Shidler College of Business undergraduate students hoping for internships, employment opportunities and career training can now do it in style thanks to a $200,000 naming gift from HouseMart, the company that operates Ace Hardware, Ben Franklin Crafts and Daiso Hawaiʻi retail stores.
The newly-renovated office at the University of Hawaiʻi at Mānoa was designed with today’s student in mind, with clean lines, new light fixtures, modern and functional workspaces. The latest software on career data management and information was unveiled at a recent dedication.
Last year, the office served nearly 1,200 undergraduate business students. More than 200 companies had the opportunity to conduct interviews and recruit students.
In a recent survey of the college undergraduates, more than 40 percent were placed in jobs one month before graduation, and 88 percent were placed in jobs three months after graduation with 90 percent in their major.
“We are extremely grateful to HouseMart for their gift to renovate the Office of Internships and Career Development,” said Vance Roley, dean of the Shidler College of Business. “This office provides critical programs and services to help students strengthen their employment opportunities. Each naming gift we receive from the private sector not only goes to modernizing the facility, but also to improving resources, services and opportunities for our students.”
Other gifts from HouseMart include an endowed scholarship for undergraduate business students and an annual gift of $2,000 to fund the Outstanding MBA Student award at Business Night.
About HouseMart
HouseMart is family owned and operates six Ben Franklin Crafts stores, 22 Ace Hardware stores and two Daiso stores in Hawaiʻi, Washington, Oregon and Nevada. Headquartered in Honolulu, the company began as a small dry goods store in 1951 and has grown into a multi-state business run by its third-generation owners. The company prides itself on exceptional service and creative solutions to enhance its customers’ lifestyles.
