The Keystone Fellowship

Thrilled to have had the opportunity to present a workshop for The Keystone Fellowship on building your own website and standing out to employers! As a first-generation student navigating networking events, I often had to piece together advice and figure out how to show—not just tell—what I brought to the table. Resumes can sometimes make it hard to tell an effective story or fully showcase your abilities. Through a website or portfolio, you can go beyond just listing your skills—you can show them in action while also letting your personality shine. This is why I’m so passionate about helping students create their own platforms to tell their stories. I had previously presented this workshop to the incredible nonprofit BLOOM and it was an honor to bring this session to the Keystone Fellowship. A huge thank you to Randy Groomes (He/Him), MBA for connecting me to this amazing organization, and to Verner Wilson and Andre Akinyemi for giving me the opportunity to present. My mission is to empower students, especially those in similar situations to mine, to confidently showcase their skills and advocate for themselves. If you’re curious about building a website or portfolio, feel free to reach out—I’d love to help!

About a month ago, we had the privilege of hosting our inaugural Keystone Networking Dinner, an event we are excited to grow and make even more impactful in the future. The evening brought together over 100 Keystone Fellows and 50+ distinguished professionals representing 30+ Fortune 500 companies for an inspiring night of mentorship, connection, and collaboration. The dinner facilitated meaningful conversations, cultivated professional connections, and strengthened the foundation for future collaborations and growth. It was incredible to witness the genuine relationships and mentorship pairs formed during this event, setting the stage for transformational opportunities. A special thank you to all of our professional attendees, and our sponsors—Synovus, EY, KPMG US, SEO (Sponsors for Educational Opportunity), PwC, Raymond James, Bank of America, and many others—for their unwavering support. Your partnership makes impactful events like this possible. We look forward to building on the energy and inspiration of this event as we continue to grow, collaborate, and create opportunities for excellence. Here’s to the bright futures ahead!

? Networking & New Connections with Keystone & BBSA ? This past Friday, I had an amazing time at the Keystone and BBSA event, connecting with a diverse group of professionals all in one night! From finance experts and business leaders to innovators in tech, it was incredible to engage with such talented and driven individuals. Events like these highlight the importance of building relationships, stepping outside your comfort zone, and learning from others. I’m so grateful for the opportunity to expand my network and gain insights from everyone I met. Thank you to Keystone and BBSA for hosting such an impactful event—it’s experiences like these that fuel my passion for personal and professional growth! Here’s to many more nights of collaboration and inspiration! ?? #Networking #ProfessionalGrowth #Keystone #BBSA #BusinessConnections Brittany Varnum Firdows Abdulwahab

Last Thursday, we had the privilege of hosting KPMG for an engaging panel featuring several of their representatives. We would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Sushant Sawant - Trusted Tech partner for SaaS, Yonu Falowo, Lynn Graves, and Davia Campbell, CPA for taking the time to speak with us, answer our questions, and share their professional journeys. Our students especially appreciated the valuable insights on navigating recruitment, interviews, networking, and the overall professional landscape. We look forward to creating more opportunities like this in the future!

This past week, we had the opportunity to collaborate with ALPFA UGA, BBSA UGA, and Synovus! On November 7, our students gathered to dive into essential topics such as personal finance, investing, credit building, and entrepreneurship. This event provided minority students with valuable insights and tools to pave their way to financial freedom. Thank you to everyone who joined us and made it such an impactful event.

This past week, we had the pleasure of having Dean Benjamin Ayers of the University of Georgia - Terry College of Business join us in Keystone. Dean Ayers spoke to us on leadership and imparted us with great advice on how to navigate and approach our futures. The students asked in insightful questions and benefited from the anecdotes the Dean shared on his background. We look forward to having more impactful speakers like this join us in the future!

In Week 5 of the Keystone Fellowship, we teamed up with the Black Business Student Association (BBSA) and the Multicultural Business Student Association (MBSA) to host an in-person panel featuring African American professionals from PwC. Robert Bryant, Marqee Ivory, CPA, Hayley Cole, and Val Alele led us through an interactive workshop and opened up about their diverse career experiences and gave practical advice on how to succeed in both college and the professional world. We are truly thankful for the wisdom and perspective they shared with us. Seeing our students interact so enthusiastically with the speakers in a supportive and energetic atmosphere was incredible. We’re eager to continue creating meaningful experiences that allow students to connect with accomplished professionals and expand their networks.

In Week 4 of the Keystone Fellowship, we had the privilege of hosting virtual sessions with inspiring African American professionals from Google, Microsoft, and Accenture. Taron Ragan, Alena Nichols, Hakiem Simmons, and Fisayo Oni shared their journeys and offered invaluable advice on navigating college and preparing for life beyond it. We are beyond grateful for their time and insights. Some notable words of advice they shared included: -The Importance of Networking: Building connections is crucial for career growth. -Invest in the Culture, Not Just the Name: It’s not about where you work, but whether it’s fulfilling and fosters a sense of community. -Take advantage of every opportunity, especially in college. -Build Skills for Experiences: -Embrace Uncertainty in Your Career Path: The end destination doesn’t always need to be clear. Be prepared to adapt, learn, and grow along the way. It was incredible to see our students engage with the panelists in such a welcoming environment. We look forward to providing them with even more opportunities to connect with role models like these in the future.

Thank you for joining us! We really appreciated the opportunity to learn more about your background.

Thank you to everyone who joined us for Week 3 of the Keystone Fellowship! It was another inspiring session as we continued to build on our commitment to helping African American students excel in their professional journeys. This week, we focused on essential skills for maintaining professionalism, particularly in how we communicate through emails and approach networking. Together, we practiced crafting polished messages and elevator pitches, explored effective networking strategies, and discussed ways to present ourselves with confidence in any setting. The energy and engagement from everyone truly emphasize the importance of this program. Watching each of you actively participate, share insights, and lift each other up reinforces why we started the Keystone Fellowship in the first place. If you couldn’t make it last week, don’t worry—there’s still so much more to come. Join us this Thursday as we continue to dive into new topics and equip you with the tools to navigate and succeed in professional environments. We’re excited to have you on this journey, and we’re here to support you every step of the way. Let’s keep building this community and growing together!