The past six months have been event-filled for University of Maryland Eastern Shore senior Jalen Gourrier.
Heading into his final undergraduate year, the business major participated in two major summer programs that not only polished his resume but also helped develop his leadership skills.
Gourrier first participated in the 10-day Johns Hopkins Summer Business Academy, where he and other attendees tackled real-life industry challenges. During the session, Gourrier and his team finished second in a team case analysis competition, earning a share of a $7,000 cash prize.
While that would be a huge accomplishment on its own, Gourrier wasn’t done. Later in the summer, he was also selected as UMES’s representative for the White House HBCU Internship Program.
“Having this honor is something that I feel like I’ve worked towards with all of the internships, jobs, and experiences I’ve had,” Gourrier said. “I’ve been building myself up to put myself out there to accomplish this. I’m more than excited, I’m proud.”
Gourrier was one of the 110 selected from 77 HBCUs chosen from a field of 350 applicants.
As part of his White House HBCU Internship experience, Gourrier’s involvement in the program includes participation in several programs and events such as master classes focusing on professional development while increasing access to post-graduation opportunities with various agencies and organizations.
One of his first activities as a White House HBCU intern was attending the 2024 HBCU Week National Annual Conference in Philadelphia in September. Gourrier entered the week-long event with several goals.
“I wanted to make connections and get into rooms I wouldn’t have thought I would get into,” he said. “I wanted to be a sponge and absorb as much information I could.”
Gourrier, who plans to attend law school upon graduation, said he looks to put all the things he’s learned from these experiences to good use.
“With this opportunity under my belt, I want to develop those important soft skills like public speaking and analysis that are necessary in my career field,” he said. “I also want to leverage this position I’m in to help further my career potential and bettering my campus.”
