On May 12, as students across the country leave college campuses in pursuit of summer activities, more than a dozen students from Syracuse University’s College of Arts and Sciences will head to the Peach State for the inaugural Discover Atlanta immersion program.

Selected from a pool of more than 30 applicants, the 14 rising sophomores and juniors represent a wide variety of liberal arts majors. Sponsored by the Atlanta Regional Council, Syracuse’s College of Arts and Sciences, and the Office of Career Services, the four-day, three-night immersion experience will give participating students the opportunity to meet and network with industry leaders and Syracuse alumni from a number of prominent Atlanta-based companies.

“We’re thrilled for this chance to immerse our students in Atlanta’s rich history and culture, while exposing them to several large companies with Syracuse alumni in key positions,” says Kandice Salomone, associate dean of advising and academic support in the College of Arts and Sciences. “Our students are eager to experience what the city has to offer, make connections for future internships and jobs, and start building that critical network with successful alumni in the area.

” The trip includes visits to host companies like the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Coca-Cola Company, First Data, GE Power & Water, Georgia-Pacific, Google, and Turner Broadcasting.

Though the trip is mostly business, a little pleasure has been planned into the schedule. To give students an idea of what it’s like living in Atlanta, organizers have scheduled visits to the National Center for Civil and Human Rights and the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site. Students will also enjoy a private tour—led by Gary Radke, professor of art history at Syracuse from 1980 until 2014—at the iconic High Museum of Art.

At each visit, host alumni will discuss how a Syracuse education prepared them for career success, share advice on how to establish a strong professional network, and provide tips on how to develop critical skills to succeed in the business world. Students will also learn about internship and entry-level opportunities at each respective company.

Recognizing the popularity and value of other immersion experiences—like the SULA Semester, Spring Break in Silicon Valley, and the DC Immersion Week—the Atlanta Regional Council wanted the city to have a program of its own. “We reached out to SU alumni working at a variety of Fortune 500 companies in Atlanta and received a very enthusiastic response,” says Rey Pascual ’85, SU trustee and chair of the council, who provided key leadership in moving Discover Atlanta forward. “People are excited to share the vitality of the region with current students, and our ultimate goal is to recruit more young SU alumni to pursue their careers in Atlanta.”

Interested in networking with the students or making a contribution to support Discover Atlanta? Contact Karen Spear, executive director of regional advancement, at ksspear@syr.edu or 315.443.2410.