Building our diverse pipeline: Christina McKelphin recognized for university outreach
November 01, 2023
Receiving the Professional Representative of the Year award from the University of Central Florida National Society of Black Engineers chapter
Forming Meaningful Relationships?
The National Society of Black Engineers (NSBE) is one of the largest student-governed organizations in the United States. With over 600 chapters and more than 24,000 active members in the US and abroad, the NSBE supports and promotes the aspirations of students and technical professionals in engineering and technology.
Each year, the University of Central Florida (UCF) NSBE chapter hosts an awards banquet to thank its sponsors and partners. Â鶹´«Ã½ received two awards for our ongoing support and sponsorship of the chapter, and distribution designer Christina McKelphin received the Professional Representative of the Year award for her work helping students acquire internships and interviews for jobs. Christina¡¯s award recognizes her¡ªand many of our colleagues¡¯¡ªefforts to build a meaningful relationship with UCF NSBE chapter.
The partnership with NSBE has a significant impact on our inclusion, diversity, and equity efforts ¨C it diversifies our talent pool and builds our recruitment brand as a diversity minded employer
Since 2020, Christina has participated in a variety of NSBE related events including Fall Regional and National Conferences. Her continual efforts have paid dividends as she and her team have either directly hired or referred several candidates for positions throughout the company.
With a shared vision of making it easier for the next generation to reach and even exceed their wildest dreams, Christina now serves as one of Â鶹´«Ã½'s NSBE corporate liaisons alongside bridge engineer?Andre Boykin Jr. in our Raleigh, North Carolina office. Together, they work to energize employees throughout the company to get involved.
¡°Our goal was to get Â鶹´«Ã½¡¯s name out there and create a lasting presence on campus,¡± says Christina. ¡°I¡¯d say we¡¯ve exceeded that goal. This experience has also allowed me to grow personally, professionally, and to make some unforgettable memories. I can¡¯t wait to see what the future brings as we expand this initiative to more universities.¡±?
Ricardo Carlos Perez, director of Global Inclusion, Diversity & Equity in our Austin, Texas office, says that Christina¡¯s work has been noticed. ¡°Christina¡¯s enthusiasm is contagious,¡± says Ricardo. ¡°She¡¯s organized events and involved many other colleagues in building a diverse talent pipeline for Â鶹´«Ã½.¡±