Hood College- Navigation, Summer 2009 - 19

20 HOOD MAGAZINE | SUMMER 2009 “They helped me so much,” said Katie. “I am very thankful for them. I came in the week before my interview and said, ‘I need help’ and they were immediately receptive and said, ‘OK, we can schedule you now,’ and they were very ﬂexible. I recommended them to another student here. A friend was working on his résumé and he asked me to look it over for him and I said, ‘You know what, the career center is where you need to go!’” “I felt very prepared,” said Katie. “I got in there and just gave it a try and (Susanna) had great helpful hints. She said, ‘Th is is what you should say when they ask you about yourself,’ and it really prepared me. She was able to break it down and it really helped me approach each question.” Katie, who is headed to the VirginiaMaryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine at Virginia Tech in the fall, has yet to decide whether she wants her focus to be on large or small animals. Eric Walton ’09 As Eric Walton approached the middle of his junior year, he realized he needed to do something to enhance his chances of landing that perfect job after graduation. The computer science major, although a good student, had little experience to his credit. He was looking for something to boost his marketability when he was introduced to the very competitive Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship program, a paid internship sponsored by the National Institute of Standards and Technology in Gaithersburg, Md., for students majoring in computer science, math and science. The application procedure almost discouraged Eric, who felt his unremarkable résumé could be a stumbling block. So he turned to Erin Overholtzer-Rose for help. “She gave me lots of good advice,” Eric said. “Erin’s suggestion that my résumé focus on my skills rather than my experiences was brilliant. It deﬁnitely worked.” Eric successfully completed the prestigious summer internship and then concentrated on pursuing a post-graduation position in Web development. Erin directed Eric to companies and organizations that were seeking to hire people with his skills and interests, and Susanna Smith coached him on interview skills, expectations and strategies, including what to wear. Eric’s eﬀorts paid oﬀ—he was offered a position at the National Security Kevin Lollar ’97 found that mentoring students is a great way to give back to his alma mater. Agency. And he is very clear about who shares his successes. “The people in the career center staﬀ make you want to keep coming back. I strongly believe the help I got put me in a position for this job.” Alums + Career Center = Mentoring All students, including those who are having a diﬃcult time envisioning how their major will translate into a career, can beneﬁt from alumnae and alumni who share their expertise through mentoring. Whether through a presentation to a group or a one-on-one conversation, sharing experiences and providing career advice to current students is an example of coming full circle—giving back to the College through the career center can be invaluable to current students and alums. Kevin Lollar ’97 Kevin Lollar found a way to give back to his alma mater through his connection with the career center. As a mentor to two Hood students, Kevin listens to their concerns and dreams, oﬀers words of encouragement and, through his connections in the community, has helped them network with local leaders. The Washington, D.C., native never had role models growing up and his successes didn’t come easily. Kevin, for the most part, raised himself, put himself through college, enrolled in law school while in his s, practiced law for Legal Aid Bureau, Inc., in Frederick and now serves as the director of development for the housing authority of the City of Frederick. “If I could get through that, surely I could help someone else do the same,” he said. Kevin hopes that sharing his life experiences will give others the conﬁdence to recognize and pursue their dreams. And Kevin has been doing just that. In January, Nancy Hennessey connected Kevin with two management majors who have come to view him as a local hero. They talk about school, their communities, life and dreams. He listens, advises and equates aspects of his life with theirs. In turn, they credit Kevin for raising their faith in their abilities to overcome obstacles and for reinforcing the belief that success is attainable even under the most adverse conditions. Kevin, a one-time philosophy major, sees himself as a facilitator to students who may not have support from family members or other adults. “Most students don’t realize how much control they have over their dreams,” Kevin stressed. “Their sense of self is the most important thing students can have to advance their lives.”

Hood College- Navigation, Summer 2009

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Hood College- Navigation, Summer 2009