“INROADS was one of the best decisions that I’ve ever made … ”

Growing up in Decatur, Georgia, and Raleigh, North Carolina, Brandon Vick heard rumors about the INROADS program. However, before he became an INROADS intern, his mother and grandparents had already been preparing him for his future, significantly influencing his personal and professional aspirations. 

When he was young, Brandon’s mother always encouraged him to explore his passions because those passions could lead to a career. His enjoyment of the popular television show “Crime Scene Investigation (CSI)” inspired him to pursue a career as a CSI or FBI agent. With his new interest, his mother urged him to volunteer at the morgue to get a real sense of the job. After volunteering, Brandon turned his attention elsewhere and developed a passion for sports instead. 

Delving into the possibility of having a job in the sports field, he began working at Champ’s in a sales role where he talked to customers about the various store merchandise. Brandon’s job inspired him to pursue his bachelor’s degree in marketing with a sales concentration at North Carolina A&T State University, graduating in 2010. It wasn’t until his freshman year at North Carolina A&T that he was introduced to INROADS. A current INROADS student encouraged him to apply to the internship program, and his first sponsoring company was Pfizer Pharmaceuticals. Brandon attributed his time at Pfizer to one of the best experiences of his college career. It was during this time that he began to understand what an actual career path entails and how to achieve it. His internship also helped him narrow down what type of career he wanted to pursue in the marketing industry. 

The following year, he interned at Procter and Gamble’s (P&G) office in Minneapolis, Minnesota. “INROADS made it very easy for me to understand what opportunities were beyond my current view … when I was in college,” said Brandon. During his internship, INROADS opened his mind to the idea of living and working across the country – beyond Atlanta, Georgia, where he once wanted to settle. 

Since his internship with P&G, Brandon was hired at the company and now serves as Associate Director of Sales in their Fayetteville, Arkansas, Office. He also married the INROADS intern who first introduced him to the program. “INROADS was one of the best decisions that I’ve ever made because it helped me not only to develop personally and professionally, but it also led me to the career that I am in today,” he said. 

Even as an adult, INROADS reaffirmed many of the principles and leadership equations that he believes. Through his experiences with INROADS, Brandon created a unique mission and leadership philosophy for himself – to empower and encourage at least one person a day, whether it be through an act of kindness, such as holding the door or helping a person understand challenges in their business. In addition, he developed his leadership philosophy, called H3 leadership, which emphasizes being humble, being hungry, and hustling for everything. 

As an INROADS class of 2010 alumnus, he still communicates with fellow INROADers in Arkansas and those across the country who have worked with P&G. Although INROADS continues to evolve, Brandon believes the program will stay true to its roots in empowering people and ensuring that anyone involved can understand the possibilities beyond what they can visibly see. He urges young students beginning their experience at INROADS to, “make sure you follow your passion because passion can lead to unseeable possibilities.”