On April 5, 2008 the Office of Undergraduate Admissions hosted Go for the Gold, an open house for prospective students and their parents. Nearly 700 guests took advantage of a variety of sessions, from student activities and residence life to academic sessions and a student resource fair. Campus tours started every fifteen minutes throughout the afternoon and students were guided around campus by Admissions Ambassadors.
The Alumni Admissions Ambassador Program provided two panel sessions during the afternoon that explored career pathways of OU alumni. Ranging from the classes of ’78 to ’07, six graduates offered prospective students and their parents insight on how they decided to attend OU, and how their experience prepared them for professional success.
During the panel discussion Clifton Ellis, SECS ’04, explained how the OU Career Services staff laid the groundwork for his current position as a Senior Engineering Program Manager for the Department of Defense. In 2003 during Ellis’s senior year, the Career Services staff helped him put his resume together and later set up interviews which led to a paid internship. Another panelist, Matt Tapson, SBA ’99, credited his accounting professor, who set up the interview that led to a position with an internationally recognized accounting firm. Currently Tapson is a Senior Internal Auditor for DTE Energy. Kim Schultz, SEHS ’07, who teaches in Hamtramck at Hanley International Academy, described how OU’s education program provided her with a wide range of teaching placements. These experiences helped secure a sixth grade teaching position within weeks of graduation.
The Alumni Panel showcased the many resources of the Career Services office, as well as opportunities for involvement that build students’ resumes and leadership experience. After the first panel session, a parent remarked, “Oakland is big enough to provide the good stuff and small enough to get involved in it.”
The next Go for the Gold is Saturday, October 11, 2008 and the AAAP is recruiting alumni for this popular alumni panelist session. If you know OU alumni interested in participating in a future panel or college fair, refer them to Luke Fleer, AAAP coordinator, at (248) 370-4749 or fleer@oakland.edu. Visit www.oakland.edu/aaap to learn more about volunteering for your alma mater.