The Bishop Launch Program is a Career Connection initiative designed to help Ohio Wesleyan students become competitive internship searchers and job seekers.
Mindy Agin, Career Connection’s Assistant Director of Career Planning and Exploration, is the founder of the Bishop Launch Program. Agin has been at Ohio Wesleyan since the fall of 2016 and founded the program shortly after she arrived.
“There was no cohesive way for students to pull the info and experience needed to help them prepare for an internship or a job. We needed a more cohesive and targeted approach,” said Agin.
The program entails attending a variety of workshops and events and working with a designated Career Coach to record a mock interview and submit a final resume.
Bishop Launch Coach, Diana Roach, explains, “When Mindy [Agin] developed the program, I saw the value in what it can offer to students with the programs she offers, and I was already doing things the coaches do.”
“There’s been several iterations to this point, it was originally a yearlong program, but about 4 years ago it shrunk to a semester,” shares Agin.
The program is offered to all Ohio Wesleyan sophomores, juniors, and seniors every fall semester. First-years who are sophomores or higher by credit do not count.
Agin claims, “Freshmen have a lot to learn and a lot to do – they need to navigate that part of college first.”
At the end of the program, participants have to fill out an evaluation form.
In their evaluation, a former participant writes, “I would recommend BLP [Bishop Launch Program] to all my friends. Attending the workshops, getting your resume done, and the one-on-one meetings with your coach, were all helpful steps in my journey of looking for internships. Now the process of finding and applying to internships doesn't look daunting or as stressful.”
After completion, students are awarded a $200 Professional Dress Award and certificate.
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