Lone Star College-CyFair students Johnny Abbatacola, Alejandro Alatorre and Mike Alford, who were named Vector Marketing’s College Bowl Champions, recently donated the $1,500 prize to the college.
“We made the check to the career services department to give back to the community, especially to LSC-CyFair where we were able to get the students, and to build strong relationships in the area,” said Jonathan Whitman, Vector Marketing’s district manager for West Houston.
The Vector Marketing Corporation, a business that specializes in Cutco Cutlery, held a company-wide contest across nine states among their college and university sales representatives. The College Bowl competition featured three categories - total sales, highest average order (productivity) and total representatives – with students representing Berklee School of Music, California Baptist University, Chapman University, Elizabethtown College, Harvard University and Rice University, just to name a few.
When the summer competition was over, LSC-CyFair’s representatives had won first place in the productivity category with the highest average sales thanks to Abbatacola’s $60,000 in total sales, Alford’s $30,000 and Alatorre’s $20,000.
All three students said they are on track to open their own offices as did Matt Bell-Roberts, former LSC-Montgomery student and current Vector Marketing district manager for East Texas.
They all agree that Vector Marketing offers students not only flexibility, room to grow in the company and opportunities to make it their career, but the sales experience is advantageous on a resume no matter what their future plans may be.
When Alatorre reached his Advisor promotion due to his “dedication, motivation and talent,” Ryan Long, campus relations manager with Vector Marketing’s Southwest region, wrote a letter to LSC-CyFair’s Career Counselor Julie Wilson.
Long wrote about how Alatorre had distinguished himself through his sales performance. She mentioned the “hard work, self-discipline, willingness to accept challenges and the high degree of personal responsibility” it takes to be successful in a direct sales industry. In closing, she wrote that his performance and her letter were a “reflection of the quality of students they work with from LSC-CyFair.”
“We are very happy that Vector Marketing supports our students and are recognizing high achievement,” said Peggy Osbourn, LSC-CyFair’s director of Counseling, Career and Disability Services. “And we’re very appreciative of Vector Marketing’s partnership and participation in our Job Connection Days.”
Open to students and the community, Job Connection Days is a mini-job fair typically held the second Tuesday of the month that benefits the employer as well as the job seeker.
“This is a good time to discuss the possibility of developing an internship/coop opportunity for employers,” Osbourn said. “It’s also an opportunity for the job seeker to discuss future careers within a particular company or to gain general career information.”
Upcoming opportunities to visit with area employers will be Tuesdays, Feb. 8 and March 8 from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the College Center at 9191 Barker Cypress.
Counseling, Career and Disability Services Office hosts this monthly event. This office also provides assistance with career exploration, academic retention, special needs and short-term crisis counseling. Contact this office for information, via e-mail at cyfair.counseling@lonestar.edu.
For information on Job Connection Days, go to LoneStar.edu or call Susan Siceluff, program coordinator, at 281.290.3260.