Jane Olear
PRAIRIE VIEW, Texas (July 10, 2020) – This summer, one Prairie View A&M University (PVAMU) student will experience a day in the life of an employee at one of the world’s largest chemical producers. After changing most of her summer plans due to COVID-19, Jane Olear, a senior marketing major with a minor in supply chain management, was thrilled to learn she was selected to attend the 2020 Dow Diamond Symposium. It’s a three-day event in August at Dow Chemical Company’s headquarters in Midland, Michigan.
“While my study abroad trip was canceled, I’m even more thankful for this opportunity to gain professional and networking experience,” Olear said. “I hope to garner more development skills, a better understanding of the company’s culture, and network directly with corporate officials.”
A student engagement event for top, underrepresented minority undergraduate students from across the country, the Dow Diamond Symposium provides students with an opportunity to hear from Dow leaders and experience a preview of what it’s like to be a Dow employee. Symposium participants will also give a two-minute presentation on a topic of their choice.
Olear plans to apply what she learns at the symposium to a future career in the beauty industry.
“The beauty industry has always been a passion of mine,” she said. “I aspire to own my own beauty cosmetic line one day. This summer, I launched my business, Makeup by Janie, where I teach master makeup classes and provide makeup services. I hope to continue to grow my business and land my dream job working in the corporate beauty industry.”
Olear credits the spectrum of opportunities she has received at PVAMU for her professional growth.
“This university truly does Produce Productive People, and I’m thankful to say I’m one of them,” she said. “I’ve learned to go after anything I want in life and not take ‘no’ for an answer.”
Olear was also accepted into the Virtual Venture in Management Program at Harvard Business School and the Schneider Sales Internship Program this summer.
“I have to give a huge shout out to my mentors Daniel Kennebrew, a business instructor at PVAMU, and Carolyn Davis, assistant dean of the College of Business (COB),” she said. “I met them as a freshman through the Business Summer Scholarship Program (BSSP), and they have been a huge help throughout my college experience.”
The BSSP is a major-specific summer bridge program for the COB that introduces students to business courses and networking opportunities and connects them with real-world experiences through corporate tours, field trips, and professional development seminars. To date, 238 students have completed six credit hours toward their degrees through the program.
“Seeing BSSP students thrive is really indescribable for me,” Davis said. “I am extremely delighted and proud to see students graduate and succeed in future endeavors in their careers and graduate schools. It also makes me sad to see them go because I consider them my babies. But we have a BSSP motto — Business Never Stops — so I am certainly happy to see them take what they have learned to infinity and beyond.”
This summer, the BSSP is hosting 41 students at its first virtual bridge program.
“While students won’t have a residential component this year, Mr. Kennebrew and I have worked tirelessly to ensure they receive a rewarding experience,” Davis said. “We’re focused on student engagement this year. In addition to online courses, students will participate in virtual meet-and-greets and company tours with Dow Chemical, Goldman Sachs, and Deloitte. They will also have the opportunity to meet with COB faculty and former BSSP students for academic and professional advice and to learn success strategies as they continue their academic journey at PVAMU.”
Since being enrolled in the BSSP, Olear reflects on her development over the past four years.
“My freshman self and the woman I am today are drastically different,” she said. “PVAMU is truly the best place to be, and I’m thankful for all the great opportunities and experiences it has offered me.”
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By Kendall Hebert