Leveraging Month of Discovery

Professional Headshot of Jose Aponte

Greetings!


October is here, which means it’s time for UConn’s Month of Discovery, a month dedicated to exploring what’s possible through research, innovation, creativity, and connection. For business students, it’s the perfect opportunity to uncover new interests, grow your professional network, and sharpen your business skills in places you might not expect.


So, where should you begin? Start with the Discovery Quest, a gamified way to track your involvement and earn recognition. By checking in at Signature Events, sharing your experiences, and earning “Discovery Points,” you’ll turn exploration into a fun and rewarding challenge. From there, dive into sessions that spark your curiosity, whether that means hearing from alumni, exploring research, attending the Innovation Expo, or joining a case competition. Each experience is designed to bridge what you’re learning in the classroom with the skills and networks you’ll need after graduation.


As the Month of Discovery kicks off, I challenge you to ask yourself: What will you discover about UConn and about yourself that shapes your journey forward? Use this month to experiment, connect, and grow. Often, the experiences that feel small at first become the steppingstones that carry you further than you imagined.


Best,

Jose Aponte

Student Experience Specialist

Making the Most of the Month of Discovery

  • Use the Discovery Quest to build habits of exploration. Attend events and give yourself permission to try something new, maybe it's a workshop outside your major or a guest speaker panel that challenges you. This builds adaptability, a key trait in business.


  • Find events that help you network. Speaker events, innovation expos, research showcases are great places to meet faculty, alumni, or industry partners. Business relies heavily on relationships, these are low-stakes ways to start forging them.


  • Apply what you learn back to your coursework. Did you attend a session on innovation or creative problem-solving? Use those ideas in your business case studies, group projects, or when brainstorming solutions in real-world contexts. Discovery Month isn’t a side note it can feed into what you’re doing academically.


  • Reflect on your participation. Take notes on what surprised you, what excited you, who you met. These reflections can help you articulate new skills (critical thinking, communication, leadership) on your resume or in interviews.

Innovate Labs

Jumpstart your Month of Discovery by "bouncing" between UConn's Makerspaces in a scavenger-hunt style event. Visit Innovate Labs, the Innovation Zone, the Library Maker Studio and Innovate Wellness. At each location, you'll try a quick hands-on activity, discover the tools and resources available in makerspaces and learn how you can explore innovation spaces across campus.


Innovate Labs - Hartford


Innovate Labs - Stamford



Innovate Labs - Storrs

Center for Career Readiness and Life Skills

Networking opens doors and this interactive session will show you how. Learn to introduce yourself with confidence, craft a strong elevator pitch and build authentic connections that support your goals. Whether you are new to campus or thinking ahead to your career, this event gives you practical tools to grow your network for tomorrow's success.


Upcoming workshop:

Institute for Student Success

Curious about research at UConn? This event is your chance to meet faculty, grad students and peers who are shaping discoveries across every discipline. Whether you are exploring your interests or looking to get involved, Research Connections will open doors to opportunities you didn't know existed.

Office of Undergraduate Research

At Fall Frontiers, undergraduate researchers across UConn present their work in a poster session or exhibit format. This event lets you see how students from many majors are applying inquiry, creativity and rigor. It is also a setting to understand how research and innovation are happening in your academic environment.

Werth Institute for Entrepreneurship and innovation

Step into UConn's hub of creativity, innovation and entrepreneurship. At the Experience Innovation Expo, you will explore hands-on opportunities, connect with programs and resources and hear directly from students who have turned ideas into impact. This is your chance to see what's possible and start imagining your own path.


If you attend this can be placed on your resume.

Participated/ or presented in UConn’s Experience Innovation Expo, a student-led showcase of entrepreneurial, creative, and campus innovation initiatives engaged with projects, networked with peers and faculty, and learned about university resources

Questions?

Want to explore topics further or discover more ways to engage? Don't hesitate to email us at undergrad.business@uconn.edu for individual support!

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