The end of the 2024 Spring semester is fastly approaching, and many fourth-year students are preparing for graduation. This is a time in which Sonoma State students get ready to embark on a new chapter of their lives, whether that be pursuing a career or continuing their education in graduate school. These changes can cause a range of emotions, from excitement to anxiety and that is where the Sonoma State Career Center comes in to assist.

The Career Center, also known as the Career Den, serves as a resource for  current Seawolves as well as recent alumni seeking guidance on their next steps. Located on the bottom floor of the Schulz library, the Career Den offers various services to support students in their career development journey.This semester, students have been informed via email that the Career Center is hosting weekly raffles as part of their outreach efforts. Students become eligible to participate in the raffle after  engaging with the center in specific ways. 

“This year has more prizes and is spread out through the last few weeks of school. Each week has different challenges, so next week, instead of submitting resumes, students should show us their completed LinkedIn profiles.” said Alana Berard, the Employer Relations Lead at the Career Center. 

During the week of April 15th through the 19th, the career center is offering a Stanley Cup or Hydro Flask as the  raffle prize, allowing the winner to choose between the two options. “I think it is a cool idea, especially if they are doing it differently every week. It can target a bunch of different people and help students when considering there are those who don’t have a lot of basic necessities. If they give away some stuff like that it can be really helpful to students.” said Ellie Orona, a fourth-year early childhood study major with a concentration in education.

These incentives for student engagement not only benefit students in advancing their professional or academic pursuits but also bring attention to the services offered at Sonoma State. 

“Post covid a lot of departments and areas are struggling with participation and students coming to use their services. Offering these incentives in the first palace will drive up the engagement and hopefully bring it back to pre covid levels.” said Kieleigh Calcagno, a fourth year double major in Hutchins liberal studies and English.

Throughout April, the Career Center will be offering four different prizes including  an air fryer, Keurig, Stanley Cup or Hydro Flask, and an iced coffee maker, providing additional motivation for students to engage with their resources.