On Friday, February 9, the Metro Atlanta Chamber (MAC) hosted a group of liberal arts students from the University of Chicago as part of their inaugural Atlanta track.
On Friday, February 9, the Metro Atlanta Chamber (MAC) hosted a group of liberal arts students from the University of Chicago as part of their inaugural Atlanta track. The students visited important sites, including the Georgia State Capitol, HowStuffWorks, General Assembly, CNN, UPS and Delta Air Lines. This collegiate outreach effort is led by Jenny Jang, senior project manager of Public Policy at MAC.
“My goal for this initiative is to attract top talent to Atlanta and create partnerships with schools outside the metro region,” Jang said.
During their visit at MAC, the students enjoyed a Waffle House breakfast and learned about cross-department initiatives such as sustainable economic development, ChooseATL and policy efforts.
Alexis Everett, marketing manager for ChooseATL, explained, “This initiative is so important in the recruitment of next-generation talent. We can’t possibly reach every college and university around the country, but what we can do is give students an experience unlike any other while they’re here which is the ultimate selling point.”
Upon returning to Chicago, the students provided feedback on their visit to Atlanta, and their responses speak volumes to the impact of this initiative.
Would you consider relocating to Atlanta after college?
“I would certainly consider relocating to Atlanta after college. I think it has similar opportunities that I could find in Chicago and New York but with many advantages that other cities don’t have. Atlanta feels fresher — like it can be more easily and responsibly shaped by the new work that will travel there.”
Carla Abreu, Economics & French ‘21
What was your favorite visit?
“My favorite visit was the Chamber of Commerce. The employees we spoke to had so much to say and gave informative answers to all of our questions. It seemed to me that their whole team is extremely passionate about their jobs and their city, which greatly appealed to me.”
Jose Heredia, Public Policy Studies ‘18
What did you learn from the Atlanta trip?
“Honestly, I thought seeing Atlanta was the most valuable aspect of the trip, more so than the site visits. If someone had told me that Atlanta is a booming city, especially for business in the tech and film sectors before the trip, I wouldn’t have believed them. But having seen the professional environment in Atlanta myself, I definitely have a new perspective on Atlanta and am now open to relocating to Atlanta after college.”
Christina Cho, Economics & Computer Science ‘21
As part of MAC’s Your Talent, Your Future initiative, annual reports will be reviewed to identify high-demand jobs in the Atlanta market to recruit schools that specialize in those respective studies. The ATL Tour: College Edition will continue to welcome college and university groups to Atlanta in 2018, with the next visit being the University of Syracuse in May. If you know of companies who would be interested in hosting a student group, please reach out to Jenny Jang.
