Photo provided by Kelci Boyd – Caption: JSU students (left to right) Erykah Cain, Kelci Boyd and Autumn Gould attended the 2025 HBCU Legacy Bowl Career Fair.
Kelci Boyd
News Editor
The Allstate HBCU Legacy Bowl Career Fair, sponsored by the Black College Football Hall of Fame, has grown rapidly to become one of the biggest job fairs for HBCU students and alumni.
Now in its third year, the 2025 event persists in its objective of offering HBCU students professional growth, job prospects, and direct access to some of the leading corporations in the country.
This career fair, which is held in conjunction with the Allstate HBCU Legacy Bowl, is open to freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and seniors. In addition to career counseling sessions and panel discussions hosted by industry experts, the event provides networking opportunities with prominent corporations. Companies actively recruit and hire students on-site, which is an excellent opportunity for students actively looking for careers in their respective fields.
The career fair has grown tremendously in just two years and is now a mainstay for HBCU students looking for internships and full-time jobs. More than fifteen hundred students from fifty-seven different HBCUs attended last year’s event- an excellent turnout.
Hundreds of students received internship and employment offers from the one hundred and ten leading employers present. By surpassing these figures, the 2025 expo hopes to establish itself as a leading Black talent recruitment event.
Many students view the fair as an opportunity to interact with professionals who know their backgrounds and goals rather than merely a place to seek a job. Attendees can choose from various career pathways offered by the event’s employers, including Fortune 500 firms, government organizations, and nonprofits.
Students Autumn Gould and Erykah Cain, speaking on behalf of Jackson State University, expressed their enthusiasm for the occasion and the wide range of accessible options.
Gould said, “It was a great opportunity for jobs and internships. The companies were excited to talk to HBCU students, and I felt like I was really valued as a candidate.”
Cain agreed with her counterpart- highlighting the stimulating atmosphere.
“We learned so much about various career paths, had a lot of fun, and met lots of new people. Building relationships that could influence our futures was more important than simply applying for jobs,” Cain remarked.
Various interactive spaces are also available at the fair, all intended to improve visitors’ experiences.
Notable areas include The Networking Lounge- where students can meet professionals and recruiters in a relaxed environment; The Resume Review Station- where career counselors offer students immediate resume feedback to help them make the best impression; Interview Booths- where students can meet with employers in real time and possibly land jobs before they leave the event; and Industry-Specific Zones- which are sections devoted to various career fields (i.e. business, technology, healthcare, engineering, and media) making it easy for students to find opportunities that fit their needs.
Students who participated in the fair have a fantastic chance of getting noticed, landing jobs/internships, and creating enduring professional connections at the Allstate HBCU Legacy Bowl Career Fair. Their goal is to help students move from college to the profession with confidence and assistance, which will establish them as an essential tool for career advancement.
