Have you ever wondered what it would be like to meet real employers and experience a day-in-the life at a company you’re interested in? Career Treks offer just that; a unique, hands-on opportunity to get a glimpse of what it’s like to work a iconic companies all around the state of Florida.
The UF Career Connections Center hosted yet another fulfilling and impactful Career Trek for students of all majors and career pathways. This time, the C3 stayed right here in Gainesville, visiting two of the most prolific companies in the local Alachua county area; LifeSouth and Gainesville Health & Fitness. Despite the short distance traveled, students and career coaches where able to see the tremendous impact these companies have on the workforce and the world.
Quick Facts
What is a Career Trek?
- Career Treks give UF students free transportation to visit employers, meet professionals, tour workplaces, and learn about careers firsthand.
- Students gain exposure to organizations they may not have previously considered while building their professional network and learning what employers look for in candidates.
- Career Treks help students connect classroom learning to real-world career opportunities and explore industries through direct engagement with employers.
- You can join our next Career Trek to the St. Johns County Clerk of the Circuit Court and County Comptroller here.
Gainesville Health & Fitness (GHF)
- One of Gainesville’s most recognized employers focused on health, wellness, rehabilitation, and fitness.
- Offers careers across health, fitness, rehabilitation, customer service, sales, marketing, operations, and leadership—not just personal training.
- Emphasizes helping individuals improve their quality of life while providing employees with opportunities for career growth and advancement.
- Known for promoting from within and investing in employee development, leadership, and continuous learning.
LifeSouth Community Blood Centers
- One of the largest independent nonprofit blood centers in the United States.
- Founded in Gainesville in 1974 and has grown to more than 1,100 employees serving hospitals throughout Florida, Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee.
- Supports more than 300,000 donors and facilitates approximately 1,460 blood drives each month.
- Goes far beyond blood donation by supporting hospitals through blood collection, testing, processing, laboratory services, research, community outreach, recruitment, and transfusion medicine.
- Employs Gator alumni across a wide range of disciplines, demonstrating that impactful careers in healthcare organizations extend well beyond clinical roles.
One of the greatest values of a Career Trek is the opportunity to see workplaces up close and hear directly from professionals about what their jobs actually look like. Students met with leaders and employees who discussed not only their organizations’ missions, but also the diverse career paths available within them. At GHF, students learned about opportunities in fitness, rehabilitation, customer service, sales, marketing, operations, and leadership.
At LifeSouth, students explored careers spanning laboratory sciences, community outreach, recruitment, quality assurance, hospital services, operations, research, and more. For many students, this trek helped reframe what it means to work in a health-focused organization.
“One of the biggest takeaways from this Career Trek was realizing that health-focused organizations hire far more than healthcare professionals. From marketing and communications to logistics, HR, recruiting, operations, and business strategy, students from almost any major can find meaningful career opportunities while contributing to a mission that improves lives.”
Zita Gonzalez, Manager for Career Pathways – Human services, Consulting & Education | C3
Students often assume that companies in healthcare or wellness primarily hire nurses, physicians, laboratory scientists, or other clinically trained professionals. While those careers are critical, organizations like GHF and LifeSouth also rely on teams of volunteer coordinators, marketers, recruiters, accountants, human resource professionals, project coordinators, logistics specialists, and customer service representatives, to achieve their missions.
That realization can be transformative for students. Whether you’re majoring in business, communications, psychology, anthropology, public relations, information systems, or another field entirely, there may be meaningful career opportunities within organizations dedicated to improving health outcomes and serving communities.
Students also gained valuable insight into what employers consistently look for in candidates. Both organizations emphasized transferable skills such as communication, problem solving, critical thinking, adaptability, professionalism, and commitment to continuous learning. These are skills that students can develop regardless of major and carry with them into virtually any career field.
Another powerful takeaway was seeing the strong connection between these organizations and the University of Florida. Both GHF and LifeSouth employ numerous UF alumni who have translated their Gator experiences into successful careers. One particularly memorable example was Chris Ritch, Talent and Recruitment Coordinator at LifeSouth, who shared his own journey as a UF graduate with an academic background in Anthropology and Business. His story demonstrated that career paths are rarely linear and that students from a wide range of academic disciplines can find rewarding opportunities within mission-driven organizations.
Beyond career exploration, students were exposed to unique local employers that make a significant impact throughout Gainesville and beyond. GHF continues to invest in health, wellness, rehabilitation, and employee development, while LifeSouth serves hundreds of hospitals and healthcare partners across the Southeast through blood collection, testing, research, and laboratory services. Learning about these organizations helped students better understand the breadth of opportunities available right here in our community.
Career Treks are designed to bridge the gap between the classroom and the workplace. By visiting employers, asking questions, networking with professionals, and seeing work environments firsthand, students gain the context and confidence needed to make more informed career decisions.
Join Us for the Next Career Trek
Ready to explore another local employer, expand your professional network, and discover career paths you may never have considered?
Register for our next Career Trek to the St. Johns County Clerk of the Circuit Court and County Comptroller:
👉 Register for the Next Career Trek
You never know which conversation, workplace visit, or professional connection might change the way you think about your future career.
