June 2015 - Truman State University

Students at Truman State University start preparing for their professional careers long before the tassels are turned at the Commencement ceremony.

Using resources ranging from internship opportunities, to Career and Grad School Expos, to guidance from faculty and staff, students at Truman State University start exploring their career options early on so they are well-equipped to make smart choices about their future. This strategy is paying off as placement statistics show 90 percent of Truman’s recent graduates have a job or were enrolled at graduate and professional schools within six months of graduation.

And many of Truman’s newest degree holders are discovering the valuable experience gained from high-impact learning opportunities, such as internships, can help secure a job before they collect their diplomas.

Prior to graduation day at Truman this past May, Gina Wang already knew she would be applying her Bachelor of Science in business administration working as a procurement agent for Boeing in Seattle, Wash. Wang began developing connections with Boeing during her first year at Truman when she participated in the Future Leaders in Thought and Experience (FLITE) program ― a partnership between Truman State University and Boeing that seeks to bring new, younger talent into Boeing through summer internships.

“I applied to the FLITE program and was accepted, and so began a three-year journey at Boeing that has eventually led to a job offering,” says Wang.

Andrew Gress, who came to Truman as a transfer student after graduating from a community college, also took advantage of internship opportunities to enhance his career experience. Through an internship at Enterprise Fleet Management, Gress not only learned how the business world works, the experience also confirmed he was on the right career path. Planning ahead for his career, Gress researched the list of companies that would be visiting campus for one of the Career and Grad School Expos hosted by the University’s Career Center.

“L.J. Hart and Company was one of these companies and speaking with representatives at their booth was practically an interview,” says Gress. “One representative was a fellow brother through the business organization on campus, Delta Sigma Pi, and she also provided me with great details about the company as well.”

Gress’ extra effort paid off when he secured the position of financial analyst with L.J. Hart and Company prior to receiving his Bachelor of Science degree in business administration in May.

Rachel Foster, another member of the Class of 2015, found that internships, combined with the right guidance and support, can make all the difference when it comes to advancing one’s career. Prior to earning her Bachelor of Arts in communication this spring, Foster accepted an offer to join the 2015 Teach for America Corps (TFA) and will be teaching first grade in Kansas City in the fall.

“Before my TFA endeavor, I had several really great internships with radio stations―I wouldn’t have had these internships without the help of Brandi in the Career Center and Dr. Kleine in the Communication Department,” says Foster.

While around half of Truman’s graduates enter the workforce, the other 50 percent choose to further their education, like Chelsea Rickman, who recently earned a Bachelor of Science in biology along with a minor in disability studies. After graduation, Rickman moved to Houston, Texas, to pursue a Master’s degree in genetic counseling at the University of Texas-Houston, and she plans to become a practicing genetic counselor in the next few years.

“I will truly miss Truman and all the opportunities, both academic and social, I experienced here,” says Rickman. “I’m so glad I chose to attend Truman, Bulldogs forever!”

Interested in recruiting bright students?

During the Career and Grad Expos held at Truman State University in Kirksville, Mo., each spring and fall, representative of various businesses, schools, and organizations come to campus to recruit Truman students for jobs and internships. For information about how you can participate in Truman State University’s Career and Grad School Expos, contact Polly Matteson, assistant director of the Career Center, pollym@truman.edu.

Learn more about Truman State University

Truman was rated as the No. 1 value in the nation among public colleges and universities in the current issue of Consumers Digest.

The magazine examined more than 2,000 U.S. schools that offer four-year degrees. In addition to a list of the top 50 public schools, separate top 25 lists for private schools and private liberal arts schools were combined to establish the top 100 best values.

Truman, which was also the No. 1 public school the last time Consumers Digest examined higher education in 2011, was the only Missouri public school to make this year’s list.

Consumers Digest compiles a unique ranking by measuring academic excellence alongside costs of education. Established indicators of quality, such as a school’s graduation rates, student-retention rates and percentage of faculty members with a Ph.D., are combined with the standardized test scores, high school rank and grade point average of first-time freshmen. Those factors are weighed against the cost of attendance to determine which schools offered the most academic value per dollar.

“This demonstrates that quality education can still be provided at a reasonable cost, and that we are filling that need better than anyone,” said University President Troy Paino. “Parents can rest assured that a Truman education means their student will leave school well prepared and without stifling debt.”

The Consumers Digest rankings were calculated using only nonresident tuition figures. Even accounting for the higher out-of-state rate, Truman’s annual cost of $21,018, which includes tuition, fees and room and board, was well below the average annual cost of $30,655 for top public colleges and universities on the Consumers Digest list.

The complete rankings, along with a feature story on how to make higher education more affordable, can be found in the May/June issue of Consumers Digest magazine, available now.

Month: June 2015

Life After Graduation

Students at Truman State University start preparing for their professional careers long before the tassels are turned at the Commencement ceremony.

Interested in recruiting bright students?

Truman Ranked as the No. 1 Value in the Nation