Toppel Career Center Launches Brick Campaign to Impart Words of Wisdom

Early next year, the Patricia and Harold Toppel Career Center will move into its new, state-of-the-art building at 5225 Ponce de Leon Boulevard, near the campus entrance on Stanford Drive. To help support center initiatives, the Toppel Career Center has launched a new brick campaign targeting alumni and ‘Cane employers alike.

Toppel supporters are invited to become part of the career center’s history by donating a brick to the Career Reflections Courtyard.

Bricks are priced at $1,000 for a 12 by 12 inch brick with up to 14 lines of text and a maximum of 22 characters per line, or $500 for a 6 by 6 inch brick with up to seven lines of 11 characters per line.

Unlike traditional bricks that display the names and graduation years of donors, the Career Reflections Courtyard bricks will be etched with the donors’ professional or life advice.

“We envision a place for reflection and inspiration where visitors to our career center can imagine their futures,” said Christian Garcia, executive director of the Toppel Career Center. “The Reflections Courtyard is unique among university career centers.”

Bricks can be purchased online by following instructions at “Cement Your Career Advice Forever.”

All contributions will directly support the career-related programs and services offered to UM students, Toppel’s No. 1 priority.

The new Toppel Career Center, which was made possible by a generous lead gift from alumna and longtime UM trustee Patricia Toppel, and by significant additional support from UM’s Parents’ Council, is more than twice its current size. It is composed of two main buildings joined by a beautiful glass-encased lobby and the outdoor courtyard.

The grand opening is scheduled for early spring semester, and a celebratory block party will be hosted for students in January.

“The new Toppel Career Center building and its technology lets us provide significantly more programming for students, alumni, and employers, locally, nationally, and internationally,” Garcia said.