Roadtrip Indiana sets sights on jobs for students
SPEEDWAY, Ind. (WISH) — Some Hoosier students are taking part in the road trip of a lifetime, a trip that could jump-start their careers and help other Hoosier students land jobs.
After taking a lap at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Wednesday, a green recreational vehicle will make six stops, including in Warsaw, Seymour and Fishers. For the next two weeks, college students Jaedyn Zavala, Shannon Newrth and Dengke Wang will travel in the RV.
It’s called Roadtrip Indiana. It’s a new initiative Gov. Eric Holcomb hopes will connect the state’s youth with employers. The students will meet and ask questions to owners who work in various industries, including tech, sports and farming.
“I’m really passionate about global food security,” Newerth said. “I’m very curious about what kind of careers are available.”
“I’ve had my parents get divorced,” Zavala said. “I’ve had a loss of a friend. I’m trying to relate to them and see how they overcame certain things like that.”
“I want to be more sure about the choices with my career and meet new people and hear from them,” Wang said.
This isn’t the first time students have used an RV to do this. Roadtrip Nation has used this concept for the past 15 years. But this is the first time a state government got involved.
“One thing that we have with 15 years of doing Roadtrip Nation is that when students are doing their own career and their own career exploration, they have to see people like them,” Roadtrip Nation co-founder Mike Marriner said. “People from their own communities. People from their own backyards.”
The road trip will become an hourlong TV episode that will air on PBS — an experience these student hope will help more than their careers.
“Life is just an exciting ride that you’re on,” Zavala said.
A spokesperson for the show said the episode will air sometime next year. And it’s not just these employers getting involved. The state also launched a new website where Hoosier employers can share their stories and encourage students to explore jobs in Indiana.