The OU Esports Advisory Board: A Beacon of Professional Development

The OU Esports Advisory Board is a key participant within the progress of OU Esports Co-Curricular and Improvement.

It’s a group of OU alumni that seeks alternatives to develop OU Esports by way of group outreach, networking, and help for members inside the group.

“The Advisory Board was created to offer alternatives for Esports members with skilled growth, mentorship, and retention for the alumni,” stated Elise Siler, an Advisory Board member.

Siler was the Media Lead in 2022 and needed to provide again to the group, in order that they utilized to the board and have become a member of the committee. They wished to help and assist new college students and members who come by way of OU Esports.

Lorenzo Rocchi, one other member of the alumni Advisory Board, joined to make up for misplaced time he wasn’t capable of spend in the neighborhood throughout his undergraduate research.

“Certainly one of my prices is that I’m going out and attempt to contact folks in my community,” Rocchi stated. “I attempt to determine how we will safe issues like sponsorships, or in some instances, have sponsored occasions and provides out prizes.”

Justin Lombardo is one other member of the Advisory Committee who has been affiliated with OU Esports since 2016. He helped create the Valorant group and even labored as a coach for a number of years. Now, he helps push the skilled growth initiative.

“It’s good to have some alumni which have some expertise within the workforce after which are available and assist with skilled growth,” Lombardo stated. “The aim of faculty and the place everyone seems to be at is often to get a job.”

The members of the Advisory Board have been pushing a brand new skilled growth initiative as of the Fall 2024 semester to assist college students perceive find out how to create a very good resume and get a job.

“Every semester, we attempt to do an expert growth boot camp for those who need to take part,” Lombardo stated. “[We’re] serving to those that have like minded hobbies on their highway to moving into the workforce after they graduate.”

The skilled growth initiative and boot camps have been a spotlight of the Advisory Board, so OU college students can have higher alternatives to seek out careers. Networking, resume constructing, and time administration are just some of the numerous expertise which were centered on.

The Advisory Board can also be organising connections for future OU Esports alumni to provide again to their group.

“I really feel that because the division grows, our college students will proceed to shine,” Siler stated. “I hope that [the Advisory Board] continues to make an impression on the scholars, and that they keep round once they change into alumni and change into help for future generations of avid gamers.”

The board has plans and objectives for the long run, too. Not one of the members are glad with leaving the system the identical. They’re continuously considering of recent concepts and initiatives that may very well be pushed sooner or later.

“I’d prefer to proceed to help the preventing video games group,” Rocchi stated. “One thing that’s been my pet undertaking is discovering methods to have the ability to higher help them, whether or not it’s searching for alternatives for funding and even simply exhibiting as much as occasions.”

Whereas board members like Rocchi need to focus efforts on supporting different pillars of OU Esports, others, equivalent to Siler, want to strengthen particular person relationships.

“I wish to proceed to strengthen mentorship inside [OU Esports], resulting in extra one-on-one interactions with members,” Siler stated. “That will be a  actually good alternative for college kids to have an perception into life after school and be there for them.”

The members of the Advisory Board work exhausting to deliver OU Esports & Co-Curricular Innovation alternatives for skilled growth, networking, and sponsorships. With out folks like Siler, Lombardo, and Rocchi, the group wouldn’t be as giant or profitable as it’s right now.

The Advisory Board plans on internet hosting extra skilled growth bootcamps, with the following one deliberate for April. In the event you attend one, take note the hardworking individuals who have made this initiative attainable.