United Way’s African American Leadership (AAL) group and members of the community partnered with Unity Weekend to bring hands-on career coaching, mentorship and encouragement to local students.
This Martin Luther King Jr. Day, service looked like conversations, coaching, and community impact. United Way’s African American Leadership (AAL) group partnered with The Unity Weekend to bring career development programming to the Unity College & Career Expo in Greenville.
The idea was simple: Be the person someone else needs.
We invited Black professionals to think about the mentor, conversation, or opportunity that helped shape their path — and to pay that forward to students just starting theirs.
What Students Experienced
At the University Center at McAlister Square, volunteers hosted five hands-on stations:
Ask a Professional — open, honest career conversations
Resume Review — real feedback students could use immediately
Reverse Resume — volunteers walked through their own career paths
Hidden Job Market — how to find opportunities beyond job boards
Mock Interviews — practice with supportive, constructive feedback
Every station focused on practical tools students could leave with that day.
The Impact
In total, 58 community members were served by 16 volunteers who gave their time and experience. The most common reason volunteers said they participated was simply the desire to give back. When asked what moments stayed with them, volunteers shared stories about talking through a resume with a 16-year-old, congratulating a student who had just landed their first job, and helping a dual-enrolled freshman figure out how to build a resume with no work experience. Others mentioned reconnecting with a past scholarship recipient, meeting fellow AAL members, and feeling a genuine sense of shared commitment to empowering the Black community. Many simply said they valued the chance to talk with young people about their futures.
Moments That Stuck
Volunteers shared what they’ll remember most:
- “Talking through my resume with a 16 year old.”
- “Congratulating a student that just got their first job.”
- “A dual-enrolled freshman trying to build a resume with no experience.”
- “Seeing a past scholarship recipient.”
- “Talking with other AAL members.”
- “There was a genuine interest in empowering the Black community.”
These moments captured what the day was really about: connection, confidence, and possibility.
Why This Matters
At United Way, we believe financial stability and upward mobility start with access — access to relationships, guidance, and opportunity. That’s why efforts like this matter. When volunteers share their knowledge and networks, they help remove barriers that too often stand between students and their goals. This event reflected what United Way does best: bringing people together to invest in our community’s future and create pathways to success for the next generation.
Volunteers overwhelmingly said the experience was meaningful and worth repeating. MLK Day reminds us that service is about more than one day — it’s about building the kind of community where opportunity is shared, guidance is offered, and futures are shaped together.
And sometimes, all it takes is one conversation to change a trajectory.