LA PLATA, Md. — Nearly 70 student leaders and Southern Maryland business professionals gathered at the College of Southern Maryland’s (CSM) La Plata Campus on April 3, 2025, for the Student Leader Networking Summit. The invitation-only event, hosted by CSM’s Center for Career Development and Success, offered workshops and an etiquette dinner to foster professional skills and connections, preparing students for future careers.
The summit featured interactive sessions on networking, LinkedIn strategies, and soft skills, equipping participants with tools to engage confidently with peers and industry professionals. Cathleen Hanson from the International School of Protocol in Baltimore led the workshops, guiding students on professional behavior and effective communication. A key component was the etiquette dinner, where students practiced formal dining protocols, learning proper utensil use, toasting etiquette, and conduct for business meals or interviews over dinner.
Kathryn Dolan, a CSM student and vice president of the Prince Frederick Campus Association, shared her experience: “I attended the Student Leader Networking Summit not really knowing what to expect. We started out in one room and were directed to talk to someone we did not know, and every five minutes we would switch to a different person. I met a variety of students, engineering majors, computer science majors, and business administration majors. It was refreshing to talk to new faces in the CSM community to learn about what they were interested in.” During the dinner, she added, “I learned about when to sit, when to toast, when to drink after a toast is made, what utensils to use, where to place utensils after I am done using them, a lot of information on dinner etiquette.”
The event emphasized practical skills for real-world scenarios. “They are our future workforce,” said Ralph Critten, Director of Industry Engagement for the Center for Career Development and Success, noting the students’ involvement in classes, internships, and leadership roles. Larisa Pfeiffer, executive director of the center, highlighted the summit’s value: “I am enormously grateful to our sponsors who see the value in providing students with a real-world, hands-on experience that allows them to grow their social and networking skills. Our students are valuable – they are committed to their education, and we are enhancing their college experience by connecting them with paid internships in their fields of study and showing them the value of building their professional networking capital.”
Sponsorship from the Educational Systems Federal Credit Union, along with support from the CSM Foundation and the Thomas V. Miller Center for Leadership, made the event possible. The College of Southern Maryland, serving over 16,000 students annually across its campuses, prioritizes career readiness through such initiatives. The summit aligns with broader trends in higher education, where institutions increasingly focus on bridging academic learning with professional development to meet workforce demands, as noted in recent studies on career preparation.
By connecting students with local professionals, the summit fostered relationships that could lead to internships and job opportunities in Southern Maryland’s growing economy. The event underscored CSM’s commitment to cultivating skilled, confident leaders ready to contribute to their communities and beyond.
