Empathy and storytelling. Motivational and strategic leadership. These are just a handful of the qualities participants in this year’s PROPEL Center Arts & Entertainment Industry Accelerator identified in their “What’s Your Superpower?” course, designed to empower students to uncover and embrace their authentic selves throughout their careers.
“I think the empathy comes from me being a first child. I’ve always looked out for my younger siblings and cousins and wanted to make sure that they are good,” says Liza Montgomery, a 2024 mass communications graduate from Xavier University of Louisiana. Montgomery was one of more than 100 students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) who were selected for PROPEL’s creative arts accelerator.
Discovering their superpowers is just one way students are learning to prepare for their careers after graduation. Since February, the students have completed micro-credential courses through the PROPEL Learn app, participated in virtual career panels with professionals at Apple, and attended résumé-writing workshops to build their portfolios and begin preparing for their career journeys.