Communications, mental health services, cybersecurity operations, governmental affairs, medicine, clinical research, data visualization, fine and performing arts, and public health are only some of the disciplines represented by the inaugural group of 27 Thayer Scholars at CSU. Thanks to a new scholarship fund established by John P. Thayer and his wife, Pamela, of Columbus, undergraduate students now have access to additional resources through the university’s Center for Career Coaching to gain invaluable, hands-on field experience as they apply classroom learning in real-world settings. Those internships, research, and service-learning experiences are poised to set them apart from their peers as they pursue postgraduate jobs or continue their studies at the graduate level. A lifelong career construction executive, Thayer recognizes the importance of professional experience to long-term career readiness and success. In 1965, the Columbus native founded what is now Thayer-Bray Construction LLC. Over the years, and through multiple recessions, the company has significantly shaped the local landscape as it expanded from residential projects to major commercial developments. “Education is the one thing nobody can take from you once you have it,” Thayer said, speaking to the inaugural group of Thayer Scholars of the college experience as a compounding investment in yourself. “Always keep in mind ways you can keep growing it, keep adding to it.” The program, administered by the Center for Career Coaching, awards one-time, single-semester scholarships ranging from $1,000 to $2,000 to undergraduates based on financial need. CSU President Stuart Rayfield emphasized that the costs of an internship—especially one outside Columbus—shouldn’t deter students from gaining experience that can boost their education and foster their career goals. “The Thayers’ generosity means that students don’t have to sacrifice high-quality experiences due to their financial situations,” Rayfield explained while commending the Thayers for proposing the scholarship fund to the university last fall and for implementing it quickly enough to help students just a semester later. “This scholarship will provide students with ways to cover their living expenses and other obligations so they can explore career-building experiences both here in Columbus and farther away from our campus.”
Patrick Keebler, Director of the Center for Career Coaching, said the value of the Thayer Scholars Program extends well beyond the scholarship award. “This isn’t just a scholarship award, it’s a program,” he explained, highlighting some networking and professional development opportunities that scholars will engage in throughout the semester, along with their field experiences. The Thayers’ philanthropic investment in this initiative is part of an experiential learning strategy the university adopted in 2024 when it launched its current five-year strategic plan. That plan, built on President Stuart Rayfield’s vision outlined during her 2023 presidential investiture, calls for every CSU undergraduate student to participate in an experiential learning opportunity aligned with their post-graduation goals. “What we’re hearing from companies is that students benefit from real-world experience so that they can see how what they’re doing in the classroom translates to what they’ll be doing later in their careers,” Rayfield said. “Beyond their career field, these experiences, like internships, impart career-readiness skills like workplace professionalism, communication and teamwork to students.” In early 2025, the university announced a $4 million upgrade to its student success model, centered around adding 40 new International Coaching Federation-certified academic and career success coaches. Through this one-of-a-kind coaching model among Georgia colleges and universities, academic and career success coaches partner to ensure all CSU students are career-ready upon graduation. Career success coaches, like their academic coaching counterparts in the Center for Academic Coaching, specialize in a specific academic area and stay connected with the same students from their first year through graduation and beyond. They provide students with one-on-one career coaching, career planning and resources while also connecting them with internships and industry professionals. Keebler looks to the Thayer Scholarship as a model to further scale donor-supported field experiences so more students can benefit in future semesters.
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