CAREER CENTER continued from page 11


the field and not worrying about being stuck behind my desk all the time.” When he graduated in 1992, Groux was only one of two students in the


emergency medical services management program. The smallness afforded him plenty of one-on-one with instructors, many of whom worked as paramedics themselves and served in management roles. “They would take us along on a lot of stuff that was outside of what the


educational experience would be. Not on ambulance calls but we got to attend meetings,” he said. “Sometimes what you learn and how you do it are slightly different. We got to see not only how it looked in a textbook but how it applies in reality.”


Whitney Schieble


On paper, Whitney Schieble G’13 was required to spend a total of 750 hours in a practicum and two internships to earn her master’s of science in rehabili- tation counseling from Springfield College, along with her classwork. In reality, Schieble chose to work


many more hours than that and reaped the benefits of firsthand training helping people with traumatic brain injuries readjust to everyday living, assisting individuals with disabilities find jobs, and mentoring high school students in preparing for college or a job. “The Springfield College rehab


department is a very small, tightknit major. Professors always go to bat for you,” she said. “They try and help you as much as possible with the practicums and internships and allow you explore the areas you want to.” In the practicum at the Carson


Whitney Schieble


Center for Human Services in Springfield, Schieble, now 26, would teach her clients about the effects traumatic brain injuries had on them physically and emotionally. “The practicum was my first time


working with individuals with disabilities and it taught me generally how to be more empathetic and patient, which is great no matter what you end up doing” she said. She interned at the Holyoke


office of the Massachusetts Rehabilitation Commission (MRC) in the fall of 2012. Her tasks included helping people build a resume, network, and find employment. Her standout work and dedica-


tion to the high school students in the internship at MRC led her


continued on page 43 TRIANGLE 1 Vol . 85, No. 2


Schieble credits “the whole Department of Rehabilitation Studies” at Springfield College in


helping her secure her internships and practicum, noting a large list of alumni names and agencies at


which they work provided her with multiple networking opportunities.


opportunity to win an iPad or Kindle. “That was a creative way to get students who


haven’t used the office to come in and take advantage of it,” Doyle said. “They were very thankful and appre- ciative, and surprised at all we do.” Among other events, the career center holds regular


workshops on such topics as preparing for an intern- ship, job search strategies, financial planning and budgeting, and getting ready for graduate school. The career center also invites employers to campus to participate in programs, such as what they expect from prospective employees during an interview. A relatively new monthly webinar series covers a variety ot topics, from using Twitter effectively to learning leadership skills. The career center partners with the College’s


Alumni Relations office to organize networking events, as well as hosts webinars on a variety of topics. In April, about 50 students traveled to New York City to network with alumni. The College’s emphasis on experiential learning,


which includes opportunities for students to engage in internships, practicums, fieldwork, and other firsthand job training, is another reason to visit the career center, Doyle said. Last fall, the career center sponsored an internship fair in which employers looking to hire students for college credit were brought in. “One of the advantages of being at Springfield


College is that these learning opportunities are built into many of the programs. These essentially give you a firsthand view working in that field,” Doyle said. “You get to put it on your resume so you have something to show people in the industry.” The return on investment of a Springfield College


education can be measured through the career center’s data on career outcomes, information gathered through a survey of recent graduates about whether they are employed, seeking employment, or attending graduate school. The most recent Career Outcomes statistics show that of the bachelor’s degree recipients from 2013, 49 percent are employed and 46 percent attend graduate school. The data also identifies which employers, such as


Apple, NBC Sports, and United Technologies, have hired Springfield College graduates. In addition, the College is ranked No. 7 by U.S.News & World Report for colleges that lead to graduate school. Alumni have lifetime free access to career center


services, but, for Doyle and her staff, it's never too early to take advantage of the services the career center offers. “We would love it if students come in as soon as


they get here so we get to know them better and they get exposed to what we do,” she said.1


13


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52