Campbell Business School’s Jill Williamson, director of alumni relations, was recently challenged to find alumni business owners to speak to students via video chat while classes were held online.
Philosophy of Business students under professor Scott Kelly heard from two speakers in late March— Marion Spears Karr (BBA, ’84) and Anthony Conrad (BBA, MBA ’08).
“Virtually interacting can be challenging,” said Conrad, pictured on the class Zoom video conference above. “It’s hard to adapt to the distance between you and those you once shared a room with, however, it can also make the educational experience more interactive. Students can point and reference what they understand. Instructors can truly have all the eyes and ears on them and also, it allows for those who don’t usually speak up to do so.”
“Distance learning allows for an increased reach for those contributing to the experience as well, in the case of my talk to students,” Conrad continued. “Even when states or countries apart, The Creek can still reach beyond.”
Spears Karr also found the experience rewarding. “It was awesome to share a bit of my story after graduating from Campbell in 1984 and the journey of entrepreneurial and career opportunities that followed. The students, despite being “sequestered” at home were engaged, asked outstanding questions, and followed up with connections and thank you on LinkedIn. I look forward to the opportunity to participate in such a conversation again. It was an inspiring time for sure and I left the calls with newfound hope for the students coming out of our great school.”
Jackson Allen is a freshman economics and finance major who found the guest speakers’ talks enlightening.
“The speakers who joined us in online classes were very insightful,” he said. “They opened my eyes to the real world application of what we are learning in class. As well, being able to ask them questions about their life story and other topics which gave me a vision for my future.”