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CWS Partner Feature: Excite Health Partners

Hybrid, remote, and in-person, oh my! The possibilities for professional work environments are endless in the post-pandemic era. While most of our Corporate Work Study student associates work physically in office spaces, Excite Health Partners offers the best of both worlds for Alisha ‘25 and Sharnise ‘23 with a first-hand look into a hybrid schedule.

As a new partner for the 2022-23 school year, Excite Health Partners joined the work study program after their co-founders learned of the program from friends and colleagues who were work study partners at other businesses. With a strategic company focus on community in 2022, Excite knew that giving back to Saint Martin students and providing an opportunity to learn in a professional environment was a perfect fit.

Ann McGrail, Director of Recruitment, shares, “This partnership is incredible! Not only do we help out our community, but we have seen so many positive aspects for our team. It has strengthened our management and leadership abilities as we have learned how to take an assignment and adapt it to the different skill sets of our students while also ensuring it has meaning and gets a job done. It forces us to be on our “A game” every time students come in because we want to show them the opportunity they could have in our career or field down the road.”

While in the office on Tuesdays and Thursdays, Alisha and Sharnise help with research projects to evaluate the competition, data entry for potential employee candidate resumes, as well as marketing preparation for trade shows. On their rotating Friday workday, Alisha and Sharnise work remotely for Excite from Saint Martin’s campus. Beginning their day by dialing into a conference call, students review their “Daily Focus” worksheet with their supervisors to understand what is needed from them. This includes tasks they need to complete, who they directly report to for the assignment, and if the task is a high or low-priority item. Students then work independently on the assignments throughout the day and report their progress during another conference call at the end of the day. This has helped students learn time management and gain real-world experience in how remote work environments operate in businesses across the country.

Outside of their professional experience, Alisha and Sharnise enjoy Excite’s company culture which is fun, high-energy, and competitive. The students bring good energy to the office and come in with a smile on their faces that helps to motivate their coworkers. Sharnise even likes to hop in on the team’s occasional game of “PIG” using the office basketball hoop, noting that she has beaten her male coworkers on several occasions.

Samantha Serfass, Marketing Director, admires the program for the ways it is preparing the next generation of workforce leaders. She shares, “The Corporate Work Study program is very inspiring to me because it has shown me how the next generation is ready to come into work, grind, and be successful. Many students their age would be focused on cute boys in high school, but Alisha and Sharnise show me how strong young females are coming in the door, ready to learn and be a corporate girl boss someday. It is nice and refreshing to see young females ready to take on the workforce and not feel they have to stick to traditional family roles. The Corporate Work Study Program does a great job of exposing students to the endless opportunities available and I’m glad to be part of it.”