This summer, more than 500 college students have been in 10 Alabama communities getting to know the state beyond campus and their college town.

The FuelAL talent attraction and retention program hopes that by knowing more about what Alabama offers, more of those students will choose to stay here after graduation.

Spearheaded by the Economic Development Partnership of Alabama (EDPA) and Innovate Alabama, FuelAL is all about workforce and economic development.

But it’s also about dispelling misperceptions – those the students have about Alabama and those that some Alabamians have about the younger generation.

“Yes, there may be some preconceived notions,” said Miller Girvin, chief operating officer at EDPA. “We’re trying to dispel that both ways – trying to show them how great Alabama is, that we know it is, and also show Alabama how great they are and that these are the future of our state and that they are really impressive.”

It’s about knowing what motivates the students and what they’re looking for in a home and a job.

“We think every generation thinks the generation behind them is, you know, lazy or unaware or whatever it may be. These kids are impressive,” Girvin said. “They are hyper aware of local, national, state-level politics. They are very civically minded. They want to have an impact on where they live, and they want where they live to have an impact on them. Same goes for their employer. They want their employers to be great community stewards. That really drives a lot of what they’re looking for.”

At the Economic Development Association of Alabama summer conference at the Grand Hotel in Point Clear, Girvin brought four FuelAL participants to share their experiences as part of a panel.

Rylen Dempsey is a sophomore at the University of Alabama studying civic leadership and social entrepreneurship in the university’s New College.

“Alabama is a great place to live. There’s a low cost of living a high quality of life. There’s affordable housing, good schools and good people,” Dempsey told Alabama News Center. “I have gotten the opportunity to go around this state visiting with people, whether it be in high school through service organizations or working over the summer. This is a state of good, loving people who are welcoming. This is a place that you can build a home.”

Dempsey said the issue isn’t convincing him there are great communities in Alabama.

“You know, my problem is not whether I’m going to stay here or not. It’s that every time I see a new town in Alabama, I want to stay in that town – whether it’s Fairhope or somewhere in east Walker County,” he said. “This is a great state where folks can build a family, be close to a great quality of life. There are fantastic natural amenities in our state. Seek AL is trying to showcase these natural amenities. I think there is so much there for young people.”

Markaylee Talton talks about her participation in the FuelAL program. (Michael Tomberlin / Alabama News Center)

MarKaylee Talton is from Selma and attends Shelton State Community College in Tuscaloosa. She is majoring in general studies with a concentration in kinesiology on a pre-physical therapy track.

Like Dempsey, Talton’s main attraction to Alabama is the people.

“One thing I love about Alabama is this Southern hospitality. Ever since I’ve been here, everywhere I go always feel like a family,” she said. “There are loving communities everywhere I go. You just get that Southern hospitality that makes you want to stay here and potentially raise a family.”

This is the third year of FuelAL and the growth has been remarkable.

“We started in 2022 with a small, small group of students in Birmingham and took them around the state because we found out that they really don’t know a lot of what’s going on in Alabama,” Girvin said. “They’re not aware of the job opportunities and the high quality of life that we have in the state. So, we saw this as an opportunity to showcase our great state and it started with the communities.”

Host communities this year were Auburn, Birmingham, Baldwin County, Calhoun County, Dothan, Huntsville, Mobile, Montgomery, Opelika and Tuscaloosa.

Communities apply to take part in the program and must be able to provide immersive experiences for students. Partnering communities offer professional development, service opportunities, mentorship and social events to summer interns throughout the state, focusing on their experience outside the workplace.

“We’ve engaged 10 communities across the state to work with over 500 students” this year, Girvin said. “And the results are really strong. These students love what they see. They’re getting great contacts in our communities, and I think there is a real movement of, ‘Hey, this is a great place to start our careers and, down the road, start our families.’”

Chaney Scott McCorquodale talks about her participation in the FuelAL program. (Michael Tomberlin / Alabama News Center)

Chaney Scott McCorquodale is from Mobile and is a double major at the University of Alabama Honors College, studying journalism with communications.

She said programs like FuelAL are changing how college students view Alabama.

“When people think of Alabama from out of state, it’s almost like they have this stereotype in their heads and I want them to know that that stereotype probably isn’t true,” she said. “Industry in Alabama is thriving. Look at Airbus, Boeing. NASA, Austal – I could go on and on. There are so many opportunities for high-paying jobs right here in Alabama. You don’t have to look far. Additionally, we are the most biodiverse state in the nation.”

Nasir Jordan is from Trussville and an economics major at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. He said there is nothing like experiencing the state yourself.

“We have great food. We have great stuff to do, whether you want to be outdoors, you want to experience different things, different industry, if you want to establish your life here and low cost of living,” he said. “The list goes on and on and on. A lot of things that people don’t realize about Alabama is that Alabama has a bad stigma about it. So, I think something important to us is breaking that stigma and making sure that people are aware of a lot of the really, really good things that are happening here.”

Girvin said students have to know there are jobs in their field available in the state, but that’s not all they want.

“They want jobs, of course. They want great, high-paying, high-quality jobs,” she said. “But at the end of the day, your job is what, eight hours a day? You’ve got 16 other hours. They want friendships. They want social opportunities. They want civic engagement. They want mentorship.

Nasir Jordan talks about his participation in the FuelAL program. (Michael Tomberlin / Alabama News Center)

“All of those things are things that we’ve tried to bake into the FuelAL program to make sure that they are getting the full impact of the access that we have in Alabama,” Girvin continued. “And I think that’s one of the biggest pluses of our state. The biggest assets that we have is that people are willing to give their time. They are willing to provide access to executives. You can email CEOs of most companies and you’ll hear back from them. And that doesn’t happen in other communities. And I think that is something that really sets us apart.”

Talton confirmed what Girvin said.

“One thing that will keep me in Alabama after I graduate will probably have to be just the community and more opportunities,” she said. “Just having those connections and the ability to make those connections and network opportunities. That’s one thing that has kept me here to go to college and that would help keep me here in the future.”

McCorquodale just spent the past semester studying abroad at the University of Glasgow in Scotland and it made her realize there are things about Alabama that she longed for.

“What I missed the most was the food,” she said. “I knew I felt homesick when I was watching a documentary about barbecue in Alabama. So my first stop was Alabama white sauce and then I’m looking forward to the king cake when Mardi Gras comes around.”

She said she’s willing to stay in Alabama after graduation if she can find a fulfilling job.

“I currently work as an assistant for the Division of Strategic Communications at the University of Alabama,” McCorquodale said. “This job has been life changing. I love the staff there, the work I get to do, getting to connect students with opportunities. And I’d love to find a job in a similar role post grad.”

For Dempsey, he knows there are jobs to be found in Alabama and he wants others to know it.

Rylen Dempsey talks about his participation in the FuelAL program. (Michael Tomberlin / Alabama News Center)

“That’s what I think I want people to know about our state is that there’s an opportunity to have high-paying jobs and a great life in the state,” he said. “There are great ways to find that through FuelAL through EDPA, through the Alabama Experience (ALEX), reaching out to your local municipalities. I want people to get involved in their community and understand the assets that are there.”

Dempsey believes he can find what he’s looking for in Alabama after graduation.

“What will keep me in Alabama after I graduate is a good, high-paying job, an affordable home that is in a safe community with a good school,” he said. “Family keeps me in Alabama. I think having friends and connections and community in the state keeps me here. I think that’s key.”

He said people shouldn’t despair about those college graduates who initially choose to move away because they may come back.

“What we don’t talk about a lot in talent retention is that there is a boomerang effect,” Dempsey said. “Though it can be concerning that students will leave the state at such high volumes after going to our state schools, there is a great boomerang effect that folks will come back to Alabama in the 10-year or 15-year span. Maybe you do go off for five or 10 years and live in Atlanta or New York. I want to make sure that I harp on the fact that talent retention is not building a wall around our state and saying you can’t leave. There may be a day and an opportunity where I could take a job in Washington or in New York or in Atlanta. But Alabama is always on the top of my heart. And so there’s that boomerang effect. I will end up here. I have a deep faith that long term I’ll be back here because it’s a great place to be.”