Pearson Student Leadership Summit 2022
What a weekend.
The first ever Pearson Campus Ambassador (PCA) Leadership Summit was held in Columbus, Ohio in April 2022. The goal of this meeting was to continue to build a top ambassador program that reshapes Pearson’s brand in the minds of students nationwide. The meeting also aimed to capitalize on the success of four outgoing student Regional Coordinators (RCs) by imparting their knowledge to the incoming leadership team.
Graduating PCAs Delaney Henson and Noah Myers made it their mission, beginning in November 2021, to demonstrate the impact an in-person meeting could have on the future success of the PCA program. They turned the once abstract idea into a set of concrete deliverables. Once final approval came through, the Student Programs team enlisted leaders from both Sales and Marketing teams to create sessions focused on sales growth in the Higher Education market.
Experience
The final product was truly an amazing experience. This summit allowed Pearson to bring together the heart of the PCA Program, which is composed of some of the best and brightest students from all over the country. It was a great opportunity to meet everyone in person. These are people I have worked with virtually for some time, so it was truly amazing getting to work in the same office as them and share meals together. The memories, laughs, and conversations I had with my fellow Pearson colleagues are something I will always remember.
The pandemic taught us that a lot can get done virtually, but the virtual work environment is not the same as meeting in person. The feeling is just different. There is a certain level of heartfelt sincerity that comes with being physically present. You can interact with your colleagues in a way that you can’t behind a screen. The connections made, the relationships created, and the friendships formed during this Leadership Summit were truly special.
I couldn’t think of a better way to share this experience than by having the voices of the other PCA attendees tell you.
“My favorite part of the Summit was getting to meet everyone for the first time. I felt so lucky to have the opportunity to form not only work relationships but real friendships with my fellow PCAs who I now look forward to working with even more.” – Rachel Schachter, California State University, Northridge
“This summit was truly a dream come true! I think my favorite part had to be the panel with the graduating RCs. I was able to learn so much from them in such a short period of time and the lessons I learned are ones that I will carry with me for the rest of my time at Pearson and beyond.” – Camryn Enloe, Oklahoma State University
“I've been working virtually at Pearson for two years and while I was looking forward to meeting everyone in person, I didn't think it would impact me SO much. We had so many incredible conversations, and I learned so many things about the other regions that will help me SO much as the RC Trainer. I think that we'll be able to make an even bigger impact moving forward.” – Laura Avellaneda, Kennesaw State University
“BEST TRIP EVER!! Getting to meet with my fellow RCs and Student Directors was so amazing. I learned so much from them professionally and personally, and it was truly an experience I will never forget. I left feeling so inspired, and I am so excited to implement everything that I learned.” – Ambyr Dack, Florida State University
“Every single individual at the Leadership Summit was super friendly and incredibly brilliant. I feel like I grew so much from talking to them in person.” – Saleem Abu-Tayeh, University of Virginia
“Nothing has been more impactful to me than having the opportunity to attend the Summit. The event allowed me not only to heighten my leadership and professional skills, but it allowed me to finally connect with so many of my peers that I have been working with virtually for months now.” – Taylor Falls, University of Alabama
Results
Students left this summit feeling reinvigorated about their work at Pearson, and even more excited to lead their regions and committees. We benefited from some great sessions held throughout the summit that were designed to help us become better leaders and business professionals. The opportunity to learn from our graduating Regional Coordinators as well Sales and Marketing professionals at Pearson was invaluable.
This was the type of education that goes beyond what you learn in the college classroom, and I was so grateful to be a part of it. As a Regional Coordinator, I am now more prepared than ever to lead my region to success. I plan to use what I learned during this time to create better PCA/Rep relations, drive sales for the company, improve my sales & marketing acumen, and become the best Pearson Campus Ambassador and Regional Coordinator that I can be. Pearson wants to be known as a "learning company", well this is one of the best learning experiences that I could have asked for as a college student.
Let’s look at what some of my fellow PCAs had to say about the early results of the Leadership Summit.
“At the leadership summit, I formed a great relationship with other Regional Coordinators, and we already have plans to collaborate more in the future. I learned so much more about Pearson’s goals and values which I can’t wait to share with the PCAs in my region. I now recognize what it means to be more than just a textbook company.” – Jasmine Hartman Budnik, Baylor University
“Before the Leadership Summit, I didn’t know exactly how I wanted to lead my region, nor did I feel comfortable having some of the very honest conversations (about goals, what to do/not to do, etc) with other RC's that I had not gotten to know very well. On this trip, all of that changed. I feel so much more connected to the other Regional Coordinators and Student Directors now where we can have these deeper conversations and REALLY make an impact.” – Hannah Brennan, University of Wisconsin-Madison
“The Leadership Summit sets new leaders up for success and allows them to build on the foundations set by those before them so that the program moves forward rather than restarting with each graduating class. It provides invaluable experience to young professionals and offers both Sales & Marketing professionals the chance to collaborate with and learn from our PCAs.” – Delaney Henson, University of Louisville
“If I am completely honest, before this summit I was feeling discouraged and lost, but this summit made me realize that I have so many amazing leaders beside me who can help me and support me in leading my region to be the best it can be.” – Sally Lee, California Polytechnic State University
“I took away a ton of valuable insights from this Leadership Summit that will not only further the PCA program, but that will make the sales teams more productive, expand the company's presence on social media, and even increase employee engagement.” – Taylor King, North Carolina A&T State University
“Because of the Leadership Summit, we will be able to work more diligently, collaborate, support each other, and better hold each other accountable. Having the opportunity to meet also allowed us to exchange new ideas!” – Hanna Dworkin, Boston University
“The Student Leadership Summit played a fundamental part in the development of the young professionals at Pearson. It provided the opportunity for leaders to come together and learn from one another and to share ideas around driving sales, marketing efforts, DE&I, and a variety of products. These ideas revolve around the common goal that we all share which is to be more than a textbook company.” – Brian Hayes, University of South Carolina
“The Student Leadership Summit allows the heartbeat of the PCA program, the people who make this program what it is, to develop into future Pearson Leaders. It's an opportunity like no other. An opportunity to learn, grow, mature, advance, and make progress by learning.” – Noah Myers, University of Nevada, Las Vegas
“I have NOT stopped bragging about this trip. I am still smiling from this trip. I am a better person after attending this Leadership Summit. I am so thankful that I had the chance to meet– who I believe– the best group of student leaders EVER!” – Molly Pribish, Missouri State University
“The Leadership Summit is a great opportunity to grow the future leaders of Pearson. It is a space to learn, share advice, and meet all our virtual coworkers in person. I am excited to work with a company that desires change for the better.” – Jayla Pope, Morgan State University
“This Leadership Summit will help develop a culture of collaboration, best practices, and efficiency for the leadership team which will positively impact the PCA Program and Pearson as a whole.” – McKinley Falkowski, University at Buffalo
“This Leadership Summit was vital in preparing a group of future leaders in the Pearson Campus Ambassador Program to aid their sales reps and be as successful as they can possibly be!” – Zach Suozzo, University of New Hampshire
Well, there you have it. I couldn’t have said it better myself. As you can see from the sentiments of my friends and colleagues, the Leadership Summit was an impactful, life changing experience for us as students and aspiring professionals. I think you will see even greater results from this summit as time moves forward. I cannot wait to see the greatness and success that lies ahead for this group of leaders, the PCA Program, and Pearson Education.
Always Learning!
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About the author
Ryan Celestine
Ryan Celestine is a student at Prairie View A&M University pursuing a double major in Business Management and Marketing. He is the Pearson Campus Ambassador at PVAMU and also a Regional Coordinator for PCAs in the South Central Region of the U.S. Ryan is also the Pearson Higher Education Internship Program Project Coordinator and will be in the Sales & Marketing internship program with Pearson this summer. In his free time, Ryan enjoys playing basketball, cooking, watching movies, traveling, and spending time with his family and friends.
