College of Southern Maryland (CSM) student DaShawn Rustin, a Media Studies major, recently won the 2024 Student Hawk Pitch competition with her innovative idea, "Soaring Together: CSM Alumni Directory." Her concept, which aims to create connections between students and alumni, earned her $500 in cash, a scholarship for a three-credit class, and funding to implement her project.
"One thing I always hear about CSM is that we've literally helped everyone," Rustin said. "It would be useful to the current students to be able to connect with alumni in their fields. I think what really set my pitch apart is that not only does it help students, but it also helps faculty and the CSM Foundation to know where our alumni end up."
The Alumni Directory is designed to provide a centralized database of CSM alumni, allowing current students to gain insights, seek mentorship, and receive advice from former students. This initiative is expected to bridge gaps and foster a sense of community and pride among CSM students and alumni.
CSM President Dr. Yolanda Wilson praised Rustin's project, stating, "DaShawn's idea would put easily accessible and centralized data about our CSM alum in place so that students can glean insights from alumni experiences, seek mentorship, and gain advice."
Gretchen Hardman, assistant director of Strategic Initiatives and leader of the College Innovation Work Group, also expressed support for the project. "At many colleges and universities students rely on alumni to get their foot in the door for their first job, and there's no reason CSM can't provide those kinds of connections, too," Hardman said.
The Hawk Pitch competition, which invites students to propose solutions to campus challenges, saw a particularly strong set of entries this year. The second-place idea, "Little Free Textbook" by Natalie Filbey, proposed designated locations at each campus where students can drop off and borrow used textbooks. Filbey received $300, a laptop pre-loaded with Microsoft Office, and a CSM swag bag.
Third place went to Sarah Sbordone's "Hawk Tales: Library Expansion" idea, which would provide access at CSM's library to reading materials that are banned or challenged in other areas of Maryland. Sbordone received $200 and a CSM swag bag.
"This year's Hawk's Pitch contest participants embraced our strategic plan efforts to stay centered around making improvements and removing barriers with student access, momentum, and mobility at the core of our efforts," Wilson noted.
Rustin's next step is to work with campus leaders to implement her project. Her idea has already received widespread praise on campus, and she hopes it will make a significant impact on the CSM community.
Participants in the Hawk Pitch competition, including Hardman, emphasized that submitting an idea is straightforward and support is available for students working on their pitches. Filbey encouraged other students to participate, saying, "For a student considering entering Hawk Pitch next year, I would advise them to go ahead and submit an idea, even if they don't think it's a great one. There's no harm in submitting, and they might even end up with a winning idea!"
To learn more about CSM's employee and student Hawk Pitch program, visit https://www.csmd.edu/hawkpitch/index.html.
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