First hires spell early success for BW Sherwin-Williams Career Accelerator

After its April arrival on campus, the program has already yielded summer internships and its first two full-time hires.

A new career-focused learning community at Baldwin Wallace University, backed by Cleveland-based Sherwin-Williams in partnership with JobsOhio, is already paying dividends after debuting in early April.

In fact, the "Create Your Possible: Sherwin-Williams Career Accelerator" enabled the company to successfully recruit BW talent that could have gotten away from Northeast Ohio after graduation.

Now, the first cohort of 36 students, plus a new group of 50 students this fall, will benefit from a full year of programming.

Making career connections

Sherwin-Williams, a global leader in the paint and coatings industry, hired its first graduates from the accelerator program following May commencement and employed other BW students in summer internships.

One of the first full-time hires, Jordan Geisberger '24, a May chemistry graduate with a sustainability minor, networked with a senior company leader at an April event.

That high-level conversation gave Geisberger an opportunity to promote her chemistry background and technical lab skills which, in turn, allowed her to discover she was a good fit for a full-time job in the R&D Leadership Development Program within the company's Performance Coatings Group.

"The program itself definitely clued me in on the fact that Sherwin-Williams is a great company with great people and lots of opportunity for movement and advancement," Geisberger explains. "I can confirm after working here for about two months that this is very true!"

Retaining talent

Geisberger, a Massillon, Ohio, native who is "passionate about understanding how chemicals impact our environment," wanted to stay in Northeast Ohio after graduation but thought she might have to relocate for the right opportunity.

"Jordan is a great example of what the power of exposure and connection can do for our students' career success," says Danny Poslet, who coordinates the program at BW. "Her experience also showcases how this program works to help Sherwin-Williams identify and retain Northeast Ohio talent in good jobs."

"I was intimidated by entering this career field, but I just want to encourage anyone with an interest to go for it, and they will be supported by amazing people that will help them grow in their career," Geisberger adds.

Multifaceted benefits

From the perspective of Mariah Kaim '25, an enterprise risk analytics and finance major from Lakewood, Ohio, the experience was beneficial in many ways.

"I was drawn to the program because it offered a unique opportunity to receive personalized career coaching, explore various career paths that align with my strengths and interests, and connect with leaders at Sherwin-Williams who helped me understand the company culture," Kaim explains.

She hopes to apply for a full year of the program this fall.

New Student Application Deadline

The priority deadline for the 2024-25 Sherwin Williams Career Accelerator Program application is September 1. 

A resume workshop and career fair are already on deck for participants later in in the month, designed to help students meet the company's summer 2025 internship deadlines.

The program is open to sophomores, juniors and seniors enrolled full time for fall and spring. Eligible majors include accounting, business analytics, business information systems, chemistry, cybersecurity analyst, data analytics, data science, engineering, computer science, finance, mathematics (pure and applied) and software engineering.

Students receive holistic support with success coaching, complemented by scholarships, networking, applied learning and internships, as well as access to activities hosted by BW's Choose Ohio First STEM Scholars program.

Interested students can check out the application at Sherwin-Williams Career Accelerator 2024-2025 Application.