Shifting to a virtual world has been no easy feat, but our Herbert faculty, staff, and students are resilient. Cooperation, determination, and innovation have been key in finding creative ways to connect with both prospective and current students.

Herbert Recruitment Coordinator Cassie Johnson has been proactive in identifying creative ways to connect with prospective students. Working with the Herbert College of Agriculture Ambassadors, prospective students have the ability to participate in Q&A sessions and virtual webinars. Through these opportunities, our virtual visitors engage with our students one-on-one and get to know them and our college better. Another new virtual opportunity is a self-guided tour! To participate all you have to do is download the Scavify App on your mobile device, search for the “Herbert College Tour,” and join the fun! The tour features ten stops, with videos of information from current students. During the tour we invite participants to submit their photo and mailing information so we can send them a Herbert keepsake from their visit with us on campus! These opportunities allow prospective students to get a feel of what it means to #MakeHerbertHome.

Not only have we revamped and reimagined our Herbert outreach and recruitment program, our current students have had multiple opportunities to engage in many redesigned programs this fall.

Herbert coordinator for communication and employer relations, Rebekah Wright and our career coach Alexis Andershock were busy this summer planning new ways to prepare Herbert students for their job search and to engage with employers virtually. This fall we held the first ever virtual career fair! The 2020 Herbert College Virtual Career Fair hosted more than fifty employers, October 8, 2020, was one for the history books. Thanks to Handshake, students were able to sign up for group and one-on-one sessions with the employers of their choice. This virtual format enhanced the career fair experiences by allowing students to:

1. Meet with employers. Students interacted with recruits through video, audio, and chat.
2. Discover new career opportunities. Our students received personalized recommendations based on their HandShake profiles about which employers to connect with.
3. Never wait in line, ever. Students created their own schedules to meet employers in a group on one-on-one setting.
4. Make an impression. Herbert students brought their personal, unique perspectives to the table by asking great questions and following up with companies after the fair.

In the face of adversity (also known as COVID-19), the students, faculty, and staff at Herbert are rising up to the challenge of staying connected in this virtual world. It’s safe to say the Volunteer Spirit is alive and well here on Rocky Top as we all uphold our Volunteer Commitment.