HAMILTON  — Junior offensive lineman Miles Salinas was nominated as the graduation speaker for Colgate University's Job Skills Accelerator (JSA) program, a four-week development course where alumni are paired off with current students to teach hard and soft skills anchored in the professional world. 

"I met Anne Clauss who runs the program by chance in the winter and she offered the program to me after a few meetings," Salinas said. "I took it up because I wanted to figure out what I wanted to do post-Colgate since I had no clue. And now after leaving the program, I have a much better understanding of what I may want to pursue in the future." 

Salinas, a political science and geography double major, was partnered with Morgan Giordano '14, who works as a Sports Partner Manager at X,  and Greg Hadley '10, a Colgate Football alumni who currently serves as a Benefits Consultant with Alera Group. 

As part of the intensive program, Salinas scheduled calls with both mentors multiple times a week to learn fundamental skills and expand his professional network. Also, Salinas and other current Colgate students completed microcredentials, high-impact mini-courses that teach an individual skill or develop industry-specific knowledge. 

"A big takeaway for me was the overall communication part of the professional world as I used to get nervous during the first week," Salinas said. "But by the end of the program, all of my peers selected me to be the leader of our student group and give a speech on our last day."

The action-packed JSA program concluded with a graduation event where Salinas was elected by his peers to put a cap on an eventful four weeks. 

"I was selected to speak by all of my peers because of the leadership I displayed throughout the program," Salinas said. "I was always trying to set up social events for us, and I was willing to connect deeply with everyone to show that I am more than just a football player."