Career Development Center employee to lead YPAL in 2018

A UofL graduate and employee will serve as the president-elect of the Young Professional Association Louisville.

Aimee Jewell, employer engagement coordinator at the Career Development Center, was recently elected to the position. Jewell’s presidency will begin on July 1, 2018. Her goals include diversifying YPAL’s membership, implementing better recruitment strategies, and increasing community engagement.

“I really wanted to lead an organization that instills the love of community in young professionals,” Jewell said.

YPAL is an organization that provides leadership development, educational opportunities and philanthropic support to Louisville’s young professionals. The mission of YPAL is to connect, engage and develop metro Louisville's young professionals through community, professional and social opportunities.

Jewell joined YPAL in 2012. Since joining, she has served as the director of professional development, vice president of development, and vice president of community. Jewell won the Young Professional of the Year Award in 2014 and was granted a scholarship from YPAL to pursue her master’s degree.

The Louisville native graduated with a bachelor of science degree in Communication in 2013 from the University of Louisville. She then earned a master of arts in Communication from Bellarmine in 2015.

She joined the Career Development Center in 2016 and works with a lot of students who are on the verge of entering the workforce. She shared the advice she offers UofL students.

• Never underestimate the power of networking. Everyone you meet could potentially play an important role in your life or vice versa.
• Always show up. Taking initiative and putting in effort is vital to achieving success.
• Get a mentor. Or five. Cultivating meaningful relationships with people who can advocate for your character is important.
• Always be true to yourself. Authenticity goes a long way.
• Always be grateful and give back. Being thankful for the lessons you learn and the privilege and gifts that you have goes a long way.

“I love to see people thrive in their environment and like their job,” said Jewell. “It’s really important to feel fulfilled in your work. I feel most valued when I’m being a ‘connector,’ whether it’s through YPAL as I work to connect young professionals to each other or to organizations they might be passionate about, or through my role at UofL, where I connect students with potential employers in the city.”