Two organizations in the Orlando area are preparing to input new business tactics thanks to students in the Communication and Business Leadership Experience (CABLE) program, who presented case studies to company executives at ITEC Entertainment and Special Olympics Florida in Orlando on Oct. 18-21.
Designed to give students the opportunity to learn about real-world organizations, from Fortune 500 companies to small non-profit agencies, while gaining hands-on learning experiences, CABLE is a collaborative program between the Department of Communication and the Department of Business.
“CABLE has not only helped prepare me professionally, but really has made me excited for a career and a life in the real world,” said Victoria Perlak, class of 2015 from Long Island, N.Y. “I have been able to pinpoint exactly what I want to do when I graduate Wittenberg through our different site visits and case studies, finding out what I like and what I don’t out of different organizations.”
This semester, students in the program split into two teams to complete their case studies. Given the challenge of assessing media strategies for ITEC Entertainment, Perlak and her teammates developed an internal process for assessing and vetting interested potential candidates. Through their research, the students were able to find creative practices for the company and presented their research on the company’s current social media strategies, web content and other marketing communication channels.
Students in the Special Olympics Florida team, including Kelsey Claar, class of 2015 from Springfield, Ohio, worked on a similar project, finding innovative ways to increase event participation and to get millennials more involved in donating online.
“The executives were very receptive and were very appreciative of our hard work. They had even discussed using the name of our social media plan for an upcoming Day of Giving fundraiser. It was really rewarding to know that our work was appreciated and that they were already thinking about implementing our suggestions.”
The CABLE program is just one of many opportunities at Wittenberg that enables students to gain practical, hands-on experience that extends beyond the classroom and prepares them for a career.
“This program has really opened my eyes to all the possibilities there are for me, and it has given me opportunities that I never would've imagined,” said Claar. “CABLE has taught me a lot about myself and has challenged me in ways that a typical class never did.”
Members of the 2014 CABLE program include Gabrielle Bell ’15, Kelsey Claar ’15, Meghan Concannon ’15, Allidia Hermes ’16, Grace Monahan ’15, Linh Miro Nguyen ’15, Mike Norby ’15, Victoria Perlak ’15, Ana Paula Veiga ’15, Jess Stankeveh ’15, and Hannah Yalaz ’15.
