Scholar Finds Common Purpose at FedEx

FedEx is a proud supporter of seven diverse scholarship organizations focused on increased access to higher educational opportunities and leadership development. For the last four years, FedEx has supported the Thurgood Marshall College Fund (TMCF) through direct scholarships and the Fund’s annual Leadership Institute to help increase the pipeline of diverse talent for internships and employment.

Dailyn Hereford, a senior marketing major at Jackson State University and TMCF scholar, knows firsthand that personal interactions can leave lasting impressions for college students making internship and employment decisions.

As a student attending TMCF’s 2019 Leadership Institute – a five-day professional development workshop held in Washington, D.C. for students attending TMCF HBCU member schools – she was able to make a connection with a recruiter and find a home at FedEx.

“I was happy to see FedEx at the Power Networking event. I just walked over out of curiosity,” says Hereford. “That interaction with FedEx stood out because it was not scripted, and she was very clear about who they wanted to recruit. That personal interaction stood out across the entire conference.”

Almost a year later, Hereford is completing her virtual marketing internship at FedEx focusing on market research for Diversity, Equity and  Inclusion (DEI) messaging in the company’s retail networks. “This internship allowed me to apply my college studies to real-world project experience,” she says. That project experience was only one component of her internship.

“I met as many people at the company as I could, and expressed my interests to those I worked with. That helped me make connections across the enterprise. I was also constantly evaluating the company culture and its values. Volunteering during my internship was an easy way to assess how the company’s values align with my own.”

Her experience at FedEx allowed her to come full circle – Hereford found herself volunteering at the same FedEx Cares event that led to her internship opportunity just a year earlier. “Having the chance to volunteer at the Leadership Institute showed me that our values align. Coming from an HBCU where we’re proud of our excellence, I want to let others know that FedEx values that excellence, too.”