in the fact that they will be competitive in the pre-professional development sense,†Richard McGregory Jr. says.
Pulliam, a senior faculty adviser, says pre-professional organizations, internships with corporations and undergraduate research studies open a door to mentorship with faculty and business executives who are not easily accessible to minorities.
“My mentor showed me how to connect all of the dots and see the big picture†says Webb, who chartered the first MANRRS chapter at the University of Minnesota and now attends MANRRS as a USDA recruiter. “He helped me a lot with the people skills that I didn’t get from school,â€
Webb says that black students should seek involvement in organizations such as MANRRS (pronounced Manners) and INROADS that foster inclusion and advancement of members into exclusive disciplines where a minority presence is few and far between. Students accepted into INROADS receive immediate access to the corporate world through paid multi-year internships with Fortune 1000 companies.
Other organizations such as the National Association of Black Economists, the National Association of Black Journalists or the National Society of Black Engineers help give students a firsthand look at the real world as they transition from academia to the workplace. There are even programs that help prepare black students for graduate schools. The McNair Scholars program prepares first-generation college students who are interested in doctoral study and eventual careers as college professors.