Derell Deramus, Family Orientation Coordinator, sat down with Todd Euglow, Career Resources Specialist, Career Center, to ask the question “What does Student Affairs mean to you?” (eleventh in a series of articles about the Division of Student Affairs at Missouri State)
What is your title and what are your job duties? I work here at Missouri State University in the Career Center as a Career Resources Specialist. Most of the work I do is 1-on1 with students providing opportunities for career counseling and career advising. The majority of the students I work with are undecided students who usually need a little more assistance deciding what they would like to do. To help them out I provide assessments, job shadowing opportunities, and mentoring. The second part of my job is career advising. These students are generally students who know what they want to do and just need some assistance working through the process of getting there. Lastly I do some outreach work for the career center including presentations to student organizations and classes. As an added bonus I also teach IDS 120 which is a career and major exploration class.
Why did you decide to go into Student Affairs? I was always very involved as an undergrad. I was a part of Student Activities Council, Residence Hall Association, Commerce Bank Emerging Leaders, and served as part of the MACURH Regional Conference staff. All of these things contributed to my desire to work in Student Affairs. I actually went to Career Services because I had no idea what I wanted to do when I graduated. I tried a few things here and there and just really didn’t feel any of it was the right fit. I was informed about a position that had opened up on campus as Assistant Coordinator for Leadership Development and Programing. After having a few conversations with people around campus, I looked into Student Affairs and the program here at Missouri State and now here I am.
What advice do you have for someone interested in pursuing a degree in Student Affairs? Student Affairs is a very broad field and there is a lot you can do with it. You can work in Residence Life, Career Services, Student Engagement, or even in Administration. If you decide to go into Student Affairs and you know that’s what you want to do, take time in undergrad to decide what you would like to go into so that you can get the most out of your graduate program. Also you should understand that this is not a 9-5 job. You work with students and they don’t keep conventional work hours so you have to be prepared for that.
How would you explain Student Affairs to a family member? Student Affairs professionals are educators to students outside of the classroom. Students get a very specific kind of knowledge in the classroom. In math generally you learn math and in anatomy you learn about the body. The role of Student Affairs builds upon what is learned in the classroom.
What is your favorite Missouri State University tradition? Move-in weekend would have to be my favorite tradition. There is an excitement on campus that’s unmatched any other time in the year. New students are excited to move into the residence halls and older students are happy to be back around their friends. All of the events that take place are so exciting and I love seeing the excitement on the new Bears faces. It always reminds me of when I first moved into the residence halls and what that felt like.
What do you believe are the 3 most important factors for student success?
1) Involvement- Students must get involved outside of the classroom. There is a certain set of skills that students who are involved gain from those “outside of the classroom” experiences.
2) Do well in classes – Take class seriously. At the end of the day you are here to get a degree and ever class you skip is money wasted.
3) Find mentors on campus – Having a mentor on campus is so important. I personally feel that a lot of the things I learned and skills I gained came from having great mentors in college.
Derell DeRamus, a junior, is President of the Sigma Theta – Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc., Family Orientation Coordinator and Yell Like Hell/ Pep Rally Coordinator – Homecoming 2015.