BEREA, Ohio — As graduation season is underway, students at Baldwin Wallace University say they’re excited for two reasons.
The first reason deals with their excitement to have completed a major milestone.
The other is their appreciation for how prepared they say they are for post-grad life.
“I can confidently say that with the opportunities, it has prepared me to pursue the real world, and here we are today about to graduate,” said Baldwin Wallace University Graduate, Cole Thompson.
Cole Thompson is graduating with a degree in Human Resources.
Following the big day he plans to attend the Cleveland Foundation Public Fellowship program for one year, where he will continue getting more exposure in his industry.
“Just very grateful for the experiences and, right, just very passionate and excited for the next step,” said Thompson.
Then there’s Emily Lakatos.
She’s graduating from BW with a degree in Industrial and Organizational Psychology and has accepted a summer internship.
“I know through the pandemic there's a lot of uncertainty on even going to school. I know we had a break from school and coming out with a degree and an internship, I thank God because it is really a blessing,” said Baldwin Wallace University Graduate, Emily Lakatos.
University Career Center Director Patrick Keebler says Baldwin Wallace takes pride in getting their graduates prepared for the real world.
“We've been professionalizing the student employment experience for students that work on campus, helping them to recognize the career readiness competencies they're developing as a result of their work on campus,” said Keebler.
Keebler says BW also hosted three job fairs which he says gave students additional opportunities to get ahead.
“We know that students who have a chance to connect with employers during their time here at BW are much, much more likely to see that return on their investment,” said Keebler.
Unfortunately, when the COVID-19 pandemic hit the valuable face-to-face connections between students and employers completely stopped.
Thankfully, Keebler says they’re seeing a shift back to in-person on-site work.
“Our students do very well after graduation. You know, we've seen our career outcome rate improve from 90 to 96% last year. Hiring is still very robust,” said Keebler. “So, you know, the value of a college degree is still significant.”
“I have a lot of knowledge as well as I've grown my career development and professionalism, so I feel more prepared to go out in the workforce,” said Lakatos.
Keebler says he hopes to help more students as their program continues to grow.
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