This past week, Ball Corporation and its offshoot Ball Aerospace, hosted a Diversity Day dedicated to spotlighting their diversity and inclusion initiatives alongside their internship opportunities. The event began with a breakfast and keynote speech from John Hayes, the company’s CEO. Mr. Hayes’s welcome speech was followed by Manette Snow, VP of Diversity and Inclusion at Ball, who spoke to attendees about the many resource groups Ball has for its staff, as well as how the company views diversity and inclusion as a central part of its identity.
The speaking portion of the day concluded with a panel of current employees, all of whom began as interns in their respective positions. The panel reflected on how they each came to work for Ball, what they have learned during their time with the company, and what they wish they would’ve done more of as an undergraduate. The panel’s members also passed along bits of helpful advice to the audience that they had received early on in their careers. This advice stressed the importance of asking questions, taking risks, and seeking peer feedback as regularly as possible.
Mid-day was marked by an internship and career fair, in which students were able to meet with the supervisors of each summer internship program offered by Ball. Additionally, the resource groups presented by Manette Snow earlier in the day were also present, answering further questions regarding their services and role within the company. Sarah Ault who was among the 10 CU Denver that attended the Diversity Day event, described the career fair’s atmosphere as, “incredibly welcoming,” adding, “each of the supervisors made us feel important—they expressed how excited they were to be meeting with so many students.”
The day concluded with tours of Ball’s different facilities, including their aerospace center. There, students learned about the internal processes of the center and had the opportunity to forge connections with current employees.
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