GR Initiative for Leaders and Fifth Third Bank Partner to Prepare Students for Career Success

Instead of hanging out in the lunch room with their peers, students in the GR Initiative for Leaders (GRIL) Ambassador Club at Ottawa Hills High School sacrificed their lunch break to prepare themselves for career success.  Fifth Third Bank employees volunteered their time and talent to conduct mock job interviews with the students last Friday.  The interviewers used the STAR job interview technique to conduct the interviews and provide feedback to the students. 

“Developing the skills needed to win a job is a fundamental part of financial empowerment”, said Patrick Lonergan, Senior Vice President of Community and Economic Development at Fifth Third Bank, “we’re pleased to partner with GRIL to build interviewing skills for students at Ottawa Hills High School.”

One of the goals of the Ambassador Club is to facilitate the student’s commitment to career success.   The mock job interviews were conducted in an effort to show the teens how to be more responsible and prepared for the next stage in their life.  Prior to the interviews, GRIL discussed with the students tips on interviewing and resume writing.

The goals for the teens in the Ambassador Club are:

• Increased leadership at home, school and community
• Increased understanding of personal strengths and purpose
• Commitment to academic and career success
• Increased ability to manage time and priorities

The Ambassador Club consists of 30 teens from both Ottawa Hills and Union High School who have been chosen by their school administrators, teachers, and peers.  The teens participate in weekly trainings from September to May where they take personal assessments and learn about goal setting, time management, balance, accountability, social justice and cross-cultural leadership.  At the end of the school year, each teen develops a breakthrough plan where they identify how they will commit to continued leadership and community impact.