Wrapping Up Mississippi Collegeâs Career Day
Searching for future teachers, Clinton Public School District leaders came to the right place. They keep coming back each year because they see the benefits of networking with students at Mississippi College’s Career Day.
In the next few weeks, the Clinton district will post job vacancies on its website. Chances are good that many applicants will be ±«Óătvstudents nearing Spring graduation in May.
“The partnership between ±«Óătvand the Clinton district is very long and deep,” says Sandi Beason, public information director for one of Mississippi’s finest public school systems.
“We’ve had a number of fantastic teachers come from Mississippi College,” Beason said as she staffed a Career Day table stocked with red apples. “We’re excited for the partnership to continue. I love to come here. It is the icing on the cake.”
The 5,300-student district is a haven for Mississippi College graduates. About 65 percent of the district’s teachers and staff are ±«Óătvalumni.
A few years ago, Sarah Hankins was a student in MC’s School of Education, like many stopping by Career Day activities at Anderson Hall.
Hired to teach at Clinton High, Hankins continues to get kudos as a first-class educator.
“Today, she’s grown our theatre program into one of the very best in Mississippi,” Beason said. “Students are eager to join the Clinton Arrow Theatre and they’re seeing success at state, regional and now national competitions.”
Hankins is one of many ±«Óătvproducts winning accolades in the vibrant Clinton district.
For a dozen years, Beason served a strong advocate for the Clinton district. She’s leaving her staff post March 6 to join the communications team at Entergy in Jackson. Sandi’s successor will be ±«Óătvgraduate Robert Chapman, a teacher in Clinton public schools with extensive media skills. A former “Clarion-Ledger” staffer, Chapman remains actively involved in the Clinton community.
Beason, Chapman and Clinton Superintendent Tim Martin teamed up to visit students on February 25. Also stopping by their table was School of Education Dean Cindy Melton, who got her start as a Clinton student teacher.
At a spot nearby, ±«Óătvgraduate Jonathan Anderson appealed to students to consider joining the Biloxi public schools.
“I got a good list (of prospects),” says Anderson, director of student services with the Gulf Coast district. “It was definitely worth the trip.”
Also traveling to the Clinton campus were people from hospitals, banks, accounting firms, insurance companies, and government agencies including the FBI.
Staffers with the Graham Poole accounting firm of Ridgeland sized up ±«Óătvstudents as potential interns and employees.
It was familiar turf for Graham Poole staffers Melanie Hamel and Abigail Self, both ±«Óătvgrads. Melanie earned an undergraduate degree in accounting in 2003 and an MBA in 2005. Abigail received her bachelor’s degree in accounting at the Christian university in December 2019.
“I found her (Abigail) at a meet the firms (event) at the School of Business,” Melanie Hamel said. She hoped to discover more gems like her at the ±«Óătvevent.
The university’s Office of Career Services sponsored Tuesday’s activity drawing a record 90 employees. Career Services associate director Taylor Ormon thanked the guests and volunteers making it a success.
MBA student Joyce Wang came last year and enjoyed her return trip. A native of Taiwan, Joyce chatted with representatives from the University of Mississippi Medical Center and Biloxi public schools, to name a few. Bilingual, Wang brings other skills with interests in marketing and international trading.
Making the Career Day rounds were nursing students. Recruiters say nurses stay in demand at hospitals and other medical facilities nationwide in 2020.
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