King's student discusses the importance of the Student 2 Business conference

Joanna DiFazio has had quite the whirlwind journey from Hamilton to being a King’s University College candidate to graduate.  Back in 2010 she had initially accepted an offer to the University of Guelph before choosing King’s just one day before her move in at Guelph. Second-guessing her plans, DiFazio applied to King’s late in August and received a call for an offer on a Thursday afternoon to visit the King’s campus the next day. She was scheduled to move in to her Guelph residence on the Saturday, but after a tour of King’s where she says she “taken by the King’s campus and sense of community” she accepted her offer that same day.

Five years later, Joanna is set to graduate from King’s University College with a Business Management and Organizational Studies Degree. She has taken advantage of the internship program with her Honours and Specialization in Human Resources taking a year off from her studies in 2014-15 to work a 13 month internship. In her time at King’s, she has become a Soph (Orientation volunteer), an examination proctor and a KAMP (King’s Academic Mentor Program) mentor. Notably, she has taken on the title of Ambassador for the London Economic Development Corporation’s Student 2 Business conference.

The Student 2 Business conference takes place at the London Convention Centre on March 2, 2016. The conference works as a networking event for students to meet and connect with employers, find companies that fit their values and potential careers aspirations and learn about workplace trends. Employers give students insight on the skills, knowledge and experience required to start a career in their respective industries.

She has attended the conference for the last three years before realizing she would be a great fit on the other side of the event.  LEDC saw the passion and excitement in DiFazio and felt she would be the perfect fit as their King’s Student Ambassador. Her attendance in the event connected her with an employer who later hired her on for the summer of 2014.

DiFazio encourages all students regardless of program or year to attend the conference. She believes the ability to network is essential and this conference provides students with a great opportunity to practice their elevator pitch, as well as develop the necessary networking skills required to secure a position after graduation. She will be in the Darryl J. King Student Life Centre on Wednesday February 24 and Thursday February 25 promoting the event to her peers. She would like to make the students more aware of the great benefits this event has to offer as her way of giving back to her King’s community.