SHRM North Central Regional Student Conference Wrap-Up



The Winning Team From Purdue
L to R Jeffrey Brent Pett, Kijae Moonha Kim, Jo-Mei Wang, Robert R. Gee, Maricela Suarez Fuster and Matthew Olsen



(Click on the Picasa tab to view all of the pictures from the event.)

Right about now I am feeling really guilty.  I am volunteering at the SHRM North Central Student conference.  It is taking place at Lewis University in Romeoville, IL. Why am I feeling guilty? Because I am now realizing, that I have not done enough to help the younger folks and students in Human Resource, and that I am resolved to doing more.

These young folks they ALL LOOKED SHARP today, Guys and girls in suits, and ties with shinny shoes and awesome hair styling.  I don’t even know these kids and I am proud or them

The games are taking place on the weekend, so the students here have made a conscious choice to be here, forgoing their weekend.  Along with the students, I met and visited with some committed college educators like Matt Stollack from St. Norberts, Jeffrey Walls from Indiana Institute of Technology, Joseph Goodman from Illinois State University, and Donna Rogers form UIS who also have forgone their weekend to help educate these young folks.

As long as I am throwing out the accolades, I should mention the SHRM folks:  Pam Green, Chuck Salvetti, Maureen Flaherty, and Laurie McIntosh who have been giving up their weekends for several weeks in a row to get all of the regional sessions completed. And we owe a big  thank you to our own Martha Ramirez who is our North Central Region Representative.

It is so cool to these students studying and consuming the stuff that makes up the SHRM exams.  And they are learning it to apply it, just as I do everyday in my work.  As I write this my group is trying to understand whether or not an internship should be paid, and how they can defend their position.  This is a rather timely matter, given DOL’s new take on internships

I have enjoyed getting to be a part of the event and watching tomorrow’s HR Trencher’s slugging it out.  Having a chance to be around the “youngsters” is invigorating and exciting.  I have resolved to more work with the young folks, going forward and if you are passionate about HR you should too; they are our future!

Congratulations to all of the teams for a great event.

-Dave Ryan ISC SHRM Director of Social Media