This month’s Interact Club meeting featured Holly Davanzo, the director of commercial sales at Mega Granite located in Newnan. Davanzo came to speak on the importance of networking and how students may make new connections to further themselves in the world.

“I networked my way all the way to the top,” Davanzo said.

Davanzo has worked on a number of projects in the Atlanta area, such as supplying the construction of Mercedes-Benz Stadium and Suntrust Park. As director of commercial sales, Davanzo utilizes her networking abilities to be successful in her line of work. Through the telling of her personal experiences, she taught members of Interact Club about the applications of networking.  

“It’s not only about you,” Davanzo said. “It’s about helping the vast network out there, helping everybody, and when you give, you will always get.”

After presenting to the class, Davanzo divided students into pairs for a speed networking exercise. Through the exercise “elevator speech,” students would ask their partner a variety of questions in order to make a connection. The goal of the exercise was for students to begin making connections and to see to where the connection goes and to what extent.

“The students enjoyed that a lot and they realized how important it is to network,” Interact Club sponsor Marcela Sample said.

Many students in the room made new connections with students they have never “interacted” with. After the activity, the club as a whole began making connections across the classroom through similar interests or people that they knew.

Students may utilize their lesson on networking to help them in the real world by making valuable acquaintances and by acting as a connector to bring everything together.