VIP Events

UPCOMING VIP EVENTS*

VIP events are open to ALL students at Mines—and there’s always free food!

To register for an event, select the event from the drop-downs below.

Embrace Discomfort: Ignite Career Success w/ Jackie Haney

April 3 • 12:00–1:00 pm • Hill Hall r. 204 | Facing and embracing discomfort can be a daunting task. However, the key to growth and success is learning to leave your comfort zone. Whether in your personal life or in a professional setting, getting into the habit of stretching your limits to encounter new situations will enable you to learn from your mistakes and gain experience.

Join Jackie Haney, Mines alum and CEO of UnionRock Partners, for a discussion on how identifying challenging situations and taking risks can open new opportunities. She will share her story about confronting unfamiliar possibilities, advice on taking the leap, and how these situations can ultimately set you up to accomplish greatness.

Food included — available to all Mines students and staff! Sign up here!

Calling all Grad students! Build your Career Compass w/ Jim Greiner

April 9 • 4:00–5:00 pm • McNeil r. 215 | To answer “What do I want to be when I grow up?”, knowing what you don’t like is just as important as knowing what you do.

Join Jim Greiner, business leader and career mentor, as he reveals invaluable insights from his diverse career journey, learning firsthand how cultivating a strategic “Yes/No” list can revolutionize your approach to career decision-making. In this interactive workshop, participants will discover the power of leveraging your professional history to navigate towards fulfilling your career aspirations.

Food included — open to all Mines Graduate students and staff! Sign up here!

Intern Launch

April 17 • 4:00–6:00 pm • Marquez r. 108 | Orediggers! Are you getting ready to start a summer internship? Learn more about how to adjust to your internship site, organizational structure, and expectations as an intern. 

Join Marcus Giron (Intern Program Manager, NREL) for a presentation on engaging presentation of the “ABCs of an Effective Intern” followed a Mines student panel who will share their firsthand internship experiences and tips!

3rd Annual VIP Professional Development Symposium

Feb 28 • 4:00–6:30 pm • Student Center Ballroom | VIP is proud to host our 3rd annual VIP Professional Development Symposium on Wednesday, February 28th!

Jennifer Vellenga (Jen V.) and Jennifer Rettele-Thomas (JRT) join us from Voice First World®, a communication and leadership training company that applies the acting techniques seen on stage and screen to workplace scenarios. Over the last 25 years, Jen V. has empowered Emmy® and Tony® Award-winning actors and writers to embrace their authentic selves and speak confidently. Throughout JRT’s career as the Associate Vice President for a university foundation, she realized the importance of owning her seat at the table with effective communication, relationship building, and storytelling. Together, they launched Voice First World® to help individuals and teams tell stories and communicate effectively.

Dr. Stephen Enders, Professor of Practice (ret), will finish the evening with an interactive networking mixer with industry partners and mines alumni.

Sign up here!

Navigating Power and Conflict

March 25 • 12:00–1:00 pm • McNeil r. 213 | Feeling frustrated in a group project? Not sure how to resolve a problem at work, in the classroom, or with your roommate? 

VIP and Community Standards are hosting a lunch and learn to explore different conflict management styles and how social identity and perception impact managing conflict. You will leave with an understanding of the relationship between identity and conflict as well as a foundation for how to identify restorative approaches and outcomes to conflict in different types of environments. 

Food included — available to all Mines students and staff! Sign up here!

Building Mental Strength and Resiliency w/ Dorsey Standish

March 27 • 5:00–6:00 pm • Berthoud r. 243 | Equip yourself with new resiliency tools for career self-management, professionalism, and overall well-being!

During this workshop, you will connect with greater calm through experiential mindfulness exercises to cultivate strength and flexibility in the prefrontal cortex, the area of the brain associated with regulating emotions and regaining control of stressful situations. This session will include inspiring stories, neuroscience learning, and key takeaways for stress resilience and sustainable career growth.

Get ready to feel relaxed, inspired, and connected to your own inner strength. Sign up here!

Dorsey Standish is a mechanical engineer, neuroscientist, and wellness expert who brings evidence-based mindfulness and emotional intelligence to clients worldwide. Her personal mission is to help Type A people like herself slow down, destress, and optimize their performance through mindfulness-based brain health training. Dorsey’s talks inspire audiences through a mix of groundbreaking neuroscience research, relatable storytelling and practical mindfulness tips for high performers who think they are “too busy” to meditate. Dorsey holds a master’s degree in Cognitive Neuroscience from University of Texas at Dallas and a bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania, and she is trained as a teacher of Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction through Brown University.

*Event dates, times and locations are subject to change.

PAST VIP EVENTS

Please click on the button below to see programming previously offered through VIP Professional Development.