December 16, 2024
Alumnus designs event that brings together alumni with COB students
Opex University Day is an annual, alumni-driven event sponsored by Courtney Humphrey (BSBA ’96 & MBA ’98) and the company he founded, Opex Technologies, a technology advisory firm based in Raleigh.
The event was initially structured in which students from ECU’s College of Business and Elon University heard from entrepreneurs and business leaders who spoke about career challenges and successes and shared their insight into what makes for a successful career. Now in its second year, Opex University Day, recently held in November, invited students from NC State to join the COB and Elon. New to this year’s event was a panel of young alumni who also spoke of expectations and possibilities when starting a career.
Why is Opex University Day structured in this manner? It all started with an ask by COB Dean Mike Harris and COB’s Director of Outreach Paige Hill, who were looking to give COB students access to the Pirate alumni network and professional development experiences.
“I said I’ve got an idea that I think we can execute on,” said Humphrey. “What if we did a university day where we run a panel featuring some of my CEO friends who went to ECU and other surrounding schools and have been extremely successful.”
“Our job at the COB is to educate future business leaders, and one way we do this is by role modeling and creating professional experiences,” said Hill. “Opex University Day is a great learning opportunity for students, plus events like this shine a bright light on our talented students, which alumni love to see.”
With the help of Humphrey’s business partner Rich Nowalk who went to Elon, the first Opex University Day was launched in November 2023 and featured entrepreneurs and leaders such as Van Isley, Vern Davenport and Steve Jones.
Attending the first Opex University Day was then senior Rodey Bonilla Gonzalez. He took full advantage of the opportunity to establish a relationship with Humphrey.
“My relationship with Courtney really grew after the first Opex University Day,” said Bonilla. “We were able to connect on LinkedIn, and I was able to tap into his knowledge, asking him multiple questions about his journey and how to stand out in a competitive environment.” According to Bonilla, a current Arthur School IMBA student, that relationship led to him gaining an internship with TEKsystems in Raleigh.
In the audience of this year’s Opex University Day was Isabella Jiminez Vargas. Like Bonilla, she’s an IMBA student who took full advantage of university day and found it “truly inspiring.” She, along with more than 40-plus ECU students, had the opportunity to network with almost 100 students, alumni and other professionals who were in attendance.
“This experience allowed me to engage with driven professionals, gain valuable advice, and gather insights to guide my career,” said Jimenez. “I am truly grateful to learn from their expertise and apply it to my journey.”
At this year’s event, Jiminez engaged with a representative from the Carolina Hurricanes. “Since I aspire to work in the sports industry, our conversation was incredibly insightful and motivating. We connected on LinkedIn and have followed up with each other since Opex University Day, further solidifying this meaningful connection.”
Humphrey made a point to convey to the students in attendance that all the panelists and alumni in attendance were there solely to support the students.
“They (the students) are getting access to incredibly successful business leaders who, if they reach out, will invest in their career journey,” said Humphrey, who offers some sage advice to the students.
“The ball is in their court when it comes to reaching out,” said Humphrey. “That’s how you build a network.”
This year’s Opex University Day offered students another great opportunity to build their networks. Representing the COB were alumni Fielding Miller, Jim Segrave, Tom Furr and Christian Hill.
“We continue to raise the bar with this type of professional development to complement what’s being taught in the classroom,” said Harris. “The Pirate network is strong and is here to support students and young alumni.”
- Categories:
- Uncategorized