Four Years of 'Glowing Up' at Stockton

Students received 'boarding passes' to be stamped by various tables at this year's Glow Up on Thursday, Sept. 21.

Galloway, N.J. – The Glow Up Opportunity Fair, which represents another opportunity for Stockton University students to get involved, was originally created in 2018 to expose underrepresented students to different on-campus leadership roles and job opportunities with informational tabling.

Since then, the program has expanded to include Fred Talks (inspired by TED Talks) by fellow students, raffling for prizes with the use of “boarding passes” and more, as evidenced by Thursday, Sept. 21’s event.

Students at the Admissions Ambassadors table

Students listening to Juan Diego, new Student Trustee Alternate, discuss Student Senate

Students holding up their boarding pass at the Glow Up

Students at the Stockton Center for Community Engagement and Service Learning table

Students listening to the PREP team of the Multicultural Center at their table

Head T.A.L.O.N. Ivanna Taveras at the TALONS table

Although Yesenia Pacheco, coordinator for Student Transitions, Access and Retention, didn’t create this event, she does consider it one of her passion projects that continues to grow and change.

“I'm super excited to see so many students, especially students of color, coming out to get connected to high-impact practices because I know that will enhance their success overall and prepare them to become better and more well-rounded students,” Pacheco said.

Ospreys R.I.S.E. Fred Talk Speakers

(Research, Internships, Study Abroad, and Experiential Learning)

High-impact practices, or HIPs, are learning practices that promote learning and education through active student engagement. For this event, the main practices being promoted to students were research, internships, studying abroad and experiential or service-based learning. 

While students walked through the rows of tables, they had opportunities to listen to student leaders on campus who participated in HIPs in a variety of ways, like presenting their research at conferences, studying in Greece, becoming an Admissions Ambassador or creating an on-campus conference as their internship capstone project.

Students also received “boarding passes” that were stamped at each table they visited. Ospreys with a fully stamped pass were then entered into a raffle competition where three random winners received prizes.

Pacheco, whose work includes supporting the Office of Career & Education Development, said students also visit the office looking for on-campus opportunities that could work with their schedule as both full-time and part-time students.

Her answer always leads them to the Glow Up and the annual fall Career & Internship Fair, which will take place in the Sports Center from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 5.

“Students should keep showing up to the Glow Up because we always make sure that we have a bunch of internal opportunities, specifically for students who are looking for leadership and student worker opportunities,” Pacheco said.


A group of students chatting about the table, Cape May Resorts, in front of them.

A student listening to a recruiter, and two students doing the same thing to her left/behind her.

A student and a staff member walking through the fair, both sharply dressed.

An aerial shot of the fair, showing the many employers and students present.

A student listening to a recruiter, holding an orange folder that probably contains resumes

A student listening to a recruiter, holding a pink backpack on her arm.

A student walking through the fair


Galloway, N.J. – The spring Career and Internship Fair drew a record crowd, with more than 500 students stopping by to network and job hunt on March 7.

Over 130 employers from across the region spent the day matching their open positions with the skills of students who made the rounds in the Sports Center.

Georgia DeMas, senior Human Resources coordinator at Sesame Place Philadelphia, said she was looking for students interested in working in a fun environment. “We stand for hard workers and a fun and creative environment as well.”

She said they were filling roles in multiple areas, including culinary, entertainment and maintenance, and they were looking for personable individuals who could be problem solvers.

Junior Paulina Perez attended the fair in search of potential internship opportunities. A Hospitality, Tourism and Event Studies major, Perez was looking for internships that entail working in a hotel or restaurant where she could use “customer service and organizational skills.” 

– Story and photos by Loukaia Taylor