Getting On The Right Career Path
“What are you going to do after you graduate?”
That’s the question that every student hears at one time or another. But some students in their final semester of their undergraduate studies wonder what the next step is after graduation.
That’s where Career Services at Sam Houston State University can help.
Career Services began in 1915 as the “Teachers Positions Committee.” It went through several names before it received its current name in 1996.
Their mission is to provide students with advice that will prepare them for the transition from student to professional.
There is a variety of services the center provides. One example includes counseling to help freshman decide their major. Sophomores receive assistance in finding part-time jobs that’s available on campus. Juniors receive assistance in writing resumes, mock interviews and finding internships that would give them relevant work experience. Seniors have the opportunity to put their resumes out on Jobs for Kats where companies can view a potential job candidate and attend Career Services-sponsored events like the Junior/Senior Etiquette Dinner. Services are available for alumni after they graduate.
“Students come to us with their unique concerns,” Pam Laughlin, director of Career Services said. “For the student that have an interview with a prospective employer, they can do a mock interview with us. For the students that need to improve their resumes, they can go to a counselor to get their resume critique.”
Career Services is one of the best resource that are available on campus. They’re dedicated professionals that will go out of their way to make sure that students are well prepared for their future careers.
For more information on Career Services, visit their website at:
You can get the timeline at the SHSU Archives on the fourth floor in the Newton Grisham Library and the contact person is Barbara Mason. Her e-mail address is: lib_bak@shsu.edu.
An Investment That Pays Dividends
By Cheval John
In the current financial crisis, business schools are looking for ways to revamp their curriculum and to make it better, so when the students graduate, they will be even more marketable.
The same can be said about the College of Business Administration at Sam Houston State University under its current dean, Mitchell Muehsam Ph.D.
Muehsam received his Bachelors, Masters and Ph.D. degrees from Texas A&M University. While he was a graduate student, he was a partner of Tourism and More, a touring consultancy firm in College Station.
He started teaching at Sam Houston in 1989 in the College of Business Administration and was promoted to Dean of the Graduate Programs in the College in 1995. Then, he became the Dean of Graduate Studies and Associate Vice President of Academic Affairs in 2003. Finally, he became the Dean of the College of Business Administration in 2009.
He believes that the reason why they are so successful is because the faculty and staff are dedicated to their work and that they are committed to seeing their students succeed. An example of this would be when they do a thorough review of the curriculum every five to 10 years to make sure that the curriculum is top quality and that the students are prepared for the business world.
“People who are not afraid to make mistakes will be successful,” Muehsam said. “It shows that they are willing to try something new, and it gives them the courage to face the fear of failure and to achieve their goals.”
He credits the late James Gilmore, Ph.D., David Payne, Ph.D. and Dean Lewis, Ph.D. for mentoring him during his time here. “They did their jobs with integrity and passion,” he said.
He has the following advice for undergraduate or graduate students:
- Learn how to learn
- Pursue knowledge, not grades (even though they are important)
- Learn how to ask questions
- Learn how to work as a member of the team and as an individual
- Everything you do sends a message, so treat people with respect
- Set high expectations for yourself and follow your interests
Do what you love and the money will follow
Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life. –Confucius
By Cheval John
When a person enters college, their goals and aspirations are to graduate with their degree and get that job with the high salary. But what if those individuals get that job and realize later that it does not fulfill them?
Carol Shaw (on the left) assistant to the Dean of the College of Business Administration (COBA) at Sam Houston State University, believes that when a person finds the job that they love, it will be their masterpiece.
Shaw graduated with a Bachelor’s Degree in Home Economics (now Family and Consumer Sciences) from Sam Houston State University in 1974. Her first job was as a secretary at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice in the Ferguson Unit. In 1978, though she loved her job, fate intervened.
“I went for an interview at the accounting department in the College of Business”, said Shaw. “The chair at that time was Rita B. Huff and she was in need of a secretary because school was about to start in a week”.
She got the job and has been with the college ever since. In her current position, she organizes the COBA Career Fair and recently, in partnership with the Career Services, conducts mock interviews with area companies to prepare students for job interviews.
The advice that she shares with those that are in college:
- Work on your communication skills
- Always network
- Take advantage of the opportunities that are given to you
And for those that are graduating:
Start at the bottom, then work your way to the top and in the end it will be worth it.
Welcome to Chinatown
In this present economy, a person has to save as much money as possible. They can’t do what they used to before, like go to the movies.
Well, there is an alternative to that and it’s called “A Night in Chinatown,” held every Tuesday and Thursday night at 7:00 p.m. in the Olson Auditorium in Academic Building IV. It began on February 15, 2011 and will end on March 24, 2011.
It is run by the 16 students of Zhejiang Police College, near Shanghai, China, who are studying here at the College of Criminal Justice for the 2010-2011 academic year.
The idea for the movie night came from Qiuming Yui, visiting scholar and advisor to the students. The planning process began in May 2010 while they were preparing to study here. Each student had chosen 16 movies that they liked and then from there, they narrowed it down to 10.
“We want to choose typical movies in China, like documentar(ies) and love stor(ies), but not only kung fu movie,” said Yingyu Le, one of the organizers of the festival. “And since we are criminal justice majors, we even have a movie about the social problems in China. We hope that these 10 movies can show a part of our culture.”
The students from China did a tremendous job of putting this event together, and it is one of the best events that has been done at this university.
For more information about “A Night In Chinatown”, you can contact Shu Cang at (936) 661-6254 or at sxc025@shsu.edu.
Here are a list of the movies that will be shown at “A Night In Chinatown”:
March 3: Beijing Bicycle
March 8: Shower
March 10: Eat, Drink, Man, Woman
March 22: The Equation of Love and Death
March 24: Dream Weaver: Beijing 2008
Beating Cancer One Day At A Time
by Cheval John
“I’m sorry, but you have cancer.”
When a person hears these words from the doctor, fear would grip their hearts and they would wonder if they’re going to live long enough to see their children grow up to be adults, or celebrate their wedding anniversaries and many more important milestones.
That’s the case of James S. Olson, Ph.D., Regents Professor of History at Sam Houston State University. He has written or co-written more than 40 books, and his most recent book, “Making Cancer History: Disease and Discovery at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center,” describes the difference the center has made in the lives of cancer patients and their families.
Olson received a Bachelor of Arts Degree in History from Brigham Young University in 1967, and a Master of Arts and Doctor of Philosophy Degrees in History from Stony Brook University in 1969 and 1972, respectively.
“During my time as a graduate student, I was married and had a family,” said Olson. “I had part-time jobs which included washing dishes and mopping floors to support the family.”
After Stony Brook, Olson started teaching at Sam Houston in 1972 and made an immediate impact on the students he taught. By 1977, he had written his first book and received the Excellence in Teaching Award.
Everything was going well for him until receiving that fateful news in 1981 that he had cancer.
“It was very frightening,” said Olson. “I was worried because of the 50/50 survival rate and I had to confront it.”
He received radiation therapy and it had appeared to be gone until it returned years later in his arm and he had no choice but to get it amputated to keep it from spreading.
He had adjusted to life and continued teaching and doing research and in 1994, he received the title of Distinguished Professor. Years later, he received the news that he had a tumor in his brain. It is a slow growth tumor and every few months, he goes to the doctor to make sure that it hasn’t grow to the point that it is life threatening.
During this ordeal, he received great news. In 2003, after the completion of the Academic Building IV, the Texas State University System Board of Regents approved the naming of the auditorium, the James S. Olson Auditorium, in honor of Dr. Olson’s dedication to teaching, research and service to the students of Sam Houston. Three years later, he received the title of Regents Professor from the Texas State University System Board of Regents.
Dr. Olson is an inspiration to many students and especially to his colleagues at Sam Houston. His teaching style makes it easy for the students to understand the material and after a person hears his story and understands the trials and tribulations that he has went through, a person has to appreciate life and to enjoy every moment that is given to them.
One way to honor those that either are survivors or are dealing with cancer, is to participate in Relay for Life that will be held on April 29 at the Elliot T. Bowers Stadium from 6 p.m. to 6 a.m.
For more information, visit their website at: www.relayforlife.org/samhoustontx
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