Social K

The energy.

That’s what I’ll remember most about our recent live event at Kellogg Company Headquarters in Battle Creek, Michigan.

Kellogg and The Diversity Org hosted 40 underrepresented local high school students for a lively day of networking, conversation and insight about opportunities in the corporate world.

You could feel the oomph the moment the students arrived, because they not only chose to come (they weren’t forced by a teacher or administrator) – they walked through the rain to be there. These were students who had never experienced an opportunity like this.

And they embraced it.

We held two workshops in Kellogg’s auditorium: one about networking and another about career opportunities and development. These students are not often exposed to the plethora of options out there, especially corporate and high-income jobs.

This was a way for Kellogg employees and the students to authentically connect in a professional, relevant and meaningful environment. As you can see in the video below, we made it fun with music and visual effects, and it was a wonderful opportunity for the students to create relationships and connect with people face to face.

Importantly, the students were extremely empowered during the event. They weren’t just talked to. It was a conversation. And they were excited to see Kellogg’s cutting-edge corporate offices. Many students told us how motivated they are to perform better academically because of the event.

Students also told us afterwards how thankful they were that Kellogg allowed them to show up and be their authentic selves. One student talked about how his family struggles with food insecurity at home.

It made being at Kellogg especially relevant because the company makes food accessible to all financial backgrounds, including food donations each year to help fight food insecurity, as part of their Better Days Promise environmental, social and governance (ESG) strategy.

Our events aren’t one-offs, either. From here, students are encouraged to create a LinkedIn account and request to connect with the Kellogg people they met. We also encourage them to create email accounts to stay connected.

The Diversity Org is passionate and motivated to provide continuing opportunities for underrepresented students globally. We greatly appreciate our partnership with Kellogg and thank them for helping give our students an experience they won’t forget.