Of everything Arkansas Tech University student Nikki Victory saw and did while participating in the National Millennial and Generation Z (NMGZ) meeting in Washington, D.C., June 22-25, one memory stands out above the rest.
“The experience that had the greatest effect on me was touring the White House,” said Victory. “It was surreal standing in a place with so many years of history. Hundreds of our country’s most famous personalities have walked the same halls that I, a college student, had the honor of walking.”
Victory, a junior business management and digital marketing major from Mayflower, was joined on the trip by ATU faculty mentor Katelynn Hopson from the ATU College of Business and Economic Development.
They visited the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the NBC television affiliate in Washington, D.C., Nestle USA, Weber Shandwick and the American Association of Retired Persons (AARP) as part of the conference.
“These visits not only included tours of the businesses,” said Hopson, “but also question and answer sessions that allowed the students and early career professionals within the NMGZ community to provide their unique insights and perspectives on these businesses and their business decisions.”
When they visited the White House, Victory and Hopson toured the east wing and were part of a briefing presented by executives within the public liaison and intergovernmental offices.
Opportunities to attend a Women’s National Basketball Association game and a musical rounded out the trip.
Founded in 2016, NMGZ is a national organization that brings together students, young professionals and civic leaders to engage in multi-generational conversations aimed at challenging misconceptions and elevating the voices of millennials (defined as people born between 1981-96) and generation Z (defined as people born between 1997-2012).
“Engaging in the NMGZ community is positively influencing my career and life preparation by helping me hone my soft skills like networking, flexibility and time management,” said Victory. “I have learned so much about getting to know people and being able to turn on a dime.”
Learn more about the National Millennial and Gen Z Community at www.nationalmillennialcommunity.com.
Learn more about the ATU College of Business and Economic Development at www.atu.edu/business.
