ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University Regionals graduates find top jobs in a range of fields
University offers nearly 30 possible majors and minors in multiple disciplines for students at all stages of their education journey
ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University Regionals graduates find top jobs in a range of fields
From social services to technology and many topics in between, ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University College of Liberal Arts and Applied Sciences (CLAAS) graduates find success in a wide array of careers that fulfill their desire for rewarding work. Students from all walks of life can leverage their skills and passions within dozens of possible major tracks.
CLAAS offers at least 30 majors for students to choose from at ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú Regionals, and another 100 majors are possible at ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University’s Oxford campus. These span a range of fields that include everything from Computer and Information Technology to Social and Behavioral Sciences.
ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University’s ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú Plan also means students have the opportunity to explore their interests with a variety of core curriculum courses that expose them to the assortment of disciplines available within the university. In addition, personal growth opportunities, such as new friendships and professional networking, provide a launching pad that enables students to go confidently into new professional worlds.
Britten Alexander ’11 came to ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú Regionals from high school and had no idea what he wanted to study, but he knew earning a college degree would be an important start to his future.
Today, as an account executive with Vestis, a uniform and workplace supply company, Alexander said interpersonal communication and building relationships are some of the keys to his success. These are two skills he said he honed while studying at ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú Regionals and graduating with a bachelor’s degree in .
“There are very few work roles where you are isolated,” he said. “You have to learn to work in a team. Through my participation on ThunderHawks’ basketball team and my friendships and classwork on campus, I developed these skills.”
Alexander played on the men’s basketball team at ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú Middletown for two years. He said the experience molded him in several ways.
“Athletics helps you learn leadership and teamwork,” he said. “My teammates were also my roommates. We became best friends. I met my wife on the women’s team. We are a ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú Merger,” he said with a laugh. “Today, these same people are still my best friends.
“The experiences, the polishing you get while you are a student, the networking — it’s not easy to find that somewhere else besides college. It gives you so many advantages. I always know I have the backing of my ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú degree. It gives me confidence.”
Fulfilling a dream to help families
Even as a young girl, Estefani Galan ’23 knew she wanted a career helping others. In high school, she thought she might pursue a career in the medical profession, possibly as a pediatrician.
By the time she was ready to start her college journey, however, Galan was already married and a mother. She also knew that as a first-generation college student and an immigrant, she faced some challenges as she sought to make her dreams a reality. She chose ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú Regionals because it was close to her home and would give her greater flexibility with her busy family life.
“I came to the U.S. from Mexico when I was 11, and I did not speak English,” she said. “I eventually got my DACA status (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals), which meant I could go to school to get my degree.”
She chose to study because she remained very interested in helping families, especially immigrant families such as her own. Today, she is a wraparound facilitator with the Butler County Family and Children’s First Council, a collaborative that serves families to help improve outcomes for children.
Galan said her degree and her job have opened doors that have been life-changing. She works with children who have often been the victims of childhood trauma. She helps secure the services they need to help them overcome their setbacks and succeed. But her education has also enabled her to reflect on her own role as a parent and her influence on her children.
“I see the lack of awareness from families who don’t understand the connection between early experiences in childhood and problems later,” she said. “Pre-school is where prevention needs to start, or earlier.
“I did not know about these issues before I went to ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú. Going to ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú has helped me not only to start a new career, but to be a better person. I see these same connections with my own family. It has broken chains.”
Galan is now working to earn her master’s degree in social work at ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University with a goal of eventually becoming a family therapist.
“There is a lack of Spanish-speaking clinicians,” she said. “Being an immigrant is not easy. I understand that background and can use my experiences to help others. My passion is to help families be successful.”
Putting communication skills to work in technology
When Anthony Chambers ’17 attended college the first time in 2004, he had just graduated from high school and was still figuring out what he really wanted in life. He majored in English at a public university in Ohio but dropped out before graduating.
With his writing skills, he was able to land a job with a technology company assisting customers to understand the best products for their needs. But he knew if he wanted to reach the next level in his career, he’d need to complete his degree.
By the time he decided to enroll at the Regionals in 2013, almost 10 years had passed since he first set foot on a college campus. But he still hoped to leverage the credits he had earned so he could avoid retracing his steps and save money. He chose the Regionals because he felt it offered him flexibility with his current job and family life and a range of options for majors. He had a new sense of urgency with his education this time around and he was ready to get to work.
“I wanted to get good grades and take it seriously,” he said. “I had a much greater appreciation of school with age. I was a little worried I would stand out as an older student. But the first course I took, I remember being in class with others like me.
“My advisers at the Regionals were able to help me arrange a schedule to help me be successful in my academics and my job,” he said. “This allowed me to stay more engaged with my classes and ultimately attend grad school. They gave me the confidence to pursue those goals.”
After earning a bachelor’s degree in in 2017, Chambers went on to get his master’s in business administration in 2020 at ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú University.
Today, he is an IT business systems analyst with a technology company, a job he says allows him to use his skills in writing and his passion for technology.
“My job today offers me great co-workers, a supportive manager, and the kind of challenging tasks I enjoy. I use the information I learned in grad school to this day. My advisers at ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú were so helpful. They made sure my education fit my life and my situation. They just wanted me to succeed.”
This spring, nearly 600 ÍÃ×ÓÏÈÉú graduates will start their own new career journeys, making their unique individual contributions in a diverse range of professions and industries.