ONE YEAR INTO THE CHARLOTTE TALENT INITIATIVE


Initiative (CTI) in 2022. The program's overarching goals are to promote and stimulate economic mobility for driven individuals and talented young people, regardless of their socioeconomic background, and to serve as a talent pipeline for employers in the region. Under the initiative, undergraduate students receive


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scholarships that cover tuition and the cost to atend Queens, job placement assistance and mentoring and internship opportunities with the sponsoring corporations. Ten students were selected to be the first CTI cohort during the 2022–2023 school year and have been immersed in the Lowe's corporate experience since last fall. "There is so much rich talent in our hometown,"


says Margi Vagell, a Queens University trustee and Lowe's senior vice president and general merchandising manager, hardlines. "We are super excited to be able to partner with a university that offers such a caring and helping hand with their students as they navigate their budding careers."


wo giſts from companies with local corporate bases — $2.5 million from Lowe's and $2 million from Ally — launched the Charlote Talent


Joel Tomkinson '10, MS '14, is not only a former Royal, but he is also an executive development consultant at Lowe's and a past Queens Alumni Association Board member. At a campus meeting in November, Tomkinson conducted a development session with the cohort, teaching leadership techniques and communication skills. “Part of my role at Lowe’s is to assess top talent


and prepare a robust pipeline of future leaders," says Tomkinson. "I’ve met many of the students in this first cohort and have seen how they really care about delivering results and becoming leaders on campus." Through both curricular and co-curricular programs,


CTI provides students with valuable learning opportunities and hands-on experiences to grow their potential. They also receive wraparound support and acquire beneficial soſt skills as part of the cohort, gaining in areas such as emotional intelligence, social interactions, self-awareness, and teamwork. Bonding opportunities ensure that the group explores companionship together. With internships at Lowe's this summer, the students


are relishing the opportunity to apply what they've learned while continuing to acquire knowledge.


MEET THE COHORT


Lesly Miranda ’24 Nathan Le ’24


Michelle Gonzalez Villarroel ’24 Skyler McNeely ’24 Evely Reyes ’24


Emily Cisneros Soriano ’24 Grem McIntosh ’24 Lyndsey Burrell ’24 Nico Gomez ’24 Jennifer Colindres Miranda ’24


Queens Magazine caught up with four of the current CTI participants to talk about the impact of CTI in their own words.


SUMMER 2023 21


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