Campus Greensboro Day Celebrates Success in Retaining Local College Talent

More graduates from Greensboro's colleges and universities are choosing to build their careers right here at home, thanks to the work of Campus Greensboro and its network of local employers, higher education institutions, and community partners.

During today's Campus Greensboro Day celebration, held in conjunction with National Intern Day, community leaders highlighted the program's growing impact in connecting students with meaningful internships, professional development opportunities, and career pathways that encourage them to stay in Greensboro after graduation.

Talent retention is a key priority in Greensboro's Vision 36 strategic plan, which identifies building and sustaining a strong local workforce as essential to the city's long-term economic growth.

"Since its launch, more than 1,000 students have participated in Campus Greensboro programs. More than 40 percent have remained in Guilford County after graduation, while more than 70 percent have stayed in North Carolina," said Cecelia Thompson of Action Greensboro

For participants like Campus Greensboro Fellow and Syngenta intern Shamiya Brown, the experience has provided valuable professional growth while strengthening her connection to the community.

"I definitely feel more connected to the community through this program. I would say in a way that it bridges the gap of me coming from a younger individual growing my professional self and having that experience being in the office with everyone who has had certain jobs for maybe decades," said Brown. "It gives me that chance to see myself and visualize myself in a higher position somewhere and being a larger leader than I currently am. So, it's more of a growing experience for me."

Local employers say the program is equally valuable in helping businesses recruit and retain talented young professionals.

"We were founded by a UNC Greensboro grad and about 75% of our team of 16 are UNCG or other local school graduates and so this Campus Greensboro program very much aligns with our overarching mission of helping create a space for a young professionals, particularly those within tech who can succeed in the Piedmont Triad and not have to go to New York or San Francisco or even the Triangle," said Xtern Software Communications Director Emily Linden. "I think there's almost kind of like a tipping Point where if enough of the interns stay then more want to stay because then there's a social scene that's sort of built in."

This year marks the 11th annual Campus Greensboro Day, celebrating more than a decade of connecting students with opportunities that strengthen both their careers and Greensboro's future workforce.