Alabama State University and Tuskegee University collaborated to sponsor a Student Empowerment Summit titled, Taking the Pentagon to the People (TTPTTP). The event was held on Feb. 23rd in Ralph David Abernathy Hall Auditorium.
TTPTTP provides a pathway to connect the talents of undergraduate and graduate students to explore available careers and other development opportunities directly with DoD and other government personnel. This includes employment, internships and scholarships for highly competitive students.
The program also provides information to faculty members about research, fellowships, sabbaticals, personnel exchanges and small business opportunities. Faculty and staff will be able to network directly with DoD representatives to better understand how the agency can support their recruitment, teaching and research activities. This includes representatives from the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research, the Air Force Research Laboratory, the Army Research Office, Defense Civilian Personnel Advisory Services, the Defense Logistics Agency, the Defense Threat Reduction Agency and the U.S. Marine Corps.
Students heard from program managers and recruiters about internships, scholarships and direct hiring programs. Faculty and staff learned about research and grant programs, small business partnerships and leave and sabbatical programs within DoD.
DoD speakers highlighted some of their current and future personnel initiatives in STEM and other mission-critical careers including in science, technology, intelligence, engineering, logistics, mathematics, language, business, education and many other mission-critical fields.
Heather Shaner, a human resources specialist for the Defense Civilian Personnel
Advisory Service in Alexandria, Virginia, specializes in recruiting students for these top-of-the-line jobs.
“The Department of Defense is an amazing place to work. We are the largest employer in the world, meaning there is a place for you,” Shaner said praising her employer.
The department has over 650 titles and positions in 94 countries. They employ over 900,000 non-military civilians. They were here on campus to promote and recruit for their internships, recent grad jobs and entry-level positions.
Samil Pena is a senior recruiter for the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency in Quantico, Virginia. His division is responsible for protecting companies under their umbrella from any potential threats. Cyber threats mostly are all the time, every day. He believes this was a great opportunity for students to network.
“DOD is an excellent place to be because we are growing, we are looking to hire 1,000 people just this year,” Pena said. “We have great programs. It’s a great place to be and there is room for lots of growth.”
They also offer up to $30,000 in scholarships to study abroad. Students are sent to areas in the world that the United States needs to be able to understand more.
Chief Recruiter, Ed Bujan, of the Force Renewal Programs, Air Force Personnel Center Joint Base in San Antonio Randolph, Texas believes that Alabama State and Tuskegee are powerhouses for producing the next generation of leaders.
“We came to a great place to recruit talent, young talent and diverse talent, you guys are the generation that is bringing empowerment.”