New career program will connect students with Lansing opportunities

This October, James Madison College will launch its first fall Career Exposure Program, taking students to Lansing to explore career opportunities in Michigan’s capital region. The new program reflects both student interest in staying local and the college’s commitment to connecting graduates with meaningful work across the state.

“There are many great opportunities for people to make their mark in Michigan,” explained Karissa Chabot-Purchase, JMC’s assistant director of career services. “We wanted to help students see the variety of options that are literally down the street from campus.”

The initiative supports MSU’s strategic plan, MSU 2030: Excellence for Global Impact, which emphasizes growing talent for Michigan and beyond. President Kevin Guskiewicz has made preparing students for roles within the state a priority.

“Not everybody wants to go to Washington D.C. or to Chicago,” explained Chabot-Purchase. “As wonderful as those places are, we have a lot of great opportunities for people to have impact here in our state.”

JMC has offered Career Exposure Programs for several years, taking students to cities like New York and Washington, D.C. following the spring semester. The May 2025 program brought 24 students to Chicago to visit JMC alumni at organizations including Google, United Airlines, Uber and the Illinois Environmental Protection Agency. Program organizers Chabot-Purchase and Lauren Michalak, JMC’s field experience coordinator, choose destinations based on data about where graduates work and where alumni are located.

The Oct. 20-21 program, held during MSU’s Fall Break, will take Madisonians inside Lansing organizations actively seeking public affairs talent: Michigan Farm Bureau Insurance, Dewpoint Consulting, Public Sector Consultants, TechSmith, MSUFCU, the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, the Michigan Legislature and Governor Whitmer’s Executive Office. Students will have additional opportunities to build connections during a networking reception with program hosts and local alumni.

The diverse lineup demonstrates that public affairs graduates find meaningful work across sectors — from agricultural policy and economic development to technology companies, financial institutions and public service.

The Lansing-focused initiative emerged through a combination of existing relationships and new partnerships. A key connection came through Lansing 501, the regional talent attraction initiative now led by Executive Director Samantha Harkins, who helped connect JMC with employers eager to recruit in the Lansing area.

“Their role is to market the Lansing region to potential talent, so they know where current opportunities exist,” Chabot-Purchase explained. “They work directly with employers, so it was just a matter of bringing us all together in the effort to connect our students to opportunities.”

Like much of JMC’s career programming, the Lansing program depends on the generosity of alumni who remain connected to the college long after graduation. The willingness of graduates to open doors, host site visits and share their career journeys makes these experiential learning opportunities possible.

“Our alumni are amazing at really living the adage about not pulling up the ladder behind them,” Michalak said. “As they achieve success in their spaces and in their career paths, their willingness to engage with current students to show them opportunities and pathways to follow is truly remarkable.”

The fall Lansing program represents the first half of an expanded approach to career exposure at the college. JMC will host its spring program in Detroit as part of a Michigan-centered model that keeps costs low while maximizing student access to professional opportunities.

This fall’s $50 program fee — covering transportation and meals for both days — removes financial barriers that might otherwise prevent students from participating.

“We wanted to expand options and meet students where they’re at,” said Michalak. “We want to offer opportunities to any students who want to participate in one of these programs.”

This story originally appeared on the James Madison College website.