In the third week of spring quarter, the Student Development Center (SDC) hosted its annual Spring Career Fair in the Havstad Alumni Center. This event brings in alumni working in various industries to come and engage with students on campus, allowing them to build connections through networking experiences. 

The event speaker, Brandon Strachan, strategy recruitment manager for AdventHealth, gave a presentation titled “Maximize Your College Career: The Proximity Principle,” sharing his tips on creating connections and the value of building relationships to a person’s career path. 

Strachan highlighted the positive use of the proximity principle, a mindset which emphasizes strategically aligning yourself with people that will push you to grow in places that will help you thrive. He suggested being “self-made” isn’t quite what it seems to be. Developing yourself for a successful career requires guidance, lessons, and support from a variety of people and experiences. Recognizing this and taking advantage of it allows you to tap into seemingly unreachable opportunities. 

This emphasis on intentional connections is woven into the WWU experience, where small class sizes and a close-knit community create opportunities for students to build personal relationships with their professors and classmates. The SDC further strengthens these connections by helping students engage with an expert alumni network who provide mentorship and professional guidance. 

The Spring Career Fair is the second event the SDC hosts every year for students. In the beginning of every school year, they host the Fall Career and Graduate School Fair where students can also meet and connect with various graduate schools. 

For more information on its events and the services they offer, please visit wallawalla.edu/SDC.

Posted May 5, 2025.