Aurea | human resource development and business and marketing education

Tell us about your involvement in the CEHD mentor program: “My mentor is really friendly, and she can understand students because she was a student at the U. I had dinner with her and got to ask her questions about what she does, and she sent me some of her work that she’s done. It’s nice to be able to see somebody that’s in the field. It’s somebody I can go talk to and ask her questions and it’s not uncomfortable. I really like that about the program.”

How about your upcoming semester abroad in Spain?: “I’m doing a Spanish minor, and I’m going to take a cross-cultural business class, so it will be taught in Spanish and be about Spanish business. It will give me an overview of how other cultures interact in business settings. The program is international, so I’m going to be meeting people from all over the world. We have a choice of doing a dorm stay or a home stay; I chose to do the home stay so I can learn the culture and speak Spanish more fluently. I’m also going to do an internship in Spain with business.”

What other career development opportunities have you been involved in?: “I was selected to attend the Diversity Business Careers Forum in Chicago. Ten students from the University of Minnesota were chosen. I met with four different businesses: the Chicago Mercantile Exchange, Ariel Management, US Bank, and Harris Bank. There were sessions where they talked to us about their philosophy and the mission of the businesses, and it was really cool to learn more—just to get that experience of seeing what people can do.”

Joe | recreation, park, and leisure studies

How did you choose the U and your major:? “I made a visit here and I was really impressed with the campus. I picked my major because I decided I didn’t want to have a job where I sat behind a desk all day.”

What is your internship like?: “My internship is going really well! I have a really unique opportunity with mine, in that I’m not doing the same thing every day. My time is divided between two recreation centers, and I’m learning about what they do, their equipment, how they’re run and managed. I’m basically learning about how to run these kinds of facilities from the ground up.”

How have you changed since coming here?: “I’d say I’ve gotten a better focus and direction in my life. And I’m probably more open to ideas and choices now than I was before.”

Where would you like to be in ten years?: “Running a resort with my younger brother. One of our ideas is a remote fishing/outfitting kind of operation, maybe in Canada. I’ve also been researching how to get into the ecotourism field, too.”

Karen | family social science

Is there a sense of community in your major?: “Yes. We have a club in FSoS called Roundtable. They meet every other week, and they offer a kind of support group for students. People can go there to talk, learn about other resources, and get involved in the community. Students also get the chance to talk with faculty.”

Tell us about your internship: “I’ve learned so much from my internship. I work at Children’s Home Society and Family Services. I work with the India program specialists, who work with families adopting children from India. I do the behind-the-scenes work. Right now I’m creating a slideshow on travel instructions for families who’re about to make the trip. I just feel like my internship is a great foot in the door for me.”

What has been your favorite class?: “You have to take FSOS 4104. It’s a class on diversity and families with Paul Rosenblatt. He’s been all over the world, and it’s so interesting to hear about all his experiences in other countries.”

What do you want people to know about the family social science major?: “You can use it to go into a ton of different fields. You can do almost anything with it!”

Stacy | kinesiology

Do the students in your major have broad interests and experiences?: “I think everyone’s really different. Some want to go into med school or physical therapy, some want to go into teaching, and some are already working in health clubs and just want to go even further in that area. I think it’s beneficial that people are so different, because you can learn a lot from other people.”

What internship experiences have you had?: “When I was a freshman I was an ice hockey official, then I ran broomball for a while. Now I’m a program assistant for all of intramural sports. I could contribute more to class because of my internship.”

Favorite class?: “Event management with Dr. Ross. And everyone should take a scuba diving class!”

How has your major changed you?: “I definitely think it’s given me something to be interested in. When I found this awesome major that covered body, sports, management, all these things I was interested in, it gave me something to be passionate about.”

Eunice | human resource development

Tell us about your internship: “My internship was challenging and fun! I interned as a training coordinator at East Metro OIC, a nonprofit organization that trains adults for employment. I had the chance to utilize my knowledge from school and also gain experience. I enjoyed my internship so much that when I graduated recently, I accepted a full-time position with this organization.”

What did you learn from your major?: “Majoring in HRD gave me the confidence to take on challenges and solve them with excellent training and team building skills. I am very well equipped for the workplace. I know how to assess organizational challenges and how to devise the appropriate strategy for bringing about their solutions. I also learned vital skills in the area of adult education and learning, including strategies for motivating and inspiring adult learners to strive for excellence.”

How did being a student here change you?: “This might sound corny, but I believe I am much smarter. I feel I have gone through a major transformation and that I now have the skills to handle life's difficult moments more artfully. Also, I was given an education that ensures my success in the HRD field. If I had to do it all over again...I would!”

Amitabh | youth studies

Why the U?: “In a big school like this you can go so many places, and find job connections.”

Why youth studies?: “It’s always been my dream to do Peace Corps after college, so I was looking for stuff like that, and I got turned on to social work. When I was looking for classes I saw this thing called youth studies and I figured out that that’s what I want to go to school for. I’ve done volunteer work and I teach guitar lessons to kids. I just love it: teaching and everything. It’s cool because it’s a small program. And it’s all these people who are passionate. All the advisers are down to earth, understanding and stuff – you’re not a number.”

About living in a dorm: “It’s cool because you get to meet so many people: from small towns, from big cities, from every culture.”

Advice for incoming freshmen: “Realize that the studying you did in high school is nothing compared to what college studying is. It’s not terms and memorization anymore, it’s application.”

How have you changed since starting college?: “I’m basically not the same person from high school. I’m more understanding, maybe that’s what it is. More accepting, less judgmental… just more open mindedness in general.”

Plans for after college?: Peace Corps, graduate school, “then, after that, my dream is to open an orphanage in India.”

Kallie | elementary education foundations

Why did you choose the U of M?: “Because the first time that I set foot on campus, I knew it was where I would feel at home. I wanted a liberal education and was not sure what I wanted to do as a major for sure. I felt that I would find my passion here at the U because of the vast array of opportunities that would be present.”

Is there community within your major?: “There is no doubt in my mind that we have our own little community! I love going to my classes now because we have our little education posse as we like to call it. We all share similar interests but also have differences that have made us close and more open to new experiences.”

Are you part of a student organization?: “This past semester, I was a member of the Association of Students in Education and Human Development [ASEHD] for the first time. I not only was in the group, but was the Community Service Chair and had to organize events for the members to participate in. It was such a great experience because I was able to exercise my leadership skills and meet other students who were in CEHD. This semester, I will take over as president of ASEHD and am very excited for this leadership opportunity.”

How has your major changed you?: “I have come to appreciate each of my teachers that I have had from pre-school until now. People may think that being an educator is less difficult than brain surgery, but I would challenge those people to stand in front of 27 third graders for seven hours, five days a week teaching them while also keeping them under control all at the same time!”

Krista | kinesiology

Tell us about your internship: “I did my internship with Sports & Orthopaedic Specialists. I was a surgical assistant, where I not only listened in on patients' concerns, aches, and pains, but I also was able to stand in on surgeries and watch them being done. The people I worked with were extremely nice and generous, and they always went out of their way to make sure I understood all that was being told to the patient. I couldn't ask for a better opportunity!”

What do you like about your major?: “The kinesiology major offers a wide variety of activities, opportunities, and internships to become involved with in order to further increase one's passion for what they want to do in their future. I also like the small class sizes, as well as the location of the department.”

Why did you choose the U of M?: “I chose the University because it had so much diversity and the campus was beautiful. I liked the fact that it is centrally located near Minneapolis and St. Paul. There are so many things to do, whether it be on campus, in Dinkytown, Uptown, or Downtown.”

Jayson | technology education

What have you learned from other students in your major?: “In one of my classes we briefly covered the important factors when building a computer and I decided to try it. When it did not work, I asked one of my classmates and he clearly explained the problem. They have also shown me many other skills.”

What advice do you have for new students?: “The best advice I can give a new student is to get involved. Find something you are passionate about and I guarantee there will be an organization of people with the same passion as you. It is a great way to meet lifelong friends.”

How has your major changed you?: “After getting involved with technology education, I have started to like computers a lot more. Not only have I built my own computer but I enjoy fixing problems and learning new programs and other ways to improve computer use.”

Nicole | early childhood education foundations

What is it like being an early childhood major?: “It’s really close knit. Once you get into the program, you take classes with a lot of the same people over and over again and you really get to know one another.”

What is student teaching like?: “This is my first student teaching experience, and I think being here at the Lab School gave me a whole different perspective. It’s nice because our teacher Amy went through the program here also so she can guide us. I’ve been able to completely develop how I want to teach and conduct my classroom. It’s really given me a lot of insight on what I want to do.”

What is it like living away from home?: “I was the only person from my area coming here so it was really scary, but once I got here I bonded with my roommates right away and just had a great experience. I lived in the dorms and the atmosphere there was really comforting. My CA [Community Adviser] was amazing and every time I was homesick she was always there for me and would take me out to coffee or something. The whole atmosphere made me feel at home.”

What do you want to be doing in ten years?: “I want to be working with children ages three to five and doing special ed, probably geared toward autism.”

Kathy | family social science

Why did you choose the U of M?: “I chose the University because I grew up in a very small rural community, and I wanted to experience a diverse urban atmosphere with a lot of people. I was hoping to be surprised as much as possible when I came here, and I sure was!”

Why did you choose family social science?: “I chose my major because I love people and I'm so curious about others' lives and how they perceive the world and people around them.”

What do you like about your major?: “I love my major and how much critical thinking it involves. I love the self reflection we do. I love how much the faculty pushes us to go out into the world to discover others and their experiences. I love that our major is research based, and how much we read and review journal articles.”

How have you changed since coming to the U of M?: “I have matured so much since coming to the U. Faculty here are so educated and passionate about their work. My awareness and critical thinking have been heightened; I am constantly growing and learning about life.”

Peter | sport management

Why did you choose your major?: “I chose my major and my emphasis on sport management because it combined my interests of sports and business.”

How was your internship?: “Working for the Minnesota Twins was a valuable experience that will hopefully open some doors that I never thought could be open to me.”

What advice would you give a new student?: “You can’t be afraid to go out of your comfort zone. Be active in clubs and in class and meet new people because you never know who you will be friends with down the road.”

What are your plans for the future?: “To see what opportunities there are in the sports world and to gain some experience working with different pro teams. Then move on to law school and continue on with pursuing a career in sports. After graduating from law school, I hope to be working with a professional team on their management side or being a general manager.”

Oriana | business and marketing education

What do you like about your major?: “I like the format—the way it's taught. The way the classes work, it's not so much: lecture, taking notes, then taking tests. It's more hands-on, and it's more applied, which works really well with me, because then you can take that and actually use it. It's not just memorizing. I like that a lot. There are a lot of discussions within the class, which I like because people bring in different perspectives or experiences. And a lot of the times they are led by the students themselves because we'll have case studies and other projects that we've worked on in teams. You learn a lot because it's real-life scenarios.”

Where did you do your internship?: “I've been interning for the past two summers with Colgate-Palmolive in sales. That's been a great experience for me. I think I've learned a ton. The first summer it was more about getting to know the company and what they do, and also doing tutorials on programs like Excel. The second summer I applied things I had learned and did more projects, including tracking sales and promotions, like how certain ads affected sales for the past week.”

Can you recommend a favorite place to eat around campus?: “I like Burrito Loco. There are also a lot of cool little restaurants and cafés around campus, like the Wise Owl Café [in Walter Library].”

Marnie | career and technical education

Why did you chose CEHD?: “When I had decided to seek a teaching degree, there was really only one excellent program, and it was in the College.”

Why career and technical education (CTE)?: “It was a quick way to get my degree because I was able to get credit for my life experience.”

What is your major like?: “There’s a huge sense of community in my major. Many people within the program are active in shaping state policy on technical education. CTE includes people interested in everything from business education to woodworking to automotive education, so it’s a really wide variety of people and backgrounds.”

Tell us about a student teaching experience: “I’ve been student teaching a medical careers exploration course at Hennepin Technical College. It’s been a real challenge, but on the other hand it’s been an incredible experience to create my own curriculum, to lead my own classroom – just being free to learn and teach on my own terms.”