Student Feature Friday: EMC Student Star Program

Participants in the EMC Student STAR Program

Sponsored by EMC Education Services, the EMC Student STAR Program is a 4-day intensive summer workshop for students entering their junior or senior year of high school or freshman year of college.  This past summer three Nipmuc students participated in this valuable program.  The program is designed to equip students with the tools needed to excel in their academic journey.  The aim of the Student STAR Program is to bridge the gap between higher education and professional development by focusing on four themes central to every student’s success: Communication, Teamwork, Life Skills and an Introduction to Business.

I recently met with Nipmuc seniors Jack Gallagher, Roma Gujarathi and Jeremy Hall to discuss their experience at the workshop.  Below are answers to a few questions I asked them.

Q: What sparked your interest in the program?
Jack Gallagher: I was interested in doing this program since last year when my father, an EMC employee, heard about it from one of his coworkers. The coworker told my dad all about it and how much his son had learned. My dad then told me and it sounded right up my alley, as it was a combination of engineering and business, two things I am very much interested in.

Roma Gujarathi: I've been interested in the business field ever since freshman year, when I took an Intro to Business course. Since then, I have attended various business-related workshops and conferences to get myself acquainted with the field. When we got flyers for this STAR program from guidance, I was immediately interested by the short description, which indicated a business focus. Furthermore, my parents have several friends who work at EMC, so I was already partially familiar with the company itself. Finally, I thought it would be a good way to familiarize myself with a professional environment, as I aspire to work in a similar setting in the future. 

Jeremy Hall:  A presentation at the end of last year [about the STEM Scholars Program} there was a blurb for the program.

Q: What skills did you develop through the program?
Jack Gallagher:  The amount of skills I learned was amazing. I learned how to write a winning resume, how to network with business professionals, how to correctly eat at business events, how to budget money and develop better presentation skills, just to name a few. We essentially learned a new skill at every presentation we attended.

Roma Gujarathi: Through the program, I further developed my public-speaking skills. In one workshop, we were randomly given a topic and we had to speak in front of the room on that topic for one minute. The spontaneity of the activity helped me in my communication skills; I learned that confidence is key, especially when I have no idea what I'm talking about. Even during the final presentation of the case study, the skills of proper body language and appropriate nuances came into play. We learned that usually the delivery of a presentation has a more influential effect on the audience than the content itself. 

Jeremy Hall:  The program was conducted by EMC's education program. The skills I learned were those of which an EMC employee would be expected to have. These included knowledge in marketing and engineering, as well as presentation skills, business etiquette, interviewing skills, and proper dress in the corporate world. I certainly realized there is still much for me to learn.

Q: What was the most valuable experience from the program?
Jack Gallagher: The thing I got most out of it was the ability to interview and write a resume. These are critical skills that not many high schools teach. This skill is going to help me obtain internships in college and coming out of college when looking for that coveted first job. One take-home point was that a bad resume can make a great candidate bad, that is how important they are. Conversely, a good resume can make up for a lot of the application, especially with a first job.

Roma Gujarathi:  The most valuable experience, for me, was the resume workshop. The presenter went through each step in writing the perfect resume, even pointing out the meticulous details, such as margins and font type. From that workshop, I not only took away notes to help me draft an ideal resume, but also a sense of consciousness; she taught us that our resume is the chance to make a first impression on a potential employer, so we must ensure that it is an accurate representation of our capabilities and achievements. 

Jeremy Hall:  The most beneficial part of the program was easily the interview and resume presentation. I got to know the mindset of an employer who is looking at interns and their resumes. Every part of the program emanated from a corporate environment. I am thankful for the opportunity to attend the program.

Congratulations to Jack, Roma, and Jeremy for the participation and achievement in this program!

Nipmuc students and EMC STAR Program participants
Jeremy Hall, John Gallagher, and Roma Gujarathi.