By NEYA THOMAS
Earlier this fall, UNC Greensboro Bryan School of Business and Economics students Hannah Bond ‘24 (Marketing) and Azaria Hicks ‘24 (Business Administration) had the opportunity to travel to major cities in the Midwest and meet with company executives through the National Millennial and GenZ Community (NMGZ).
Over four days in early November, Bond and Hicks traveled to Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and Chicago, Illinois. They spent the first leg of the trip meeting with other members of the NMGZ community.
The goal of NMGZ is to create an environment that is safe for the exchange of ideas and to emphasize awareness and understanding through actively engaging the voices of younger generations and leading organization-wide conversations with business professionals to provide insight into Millennial and GenZ trends. Furthermore, the community looks to address corporate problems through constructive feedback. Bryan School students interested in joining NMGZ for the 2024/2025 academic year can apply here.
“NMGZ works to end the stigma and to destroy the boxes that Millennials and GenZ have been put in, by creating a place for younger generations to interact with elder generations,” said Bond, who also serves as a Bryan School Team Leader and Squad Leader for the Blueprint Series, which focuses on students’ personal and professional development.
While in Milwaukee, participants visited the financial services organization Northwestern Mutual. The group took a tour of the company and had the opportunity to speak with executives and other company representatives. NMGZ members had the opportunity to work on professional development and networking skills and gain insight into industry culture and what their future could look like.
The fun did not end there, with participants also making a stop in Chicago and visiting the likes of BVK, DePaul University, NBC Chicago, HUB International, and Echo Global Logistics in the Windy City.
“One of my biggest takeaways from this trip is that sometimes the path you started on may not be the path you end up on,” Hicks said.
While Hicks learned a lot on the trip, she was particularly inspired by the diverse backgrounds of employees at Hub International. Employees boasted about their wide range of previous experience and how they never would have imagined working in insurance. The experience reminded students to be open to all possibilities as new journeys and paths in life bring new experiences and possibilities.
Hicks is currently the Vice President of the Food Recovery Network, where she collaborates with community partners to provide meals for the Greensboro population. She is also the Vice President of Corporate Affairs for the Psi Sigma Chapter of Alpha Kappa Psi, a professional business fraternity.
The Bryan School is the exclusive university partner for the NMGZ Community in North Carolina.
“This community opens up incredible opportunities for our talented students to engage in enriching experiences that will undoubtedly shape their academic and professional journeys,” NMGZ advisor and Assistant Dean of External Affairs Jaap-Jan Van Duin said. “I take great pride in witnessing how well our students represent themselves, their generations, and the Bryan School on a national level.”
*In case you missed it: Bryan School students interested in joining NMGZ for the 2024/2025 academic year can apply here.
