Children often grow up thinking that their dreams are out of reach, but Keene State College students, alumni and academic and career advisors prove that anything is attainable with hard work, exemplary effort and strong on-campus connections.
Career Week at Keene State College offered different activities for students to boost their resumes, speak with alumni and most recently put on the Your Future Fair event.
The Your Future Fair offered students a little extra guidance and laid out potential opportunities.
Many students have trouble with what they want to do with their majors after college, but the resources and events from Academic and Career Advising, along with students working closely with professors, is hoping to curb that confusion and offer support.
Samantha Moore/ Art Director
KSC senior biology major Casey Kimball is an example of a student who knew what she wanted to do and chose a path that felt right for her.
“I did better in the sciences in [high school]. I was looking forward to science every day, and when I got here, I saw all of the labs and classrooms and just fell in love with it so instantaneously,” she said.
This may not be the norm for all students, and even Kimball has changed her mind on her career path since her first year here.
“Professor Jason Pellettieri has been the most influential [for] me on campus, and I do my research with him,” Kimball said.
“[My favorite part of my major] is that it is always changing, [and] discoveries are constantly being made,” he said.
There is always so much being twisted around,” Kimball said.
“At first, I thought I wanted to go into biotech, then more environmental,” he said.
“The more I get into it,” Kimball said, “the more I realize I am into the smaller stuff, the nano and micro, the super small things that make the bigger impact, oddly enough,” Kimball said.
Career and Academic Advisor Aaron Rock said a student might find them in a classroom or in the Elliot Center on the first floor to the right.
”….We work [with] just general resume prep, [mostly] cover letters since a lot of students have never written a professional cover letter, job search skills[and] discovering exploration of what your industry could be,” he said.
KSC students not only have the career and academic advisors to reach out to, but can also look to their professors for guidance, support and even research opportunities.
While a student may not know what he or she wants to do immediately after graduation, this does not mean they should shy away from seeking guidance.
“We see a lot of students in majors that don’t have a direct correlation, but those are the majors we love seeing the most.,” Rock said.
“You can do anything with a communication] degree [and] there is a lot more you can do with a Holocaust and Genocide degree than just go to grad school,” he said.
“There is so much you can do with every degree here at Keene, so we enjoy seeing all students, but we don’t see any one major more than another,” Rock said.
Mary Curtin can be contacted at mcurtin@kscequinox.com