During their time in the Career & Leadership Academy, students will progress through an extracurricular structure of workshops, one on one coaching, community service, and more to build a strong foundation of what it means to be the leader of your own life. Each year is designed to establish principles that serve the subsequent years in developing a career-ready student that graduates with a strong sense of purpose and direction. Each year’s theme corresponds with the core principle of growth and flourishing that the Career & Leadership Academy strives for. The first year, connection, is the non-negotiable of a first-year students’ experience. We establish an environment of belonging for students to combat social and academic disengagement, encouraging their persistence and purpose at Texas Tech University.

The second year, community, is an exercise in empathy. Our program acknowledges that the fertile soil from which strong and sustainable leadership grows is in the acts of selflessness and service to others. We require students to collect a modest number of service-learning hours in the Lubbock community; remembering that the quintessence of humanity is in our lifting up of those around us.

Our third year, collaboration, brings literature to the forefront. As students have leaned into self-discovery and establishing a strong foundation of identity, we introduce external voices of leadership. Through alumni mentorship and a leadership-focused literature curriculum, students begin theorizing their style of leadership and how to apply their unique strengths in the workplace.

Finally, our fourth year’s theme is challenge. The culmination of our students’ experience over the past three years is expressed in building up their professional portfolios to be as competitive as possible for their next step. Fourth year students will act as peer mentors to first year students, showcasing an ability to persist as well as the reward of belief in self. Ultimately, fourth year students will leave Texas Tech University with a wealth of experience that allows them to navigate into a constantly evolving professional world with confidence. 

Workshops 

Each semester, students will have two (2) scheduled workshops after class hours. Workshops typically last one to two hours and cover a wide range of topics from how to build and update a resume to navigating emotions throughout the job search. Workshops are predetermined by the staff in partnership with other offices on campus to remain timely and pertinent to the state of the professional world. 

Internships, Career Treks, and Jobs 

Starting in their second year, students will create a personal development plan (PDP) that identifies short and long-term goals for themselves. This PDP then informs the Academy on how to curate opportunities for each student to maximize their time at Texas Tech University. We encourage students to start looking for experiences early so that they may strengthen their resumes, build relationships, and understand more about the process as a whole. Career Treks are opportunities for students to connect with Lubbock businesses/organizations for one to two-day shadowing of their prospective career goals. Students are connected to Career Trek opportunities after they establish their PDP. 

Apply to the Academy