SPRING 2012
Education Works A LINK BETWEEN AREA BUSINESSES AND THE UNIVERSITY
Arkansas World Trade Center Hosts an International Intern The Arkansas World Trade Center (ARWTC) in Rogers, Arkansas, is described by President and CEO W. Dan Hendrix as “the state’s best secret.” Since its opening on January 15, 2007, the ARWTC has been an advocate for the strengthening and advancement of Arkansas’s international commercial capabilities while providing excellent hands-on internship experiences to a variety of students from regional Arkansas universities. In the fall of 2011, Fabiane (Fabi) Nass became the first student from UAFS to intern with ARWTC. Nass, a recent graduate from the College of Business and a former member of the Lions Volleyball team, served as a Trade Center Outreach Intern. Her activities included planning and coordinating trade missions, creating briefing books for travel, planning events with diplomats, and much more. Nass has been given a unique opportunity to interact with people from all over the world. She stated that “the internship has helped me see that international business can be a win-win situation for all parties. I believe the knowledge that I have acquired will make me stand out from other students.” Denise Thomas Henderson, director of communications, membership and external relations and internship coordinator
Dan Hendrix, Mary Jane Finley, Denise Thomas, Fabi Nass, Laura James, Denise Simpson
at ARWTC, acted as Fabi’s direct supervisor. According to Henderson, the experience is rewarding for both parties involved. “We spend time with the students one-on-one, help guide them through their goals, and offer opportunities to network and meet community leaders. In return, they help us stay on top of technology and offer us feedback and opportunities for each of us to grow in character.” Takeo Suzuki, executive director of international relations at UAFS, initiated the development of this internship and expressed the importance of students getting off-campus experience. Suzuki stated “the internship experience gives the student a greater chance of gaining opportunities as they are able to showcase their skills, and it allows them to develop a better understanding of American corporate culture. In return, the international student provides employers the opportunity to integrate different cultural backgrounds and enhances how the organization can relate to international markets.” The Career Services Office at UAFS assists students with internship opportunities. The UAFS Experiential Learning program is a combined effort of the University, organizations, and students to integrate work experience into academic programs. Area businesses interested in exploring internship opportunities with UAFS students can contact the Career Services office at 479-788-7107.
Page 2 Coaching Endorsement Technical Certificate Student Testimonials Page 3 Mercy Fort Smith: Dedicated and Generous UAFS Internship Partner Student Testimonials Page 4 Why should students participate in an internship? Calendar of Events
uafs.edu/careerservices
Coaching Endorsement Technical Certificate Beginning in the summer of 2012, the College of Education, in conjunction with the College of Humanities and Social Sciences and the Athletic Department, will be offering a Coaching Endorsement Technical Certificate. This certificate was developed as a response to the huge demand from students requesting a coaching education program. It consists of 24 credit hours, in addition to admission into the College of Education. The value of this certificate over similar programs is that UAFS will be “graduating employable coaches” according to Pat Widders, Executive Director of Career Services. Mr. Widders works closely with the College of Education in seeking out job opportunities within the state. “Coaching jobs are available, but most school districts are looking for someone who can also teach,” according to Widders. “This program ensures a quality education with a strong and appropriate coaching certificate,” states Dr. John Jones, Dean of the College of Education. According to Dr. Jones, the coaching certificate meets the demands required by the Arkansas Department of Higher Education and the required licensure in Arkansas for coaching. Dustin Smith, Athletic Director, believes “administering a coaching certificate in this capacity gives the students an advantage because they are able to gain hands-on experience and learn directly from other coaches.” Smith, as well as those individuals currently on the UAFS athletic staff, will be the instructors for the courses. The staff will be able to provide first-hand knowledge of what it takes to coach and manage a program in different fields like football, basketball, baseball/softball, track, volleyball and soccer. In addition, the students will be required to complete practicums in three areas with local sports programs, which will “add value and experience to their certificate,” according to Smith. If you are interested in learning more about the Coaching Endorsement Technical Certificate, contact Dustin Smith at dustin.smith@uafs.edu or 479-788-7591 or Dr. John Jones at john.jones@uafs.edu or 479-788-7912.
How has your internship prepared you for your future career? Aundrea Hanna Criminal Justice Sebastian County Public Defender/ Sebastian County Prosecutor I will be applying to law school this fall. I think the biggest misconception that students have going into the legal profession is that it’s in some way glamorous and you spend all of your time in trial. Through my internships, both in the Prosecutor’s office and the Public Defender’s office, I have witnessed firsthand an accurate representation of the legal profession, from both sides of the table. It has been an extremely enriching and eye opening experience that I am appreciative to have been a part of.
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Ebony Yang Biology Pre-Med Intern/Johnson Dermatology
Melanie Stout Rhetoric/Writing City of Fort Smith
It is one thing to be a student learning from professors, textbooks and lectures. It is an absolutely different experience learning from a professional in a field that one is interested in. As an aspiring doctor, a chance to intern with wonderful physicians from my own community is a once in a lifetime opportunity. Interning at Johnson Dermatology with Dr. Sandy Johnson, MD, Dr. Brad Johnson, MD, Rebecca Dunn, PA-C and their nursing staff, has broadened my horizons in the medical field. During my internship, I was able to observe various treatments, procedures, and most importantly, doctors interacting with their patients. Instead of reading about how to treat various skin conditions, I was able to examine the treatments directly.
This internship has been a very valuable learning experience. As an English major/rhetoric minor and editor of the UAFS student newspaper, I write many different types of papers, essays, journalistic articles, and reviews. The biggest impact this internship has had for me is the experience of writing for the workplace. I have written award proposals, newsletter articles, and I am currently working with a marketing group to write a brochure for new residents of the Fort Smith area. I feel like this type of writing makes me more marketable in the workforce as well as made my writing resume much more diverse. The opportunities and contacts I have had as a result of this internship cannot be measured.
BJ Huffstetler Middle Childhood E Math/Science Central Middle Sch
My internship exper opened my eyes an to see everything b in the education pr provided me with th of how to operate a effectively and let m preparation that te do to have a fun, e classroom.
Mercy Fort Smith: Dedicated and Generous UAFS Internship Partner When thinking about Mercy Fort Smith’s dedication and partnership with UAFS and the community, healthcare comes to mind. Beginning in the early 1900’s, Mercy Fort Smith has been serving the River Valley community by providing excellent health care for its patients. Although Mercy has been an outstanding and educational partner in training UAFS Nursing, Imaging Sciences and Surgical Technology students, their partnership does not end there. Since 2009, Mercy has partnered with the UAFS Internship Program to host, on average, 5 student interns per semester in fields such as administrative professional and office technology (APRO), business administration, marketing, and organizational leadership. Teresa Nichols, senior recruiter in human resources at Mercy Fort Smith, has been on the front lines of organizing the partnership within these programs and believes that the ability to educate these students is a win-win situation. “The students get hands-on experience in their field and advice on how to dress, interview, etc., while we get a great opportunity to see them in action which allows us to hand pick students to hire for our full time positions.” The strength of this partnership can be demonstrated in the fact that, “the majority of student interns each semester are hired full time,” according to Mrs. Nichols.
about American business and to gain confidence and communication skills.” Lotoya Page (organizational leadership) also found the experience rewarding and eyeopening, stating “this internship gave me the opportunity to learn how to operate a computer, to meet a new set of people, and to enhance my skills in business.” Lisa McGehee, (APRO) and Katherin Beaty, (Business Administration) commented that the internship allowed them to develop their skills, network, and gain valuable insight for future employment. Today, Mercy operates over 300 beds and cares for over 400,000 residents in 13 counties. In addition to general hospital services, Mercy Fort Smith provides specialized care for cancer, children, diabetes, and mother and child care, as well as houses the area’s only Level III Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and is home to Arkansas’ only Ronald McDonald Family Room. If you are interested in becoming an internship partner, please contact the Career Services office at 479-788-7017.
Currently, five students are interning with the Human Resources office, one of whom has already been hired full time. These students all encourage their fellow classmates to take part in an internship program. Sherry Yao, an international organizational leadership student who was just accepted into Columbia University, says “this internship gave me the opportunity to learn more
Education –
Lisa McGehee, Sandy Edgemon, Karla Harkins, Sherry Yao, Latoya Page, Katherin Beaty, Teresa Nichols
Jerri Parnell Organizational Leadership The Arc River Valley
hool/Van Buren
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This internship has helped me to get a better understanding of the business world in which I will be entering in the next few months. I have gained a great deal of knowledge about non-profit organizations that I was not aware of, such as writing grants, getting donations, memberships, and planning events. I had never attended a board member meeting until I became an intern and now I know what topics are discussed and how the meetings are prepared. Also, I will walk away with a greater compassion and understanding of the needs for advocacy, education, and recreation for those with intellectual and developmental disabilities.
Tamara Fitzpatrick Business Administration Economic Development Intern/ Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce Working at the Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce has been very exciting and rewarding. The staff works diligently to assist business members in Fort Smith and surrounding areas to develop the wealth and prosperity in the region. It has not only prepared me to be a better business leader within a company, but also in the community.
Jillian Franklin BSN Clinical Rotations Nursing is all about caring for others, regardless of the setting you practice in, and without the clinical experiences we were able to participate in throughout nursing school, there would be a huge gap in our educational experience. Clinicals are vital to our education. In nursing, you must have a strong base in the nursing theory, but it is equally important to get practice with the skills and with patient care associated with nursing. I am thankful I got the opportunities I did in my clinical rotations while in nursing school to prepare me for practice on my own.
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Career Services Staff
45% 40% 35% 30%
Pat Widders
25%
Executive Director
20% 15% 10% 5% 0%
Why should students participate in an internship?
Ron Orick Director
45% 40%
$50,000
35%
$40,000
30%
Coordinator
$20,000
20% 15%
$10,000
10%
$0
5% 0%
Starting Pay
42% of students with an internship received at least one offer of employment. Pam Camp Administrative Specialist
$50,000
$34,601
$30,000
25% Monique Forehand
$45,310
Interns generally have a higher rate of starting pay.
$45,310
30% without an internship received an offer.
$40,000
$30,000
$34,601
Fall Calendar of Events $20,000
Data from NACE Experiential Learning Survey, 2010 Interns generally have a higher starting pay
Thursday, September 27• 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. $10,000 Tuesday, October 16 • 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Accounting Round Robin “Hamburgers and Hot Jobs” Cookout Smith Pendergraft Campus Center – South side of Smith Pendergraft $0 Campus Center Reynolds Room Ballroom
Thursday, October 25 • 8:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m. Psychology Symposium Smith Pendergraft Campus Center – Reynolds Room Ballroom
Wednesday, October 17 • 10:30 - 12:00 noon Starting Pay Non-traditional Teacher Licensure Workshop Baldor Technology Center, Room 110 Thursday, October 18 • 11:30 a.m. – 2:30 p.m. Career Fair and Grad School Expo Smith Pendergraft Campus Center – Reynolds Room
Wednesday, Nov. 7 • 10:00 a.m. – 12:00 p.m. Practice Interview Day Latture Conference Center
Monday, October 15 • 8:45 – 11:00 a.m. Donuts and Degrees (hosted by Student Advisement) Smith Pendergraft Campus Center – Food Court
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