Four Years Later…

Nicole Dominique is a soon-to-be LSU graduate with a Dual-Degree in Microbiology and English Literature.  Nicole is from Thibodaux, Louisiana and has served LSU as an Ambassador, Parent Orientation Leader, BIOS Mentor, and Cox Communications Student Athlete Tutor. Recently, she was awarded as a member of the LSU Tiger Twelve Class of 2017 for her service to the campus and larger Baton Rouge community. After graduation, Nicole will attend LSU Health Sciences Center in New Orleans to pursue a combined M.D./M.P.H degree. 

Two papers, two exams, and a couple steps across a stage: it seems strange that this is all that is left of my LSU career. Being so close to graduation, this semester has forced me to reflect on my time at LSU.

It’s unbelievable to me how much LSU has given me. I’d like to think that LSU, the experiences it has provided me, and the people on campus found me in the times that I needed them the most.  I will leave with significant memories including volunteering at the Crisis Intervention Center, studying abroad in the U.K., assisting families and students through LSU Ambassadors, and meeting many genuine people. From my random roommate freshman year (still a close friend) to encouraging professors, LSU seems to attract individuals eager to connect with others.

LSU has taught me about myself and has given me a deeper love for Louisiana, motivating me to give back to the state that has raised and formed me.

College is challenging, but in a way that enables you to find your passions (still a bittersweet and scary time). I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the help that enabled me to arrive at this point. For future students, I would recommend seeking out our post-orientation programs, like STRIPES (for entering freshmen) and BIOS (for entering science majors). I attended BIOS, and it gave me an insight into what being a Science major was like before beginning in the Fall. Additionally, I benefited from Supplemental Instruction, study sessions led by fellow students who have already taken the class, especially for notorious classes like organic chemistry.

LSU gave me experiences that I never imagined being able to do, and I was able to pursue an education that I really enjoyed. I know that my time here has been meaningful and will remain with me. LSU has a way of making itself your home and a place that you are sad to leave with only 2 weeks before graduation. I can’t in any way tell everyone how to chart their path, but just know that there are many resources, experiences, and kind people waiting for you!

So Long, Farewell, to You My Friend!

Meet Meagan Johnson, a Senior majoring in Mass Communication with a concentration in Broadcast Journalism. She is also minoring in History and Political Science and is from Hackberry, Louisiana. Meagan is involved in LSU Ambassadors, Collegiate 4-H, University Baptist Church and served as a Parent Orientation Leader this past summer.

Louisiana State University has become more than just a school for me. It is a place I call home and a place that has given me more than I could ever give in return. With my last finals week at LSU coming to an end, I have begun looking back on my time here. I can see all of the opportunities LSU has brought into my life from life-long friends, impacting professors, the opportunity to study abroad, life changing organizations and memories of it all to last a life time. It is really hard to believe that my time at LSU is coming to an end, but I am looking forward to the last experience I get to have at LSU with many of my closest friends dressed in caps and gowns.

In many ways, it is surreal to me that I will actually be getting a diploma next week. I have dreamed of this day for many years and now that it is here I have mixed feeling about it. I am excited that all of my stressing, studying, late nights and prayers are about to pay off as I officially earn my degree. However, I will miss all of the memories I made here and the people that have made my time at LSU so special. I am a very lucky girl to have had so many great experiences here and I do not want it to end just yet.

I cannot express how grateful I am to everyone that has helped me through this experience. I would not be graduating or attending law school in the fall without the constant support and guidance. Getting to have this last experience with my friends that started with me in 2012 is the perfect way to end our journey at LSU. We can look back on this experience with a smile and look ahead to our adventures to come!

How To: GEAUX Find a Job!

Meet Morgan Decuir, a current senior at LSU majoring in Elementary Education. She loves serving her university as a member of LSU Ambassadors, and she is also one of the founding members and President of Associated Professional Educators of Louisiana (A+PEL). Throughout her years at LSU, she served as the 2014 POL for the College of Human Sciences and Education, served on the SPRINGFEST Executive Board as the Associate Chair for Events and Training, is a member of Kappa Delta Epsilon, and served on the Student Support Service’s Student Activities Board as the Communications Liaison. Morgan is more than thrilled to begin her career as a teacher in Fall 2015.

It’s the beginning of senior year and I have everything planned out: some lesson plans that can be altered for grade levels, a small portfolio that features some of my previous students’ work, and even a some-what completed resume. I thought I was prepared for it all, until the same question was asked by everyone I came to contact with, “Where do you want to teach next year?”…Wait, what? I did not even begin classes yet and I have to think about where I want to begin my teaching career? It did not hit me that I will have my very own classroom in less than 10 months! This is where I began to have slight panic attacks every other night. I told myself, “Morgan, you will have a position waiting for you before you walk across the stage at graduation.” Then I began to ask myself, “Where do I even begin?”

After a month or so of small panic attacks about my life, I received an e-mail from the LSU Olinde Career Center. This e-mail was specialized for all College of Human Sciences and Education students to give us an update of services and events that can help us for our future careers. Mine looked like this:

Each student receives their own e-mail from the LSU Olinde Career Center that is specialized for their college. Since the College of HSE encompasses many career options, students are able to take a look at other events that are occurring as well. Although I am an Elementary Education major, it didn’t hurt that I looked into the section about Careers in Student Affairs Month. I’ve thought about doing other career options in the far future with my degree in Elementary Education. However, my main focus in this e-mail was Teacher Interviewing Day.

Teacher Interviewing Day (TID) is an event where representatives from many school districts all over different states come on campus to interview aspiring teachers. Since I am a senior and I had my plan of landing a position before graduation, I made an effort to be there. From that moment, I fixed my resume to the best of my ability and uploaded it on Careers2Geaux—another amazing resource that LSU offers to all undergraduate students for free. The week before TID, I found out that I could not attend because I had to teach that day. Discouraged, I took my mind off of TID and continued to focus on lesson planning. I put off going to the LSU Olinde Career Center for assistance in perfecting my resume because I knew I wasn’t going to be able to make it to TID. But then on the Monday evening week of TID, I get an e-mail stating that I had a request to be interviewed. I was super excited! I knew that I could not turn an interview down, especially when the employer asked me.

On the day of TID, I taught my math and science lesson, and right after I zoomed to LSU to prepare. I walked in so nervous, but more excited that I was asked to be here for an interview. The interview went AMAZING and I was given the opportunity to tour the location over Winter Break and begin filling out the application for the upcoming 2015-2016 school year to have a position waiting for me—my dream was turning into a reality!

My experience with TID was possible through the LSU Olinde Career Center. Encourage your student to stop by their offices and utilize all of the resources available. From resume building, interview tips, and even renting an outfit for interview day, the LSU Olinde Career Center makes sure that your student is prepared to excel at any interview and land their perfect position. By the time your student is a senior, it will be super easy for them to geaux find a job!