said.