Recruiting Recent Grads Helps Build Campus Workforce

The SUNY Oneonta Dragon Corps Program is opening doors for recent alumni, offering them full-time jobs, mentoring and real-world experience to jumpstart their careers, while also growing the university’s workforce.

Established in spring 2023, the pipeline program is designed to recruit and retain talented recent graduates into various entry-level positions on campus, giving them their first job opportunities. Participants learn transferable professional skills and receive guidance from an assigned mentor, helping ease the transition from student to staff member and giving them practical experience for careers in higher education or other fields.

The Dragon Corps Program is a collaborative effort between Employee Services and the Office of Equity and Inclusion.

“The university’s commitment to hire recent graduates to become employees at the institution is indeed a commitment that reflects the mission of the institution. The new employees, having just graduated, would assist with providing useful insights on the services, programs and opportunities that are relevant in meeting the needs of current students," said Bernadette Tiapo, SUNY Oneonta’s vice president for Equity and Inclusion and Equal Opportunity and Compliance Officer.

Members of the first Dragon Corps cohort, from the Class of 2023, were selected before they graduated and started the program that June having been placed in varying departments across campus, from the Office of Accessibility Resources to Finance and Administration. From late June to late August, they attended weekly onboarding and networking sessions, forming friendships with one another while learning the ins and outs of campus, this time as employees rather than students.

In his senior year, Aolat Salami, Class of 2023, jumped at the chance to apply for the Dragon Corps, eager to use his Africana and Latinx Studies degree. He is now in his second year of the program, in the position of Program Assistant within the Office of Equity and Inclusion.

“Aside from diversifying staff to better reflect the student body, the Dragon Corps Program shows students that the university cares about them after they graduate and that they’re still part of the Oneonta community,” Salami said, “and I think that is pretty special. Working at SUNY Oneonta is a really great opportunity, especially if you’ve been here as an undergraduate student. I’d recommend this program to anyone.”

Dragon Corps member Raynella Clarke, Class of 2024, is a member of the program’s second cohort and serves as Assistant to the Chief of Staff in the Office of the President. Studying Anthropology and History as an undergrad, Clarke took several classes with Professor Sallie Han, who became her Dragon Corps mentor. Mentors and mentees meet regularly to discuss participants’ experiences, address any questions and engage in career counseling.

“Dr. Han was actually the one who told me about the Dragon Corps and encouraged me to apply,” Clarke said. “As my mentor, she’s helped me transition from life as a student to a professional. As a new graduate, that can be difficult. It’s so nice to have someone to give me pointers, advice and encouragement. It’s also been great to get to know the other Dragon Corps members and support each other.”

Andrew Dawson, Class of 2023, joined the Dragon Corps Program as a coordinator in the Center for Volunteerism and Community Engagement and was then hired as University Planning Project Coordinator within the Office of Institutional Assessment.

The Dragon Corps helped Dawson build a variety of transferrable professional skills, from communication tips to leadership qualities, he said. Although he majored in Communication Studies and at one time wanted to pursue a career in journalism, the Dragon Corps helped him discover a passion for the field of higher education.

“I’m really grateful to have been part of the first Dragon Corps cohort,” Dawson said, “especially seeing some of my friends who have a degree but are having trouble landing that first job simply because of a lack of experience. This program allowed me to apply my education in a professional position, on a campus I was already comfortable with and really love. It let me gain that necessary experience right out of the gate and helped me find my personal path. I’m now working toward my master’s in higher ed!”