How did your college experience impact your career choices and opportunities?
My name is Brad Bodenhausen and I’m the Vice President for Community and Global Partnerships here at Missouri State. If you told me 40 years ago (when I was starting high school) what I would be doing today – I would have been surprised to learn what my future held. Life, of course, is not predictable and it doesn’t follow a pre-written script. But there are certain decisions we make along the way that can have a critical impact on our options and opportunities for the future. For me, choosing to go to college after high school was one of those life-defining decisions. I’m glad you’ve made that choice too.
My path as a first-gen student helped me take those initial steps of developing self-awareness, learning time management, and gaining confidence through academic and work experiences. I didn’t know what I wanted to study or what type of career I wanted to pursue. Internships and campus employment provided introductions to the kind of work I might want to do and the subjects I eventually chose to study. Later, in my mid-thirties, I started my graduate studies at Missouri State and that became a core part of my professional development – opening the door for the work I do now.
I encourage you to seek out practical experiences early and often. Project-based courses, internships, on-campus employment, service learning, and education abroad will give you exposure to new areas of possible study, professional contacts and potential mentors, and opportunities to prove yourself. Being engaged in the classroom and beyond will make a big difference in your preparation for future success.
One of Benjamin Franklin’s famous sayings provides good advice to follow: “Tell me, and I forget, teach me, and I may remember, involve me, and I learn.” I hope you will get involved on campus, in our community, and in the world to find the path you want to follow into the future.
Brad Bodenhausen
Vice President for Community and Global Partnerships