Wake Forest strengthens Charlotte's workforce by connecting talent, driving growth
Wake Forest has long been a trusted talent partner to the Charlotte community and is recognized for cultivating strong industry partnerships that drive both individual career success and regional economic growth.
The university is dedicated to providing undergraduate and graduate students with distinct opportunities to engage with the city's vibrant industries, ensuring they have the knowledge, skills, experiences and connections needed to excel in their careers. This dedication to building meaningful industry and community partnerships creates win-win outcomes for Wake Forest graduates and the Charlotte region, continuously providing a highly skilled talent pipeline to shape the city's thriving future.
In this Q&A, Mercy Eyadiel describes how Charlotte area employers connect with Wake Forest students and graduates. Eyadiel is the university's associate vice president for career development and corporate engagement.
What is Wake Forest's relationship with Charlotte?
Mercy Eyadiel: Wake Forest has maintained a significant and evolving presence in Charlotte, primarily through its graduate and professional programs, which are now coalescing in The Pearl. Wake Forest is considering expanding opportunities for undergraduate students through a university-wide academic center in Charlotte, similar to the successful Wake Washington Center, which integrates academic studies with professional internships for undergraduates. Beyond formal academic programs, Wake Forest offers pre-college programs in Charlotte for high school students, providing college and career preparation, as well as an early glimpse into the Wake Forest academic experience.
What skills are Wake Forest student interns and graduates bringing to the region's workforce?
Eyadiel: Wake Forest graduates are making an impact in Charlotte's workforce and beyond with their ability to think critically, collaborate seamlessly, communicate effectively and lead with purpose. Employers frequently tell me that these qualities are what set Wake Forest graduates apart. With a strong liberal arts foundation, students develop adaptable skills, allowing them to assess complex situations, make ethical decisions and excel in diverse professional environments. For the graduating classes of 2023 and 2024, 140 employers in Charlotte hired 377 Wake Forest students for internships and full-time positions, with the top three sectors for employment being financial services, consulting and health care. These students represented diverse majors, such as business, mathematics, politics and international affairs, economics, English, sociology, health and exercise science, engineering, psychology, philosophy and sustainability, among others.
expand
What engagement opportunities do you see between Wake Forest and Charlotte that contribute to the region's future needs?
Eyadiel: To sustain the rapid economic growth and innovation of the Charlotte region, a pipeline of highly skilled, adaptable, and ethically minded professionals is essential. Wake Forest University prepares our graduates by equipping them with the necessary skills and experiences that connect employer needs with our talent, research and educational programs. Through experiential learning and robust networking programs, we aim to offer talent that aligns with Charlotte's evolving workforce demands, ultimately supporting the city's future success. Wake Forest is a recognized national leader in personal and career development. Preparing graduates for a life-long career journey rather than the first job after college has been a top priority for the university for over a decade.
What makes Charlotte an attractive space for alumni launching careers?
Eyadiel: Charlotte's dynamic blend of diverse professional opportunities and a vibrant social scene makes it highly attractive to students launching their careers. Graduates pursue roles in various sectors, including the arts, consulting, finance, technology, health care, law, sports, media and entertainment. A strong Wake Forest alumni network of nearly 9,000 in Charlotte provides invaluable connections. Through The Pearl, Charlotte's new innovation district, the university will strengthen employer relationships, expanding student employment, experiential learning, community engagement and strategic partnerships. These collaborations will significantly enhance student leadership development, internship and job readiness and provide meaningful real-world engagement.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
Jack Ma Says You Need A Good Boss Before 30, But Once You Turn 50 You Need To Take A Different Approach To Life: Here's What The Alibaba-Founder Meant
Jack Ma, the billionaire founder of Alibaba Group Holdings (NYSE:BABA), once offered a heartfelt roadmap for life, urging young people to embrace mistakes and older professionals to pass the torch. What Happened: In a candid talk, Ma outlined how people should approach their careers based on age, underscoring the importance of mentorship, experience and personal fulfillment. Before 30 years old, it's not which company you go to, it's which boss you follow, Ma said, adding, 'Before 30 years old, it's not which company you go [to], it's which boss you follow. It's very important, a good boss teaches you differently.' Trending: Maker of the $60,000 foldable home has 3 factory buildings, 600+ houses built, and big plans to solve housing — He advised people in their 20s to be good students and embrace failure as growth. "Any mistake is an income, is a wonderful revenue for you," he said. "Make enough mistakes. Don't worry, you fall, you stand up," he stated and then telling young people to "enjoy the show." Between the ages of 30 and 40, Ma recommended thinking clearly about whether you're working for yourself. From 40 to 50, he urged people to focus on what they're already good at rather than trying something entirely new. After 50, Ma suggested shifting gears. 'Work for the young people because young people can do better than you. So rely on them, invest on them, making sure they're good.' And once you hit 60? "Spend time for yourself," he said. During the conversation, Ma also admitted regrets, including sacrificing time with family and losing privacy to public life. "If I have another life, I would never do things like this," he said. Why It's Important: According to Bloomberg's Billionaire Index, Ma currently has a net worth of $39.3 billion. Born in 1964 in Hangzhou, China, Ma began his journey as a self-taught English speaker who offered free tours to foreign visitors. After failing the college entrance exam twice, he graduated from Hangzhou Teachers College and worked as an English teacher, earning $15 a month. His exposure to the internet came during a trip to the U.S. in 1995, leading him to create China Pages, a web service for small businesses. He later founded in 1999 with $60,000 and 17 co-founders. A major deal in 2005 with Yahoo saw the U.S. company take a 40% stake in Alibaba for $1 billion, but tensions grew after Ma spun off Alipay in 2011 without Yahoo's approval. The dispute was settled, and in 2012, Ma agreed to buy back part of Yahoo's stake for $7.1 billion. Alibaba's IPO in 2014 became the world's largest. Despite his success, Ma expressed a desire to return to teaching. He stepped down as CEO in 2013 and as chairman in 2019. Read Next: Are you rich? Here's what Americans think you need to be considered wealthy. These five entrepreneurs are worth $223 billion – they all believe in one platform that offers a 7-9% target yield with monthly dividends Image via shutterstock Up Next: Transform your trading with Benzinga Edge's one-of-a-kind market trade ideas and tools. Click now to access unique insights that can set you ahead in today's competitive market. Get the latest stock analysis from Benzinga? This article Jack Ma Says You Need A Good Boss Before 30, But Once You Turn 50 You Need To Take A Different Approach To Life: Here's What The Alibaba-Founder Meant originally appeared on © 2025 Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved. Sign in to access your portfolio
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
🚨 Official: Florian Wirtz signs for Liverpool!
Historic transfer! After five seasons at Bayer Leverkusen, his training club, Florian Wirtz is leaving the Bundesliga and committing to Liverpool. The English club made the news official this Friday evening! Wirtz joins the Reds in exchange for a check ranging between 136 and 150 million euros, depending on whether you listen to the English or German press. Regardless, it's a colossal operation, the biggest transfer in the history of Liverpool FC and the Premier League; the third most expensive in all of football history, behind the arrivals of Neymar (222 million euros) and Kylian Mbappé (180 million euros) to Paris Saint-Germain, in 2017 and 2018. Advertisement A pillar of Xabi Alonso's Bayer, German champion, winner of the German Cup and finalist of the Europa League in 2023-2024, Florian Wirtz leaves Leverkusen after 196 matches played and 56 goals scored in all competitions. The 22-year-old German international is stepping up by joining the reigning champions of England and the Premier League. This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇫🇷 here. 📸 TOBIAS SCHWARZ - AFP or licensors
Fox Sports
2 hours ago
- Fox Sports
Liverpool signs Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen for huge fee that could climb to $156 million
Associated Press Liverpool delivered a huge statement of intent after winning the Premier League title by signing Germany star Florian Wirtz from Bayer Leverkusen on Friday. The transfer fee could climb to 116 million pounds ($156 million), which would make the 22-year-old Wirtz the most expensive player in the history of British soccer. 'I feel very happy and very proud," Wirtz told the official Liverpool website. "Finally it's done and I was waiting for a long time. 'I'm really excited to have a new adventure in front of me. This was also a big point of my thoughts: that I want to have something completely new, to go out of the Bundesliga and to join the Premier League. 'I will see how I can perform there. I hope I can do my best. I spoke also with some players who played there and they told me that it's perfect for me and every pitch is perfect, you can enjoy every game. I'm really looking forward to playing my first game.' Liverpool, determined to keep moving forward despite securing a record-tying 20th English top-flight title, splashed out a club record to bring in not only one of the best players from Germany, but one of the top youngsters in the world. Wirtz has been a key first-team player for Leverkusen since he was 17. He was the outstanding attacking player in the team that won the Bundesliga and German Cup in 2023-24 without losing a game, and is a regular in Germany's national team. It's why Liverpool was ready to pay a guaranteed 100 million pounds, plus 16 million pounds in potential add-ons. Wirtz had two years left on his contract, giving Leverkusen leverage in negotiations. The Premier League record for an initial fee was set when Chelsea signed Enzo Fernandez from Benfica for 106.7 million pounds ($131.4 million at the time) in 2023, before the London club agreed to pay up to 115 million pounds ($146 million at the time) for midfielder Moises Caicedo from Brighton later that year. Liverpool manager Arne Slot arrived last summer and signed just one outfield player — forward Federico Chiesa — for the 2024-25 season. Chiesa barely played and the Reds won the league by 10 points, after which Slot and some of his players — including Virgil van Dijk — spoke about there being big plans for this transfer window. Having already signed right wing back Jeremie Frimpong from Leverkusen for a reported 35 to 40 million euros ($39.7 million to $45.4 million), Liverpool has returned to the German club to take Wirtz, who rejected an opportunity to join Bayern Munich — a Bundesliga rival which has long pursued him. One obstacle to that move was the size of the fee Leverkusen wanted. Another was concern over how Wirtz might fit into the same lineup as Jamal Musiala, Germany's other standout young attacking midfielder. Losing Wirtz leaves Leverkusen and its new coach, Erik ten Hag with an even bigger rebuild following the departure of Xabi Alonso for Real Madrid. Just after his 17th birthday, Wirtz became the youngest player in Leverkusen's history when he made his debut against Werder Bremen in May 2020, in an empty stadium at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. A month later he was the youngest player to score in Bundesliga history, though that record has since been topped. Wirtz's versatile attacking midfield play was a vital ingredient in Alonso transforming Leverkusen into a team that could win the Bundesliga and German Cup without losing a game. He and Alonso stayed for another sometimes-disappointing season which ended with second place to Bayern in the league and a loss to Bayern in the Champions League round of 16. Wirtz showed he can deal with adversity when a cruciate ligament tear in his knee ruled him out for almost all of 2022 — including Alonso's first games as coach — before he returned to power Leverkusen to its league and cup double in 2023-24. Wirtz has become a vital player for the German national team with 29 caps. He played all five of its matches at Euro 2024 on home soil. He's also had to contend with hostility from fans of his boyhood club Cologne, which he left for nearby Leverkusen at 16. Liverpool and Bayern were reportedly interested then, too. Cologne claimed that deal broke an agreement between the clubs not to pursue each other's youth players. Leverkusen argued Wirtz was so talented that he counted as a first-team player despite his age. Cologne and Leverkusen are barely 10 kilometers (6 miles) apart, so going to Liverpool will be the first time that Wirtz has moved away from his roots. His parents Hans Wirtz and Karin Gross have played a big role in his career — they were also his agents until last year — and he's close to his older sister Juliane, a professional player for Werder Bremen in the women's Bundesliga. Wirtz's decision to turn down Bayern and the Bundesliga for Liverpool has caused some raised eyebrows in Germany. 'I wouldn't have thought Florian would make this switch so early,' former Germany great Lothar Matthäus told broadcaster n-tv last month. 'But he wants to get out of his comfort zone.' Wirtz seems likely to slot in as the No. 10 at Liverpool, a more creative solution in that role compared to the hard-running Dominik Szoboszlai. Whether Slot also now pushes for a new striker as an upgrade to current options Diogo Jota and Darwin Nunez remains to be seen. Szoboszlai could drop back into one of the two deeper midfield positions, competing with Ryan Gravenberch, Alexis Mac Allister and Curtis Jones. ___ AP soccer: recommended
