Career Launchpad: First-Year Students Explore Careers Through On-Site Events
The Leeds First-Year Experience Program offers Career Launchpad events to give students exposure to career options and networking opportunities with industry professionals. A recent career trek to Sprouts Farmers Market provided an invaluable education in the operational decisions for balancing sustainability with profitability.

Leeds alumna Chelsea Walters (Mktg鈥10), a district director at Sprouts, explained the complex logistics involved in getting produce to a grocery store.
A banana has a long trip from South America to a grocery store in the U.S. It鈥檚 not just the shipping, but also the packaging, storage and ripening鈥攅ach step a critical link to ensure quality.
That鈥檚 one piece of the food system puzzle that seven first-year students discovered during a recent visit to Sprouts in Boulder. In a way, the students could relate that banana鈥檚 trek to their own college journeys as they ripen their ideas and become ready for careers.
Through the Career Launchpad program, students engage in volunteering, attend speaking events with successful Leeds graduates, visit company sites and begin working with career coaches to craft their professional journey. The program not only leads to potential internships, summer jobs and networking connections, but it also helps students shape their paths from sophomore through senior year, building a real-world business acumen and skills to stand out in a competitive job market.
The business of fresh food
About the Career Launchpad
Through the First-Year Experience鈥檚 Career Launchpad, students attend events and earn resources and materials, such as a portfolio, to help prepare for their careers.听听
鈥淥ur goal is to introduce students to a range of career opportunities in their first year and initiate networking with local industries, as well as in sectors where we have strong connections,鈥 said Marcus Bell, assistant director of the First-Year Experience program.听
鈥淏y bringing these opportunities directly to students, we aim to create a more approachable and less intimidating experience,鈥 he said. 鈥淭he foundation for a successful career begins with meaningful connections and experiences, and at Leeds, we are here to support students every step of the way.鈥听
Upcoming Events
- March 14: Mini Career Trek to the Pepsi Campus in Denver听
- March 17: Community Food Share in Broomfield听
- April 4: Mini Career Trek to BioMed Realty (Blackstone) in Boulder听
- April 18: Mini Career Trek to United Airlines听
- April 26: Community Food Share in Broomfield听
Students can learn more about upcoming Career Launchpad events by accessing the First-Year Experience Canvas page and checking their email for announcements.听
, with 440 stores across 23 states, aims to expand to 1,200 stores nationwide. Its mission to foster healthy eating at an affordable price is accompanied by a commitment to sustainable business practices, including prioritizing employee well-being and thriving communities.
During the visit, Jeremy Davis, a 17-year Sprouts employee, shared his career path from a produce clerk to a district director overseeing 12 stores. He also explained what it was like to land in his current role in 2020, just as the pandemic hit鈥攁n unprecedented time that transformed supply chains and retail practices.听
Keeping costs and sustainability in balance
Leeds alumna Chelsea (Schaul) Walters (Mktg鈥10), also a district director at Sprouts, provided students with insights on Sprouts鈥 humble beginnings as a fruit truck to acquiring other stores and expanding into a national grocery chain.听听
First-year Sofia Rivera posed the first question: 鈥淗ow do you keep products affordable?鈥
Walters explained that Sprouts strives to develop long-term agreements with local farmers and vendors to stabilize costs, supporting sustainability and local economies.
Sprouts adheres to a 250-mile transportation rule for its produce from its own distribution warehouses. This strategy not only ensures freshness but also reduces emissions.听
For first-year student Marcus Zoldak, those logistics were eye-opening. "I thought it must be really difficult to be a for-profit company and also be for the consumer and for sustainability," he said. Both he and Rivera were especially impressed by Sprouts鈥 emphasis on mental health and workplace well-being as part of their sustainability initiatives.
Behind the scenes of a grocery store听
Store manager Luke Archibeque guided students through the intricate process of receiving, sorting and managing fresh produce within a three-to-five-day window. With a goal to become a zero-waste company by 2030, Sprouts implements multiple initiatives, including composting food waste, recycling, community programs and donations, and even repurposing bones for fuel.
Walking students through the store鈥檚 waste management efforts, Archibeque summed up the company鈥檚 philosophy: "Sustainability is responsibility."
He also emphasized the financial aspects of sustainability. "Your budget plays a big role in sustainability." You have to constantly monitor what comes in the building and what goes out, he emphasized.
Walters reinforced this point: "Everything in business has a number." She explained how trash is weighed by the ton, which carries financial implications as they pay to have it removed.
Career paths in sustainability and business
Beyond environmental sustainability, Walters underscored that corporate culture, supply chains, business ethics and social justice issues factor into sustainability efforts. She shared her own career journey鈥攕tarting in telecommunications and fashion before finding a rewarding path at Sprouts. Her key takeaway? Careers are rarely linear, and students should stay open to unexpected opportunities.
Heidi Hulse, Leeds鈥 advising supervisor of Undergraduate Programs, encouraged the students to consider the range of possibilities afforded by Leeds鈥 areas of emphasis and courses. For example, she said the Sprouts trek demonstrated the broad impact of marketing, touching upon customer behavior, pricing strategies, channels, logistics and data analytics. These all offer diverse career opportunities鈥攐nes students may not have initially considered or realized, she said.
Rivera, who is considering management and entrepreneurship but is also drawn to business analytics, found Sprouts鈥 commitment to sustainability particularly inspiring.听听
"Sustainability is such an important thing in our generation, so I was really pleased to see how much Sprouts does for sustainability and that the cost doesn鈥檛 really impact them," she said.
First-year Nathan Vanagas was surprised by the speed at which produce moves through the supply chain. "I guess I never really thought about how long it takes for food to get here," he said.
Vanagas, who is a marketing major considering data analytics or management, left the visit with new career inspiration. "I do want to look into sustainability鈥擨 think that would be useful,鈥 he said.

Sprouts store manager Luke Archibeque walked students through the produce process from receiving deliveries to turnover times.
Innovation and future possibilities
Archibeque noted that job titles don鈥檛 necessarily have to incorporate sustainability. It鈥檚 more about getting your foot in the door and thinking "How can I innovate?"
After digesting a full plate of details, students left with a deeper taste of how business decisions, operations, sustainability and profitability are all ingredients in a purpose-driven organization.
Archibeque left them with a powerful closing thought: "Find a place in the world where you can make a difference鈥攁nd then go make that difference."