Show What Matters! Workshop Connects Learning and Career Readiness
Posted on August 1, 2026 by Michelle Hale
Show What Matters! Workshop Connects Learning and Career Readiness
Over 40 faculty and staff from across the University of South Alabama came together in July for Show What Matters!, a two-day LevelUP workshop focused on helping students recognize, reflect on, and communicate the knowledge and skills they are developing through their academic experiences.
Hosted as part of the University’s LevelUP Quality Enhancement Plan, the workshop explored practical strategies faculty can use to make career readiness more visible and intentional within their courses and programs.
The workshop featured Dr. Lynn T. Meade, an educator and communication scholar whose work focuses on helping students effectively articulate the value of their college experiences. Through interactive sessions, participants examined ways to help students identify the skills they are developing, connect those experiences to the NACE Career Readiness Competencies, and communicate their preparation to future employers.
The second day moved participants from exploration to application. Sessions led by Dr. Julie Estis, Dr. Michelle Hale, Adam Barnes, and Autumn Courtney focused on integrating employer-valued skills into the student experience, using reflection and electronic portfolios to document learning, and creating meaningful connections between academic experiences and career readiness.
A central theme throughout the workshop was that students often develop valuable career-ready skills without recognizing or knowing how to articulate them. By intentionally incorporating reflection, competency mapping, and opportunities to collect evidence of learning, faculty can help students better understand the value of their academic experiences and prepare to communicate that value beyond the classroom.