Spartan Support: How Peer Coaching is Shaping Career Success at MSU

Each year, The Russell Palmer Career Management Center selects around 15 exceptional seniors to serve as peer coaches. These experienced Spartans offer support to fellow students around networking strategies, mock interviews, career exploration, LinkedIn optimization, and more. The program creates a mutually beneficial dynamic—peer coaches gain critical skills in leadership and communication while fellow students receive experience-based guidance. Having successfully navigated their personal career challenges, peer coaches offer insights and strategies to help others achieve their professional goals.

In August 2024, Khadija Kapuswala, a supply chain management senior, returned to MSU for her final semester and joined the Palmer Center as a peer coach. She had completed three internships and an impressive list of extracurricular activities with the Dashney Women’s Leadership Accelerator and Spectrum Consulting Group. As a coach, she used her experience to help other Spartans at Broad with career readiness.

“(Khadija) has been a huge help with my internship search and career development. Her peer coach case prep appointments were invaluable, and I honestly don’t think I would’ve landed my consulting offer without the resources from Russell Palmer,” said supply chain management and public relations student Riley Yearwood.

Mary Hagey, also a supply chain management student, agreed. “Khadija has been instrumental in guiding me through my internship search and career development. Her advice and support gave me the confidence and clarity to successfully navigate the application process and secure an internship that aligned perfectly with my industry goals.”

Khadija’s impact on Riley and Mary is a great example of the broader impact the peer coaching program is having on students. From August 2024 through January 2025, around 2,500 peer coaching appointments were made, along with almost 200 drop-by sessions, totaling over 2,700 student engagements in just six months.

These impact numbers show the significance of this service. Students place a high value on the personalized career support their peers have to offer. Today’s students are encountering greater challenges in preparing themselves for successful careers. The job market demands more than just a degree; students need advanced networking skills and an understanding of how to navigate complex hiring processes.

Peer coaching is incredibly valuable in this process. When a fellow Spartan helps guide students through resume refinement and networking strategies, it makes career development feel more approachable and less overwhelming. Unlike traditional career services, peer coaches have recently faced the same challenges and have used the resources at the Palmer Center that they now assist others with. After benefiting from the Palmer Center’s support themselves, they are eager to give back and help others succeed.

“During my time at Broad, I regularly utilized the services provided by the Palmer Center, including peer coaching. These sessions were incredibly valuable, and I am committed to delivering the same level of support to other Broad students as a current peer coach,” Thomas Gardella, a finance senior and current peer coach, said.

Anita Alkatib is a supply chain management senior and a peer coach at the center. She shared a similar sentiment.

“I found a lot of value in Palmer Center resources during my internship and full-time job search process, and I wouldn’t be where I am today without the help of this team,” she said. “I am truly proud to be a part of it.”

The Palmer Center helps students develop crucial career skills through peer-led guidance. Learn more about the program by visiting their website.