COLUMBUS, Ohio, Jan. 13, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — McGraw Hill, a leading global education company, and Alabama State University, located in Montgomery, AL, are teaming up to launch a personalized career coaching and leadership development program to empower the university’s student-athletes with the skills, knowledge and tools needed to succeed in today’s competitive job market.
Launching on January 14, the Collegiate Athletic Leadership Program will offer tailored mentorship, career readiness training and networking opportunities to help ASU student-athletes make progress towards their career goals after college.
The partnership with ASU, one of the nation’s oldest institutions of higher education founded for Black Americans, reflects McGraw Hill’s commitment to providing access to meaningful learning experiences that improve outcomes and opportunity for all learners.
“At McGraw Hill, we work with educators to help all students, regardless of background, unlock their full potential,” said Sean Ryan, President of McGraw Hill’s School group. “Given we operate within a larger social context, partnerships with well-established and respected institutions can accelerate this important work. Thus, we’re especially proud to partner with Alabama State University to help student-athletes at this world-class institution get ahead of the game toward their future career paths. At the same time, we expect that this will help us also build a stronger, more diverse pipeline of professional talent for not only our company, but also the broader education industry. Our joint future depends on it.”
The Collegiate Athletic Leadership Program will include monthly workshops led by McGraw Hill team members that will cover:
- Career readiness: Soft skills training and professional etiquette, with an emphasis on effective business communication, public speaking and corporate presentation.
- Leadership skills: Moving from college to the corporate world by discussing a business growth mindset, critical thinking, financial literacy, problem solving and avoiding pitfalls.
- Succeeding professionally: Helping students on their path to success by conducting mock interviews, setting up job shadowing for a day, offering one-on-one coaching and identifying strengths and transferable skills that will ensure success, no matter the industry.
To drive a deeper connection, workshops will feature guest speakers who come from historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) or who have former athletic experience. Also, participants will be introduced to internships and other opportunities at McGraw Hill.
“At Alabama State University, we seek to fulfill our mission of providing a holistic learning environment that prepares our student-athletes within their four years on campus for the next forty years of their lives,” said Dr. Jason Cable, Vice President and Director of Athletics at Alabama State University. “Our collaborative partnership with a global brand like McGraw Hill serves as a blueprint for student-athletes’ development as they prepare to depart the hallowed grounds of ASU. It reflects our commitment to CommUniversity and fostering dynamic relationships that prepare our student-athletes for positive community impact.”
ASU student-athletes have a proud tradition of excelling both on and off the field, paving the way for success after graduation. The ASU Athletics Department been recognized with the James Frank Commissioner’s Cup eight times in the past decade for achieving the highest combined total of men’s and women’s all-sport points in the Southwestern Athletic Conference (SWAC). Additionally, ASU student-athletes have excelled academically, earning the SWAC’s Academic Achievement Award for the third year in a row. The award is presented to the athletic program with the highest percentage of student-athletes who have earned a GPA of 3.0 or better during the academic year.
The Collegiate Athletic Leadership Program is provided to ASU at no cost, made possible through a volunteer initiative from McGraw Hill employees being spearheaded by an employee-led group called the I.D.E.A. Council which promotes understanding, respect, equity, and access for others.
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McGraw Hill
McGraw Hill is a leading global education company that partners with millions of educators, learners and professionals around the world. Recognizing their diverse needs, we build trusted content, flexible tools and powerful digital platforms to help them achieve success on their own terms. Through our commitment to equity, accessibility and inclusion, we foster a culture of belonging that respects and reflects the diversity of the communities, learners and educators we serve. McGraw Hill has over 30 offices across North America, Asia, Australia, Europe, the Middle East and South America, and makes its learning solutions for PreK-12, higher education, professionals and others available in more than 80 languages. Visit us at mheducation.com or find us on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn or Twitter.
Follow Alabama State Athletics
For complete coverage of Alabama State athletics, follow the Hornets on social media at @BamaStateSports (Instagram and X), Alabama State (Facebook), or visit the official home of Alabama State athletics bamastatesports.com
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