Student accomplishments recognized April 24, 2018
On Tuesday afternoon, April 24, 2018, students from Inver Hills Community College were honored at a CareerWays Recognition Event in the Fine Arts building. Funded by the Travelers Foundation, the CareerWays program enhances the work-study experience and professional endeavors of participating students.
CareerWays provides students with professional and financial literacy development that includes workshops related to customer service, professional workplace expectations, communication, time management, prioritization, financial literacy, resume and cover letter development, and career exploration. Students receive a stipend for participation and increased support in their work-study roles on campus.
Matt Kruger, TRIO SSS and Travelers EDGE director at Inver Hills, reported that the CareerWays learning experience augments already valuable work-study opportunities for students.
“Work-study is a great opportunity for a lot of students because it allows them to work flexible schedules at campus, cut down on commuting time, and still make some money to help them pay the bills,” Matt said. “With CareerWays, we’ve been able to help those students focus on their professional development and long-term goals as well. The students get a lot out of the experience and Inver Hills gets the benefit of more professional, confident and effective student workers.”
Participating Inver Hills departments include:
- Counseling & Advising
- TRIO Student Support Services
- Admissions
- Enrollment Center
- Peer Tutoring
- Center for Experiential Learning
CareerWays eligibility requirements
- Students must be employed as work-study students in eligible departments at Inver Hills Community College
- Students must be nominated by work-study supervisors to participate
Students participating in this professional development program complete nine competency modules:
Module 1: Workplace Competencies/Expectations
Module 2: Communicating Effectively in the Workplace
Module 3: Communication Channels
Module 4: Customer Service
Module 5: Problem Solving
Module 6: Resume
Module 7: Time Management
Module 8: Interview Preparation
Module 9: Cultural Competency
CareerWays Recognition Celebration gallery
For more event photos, visit:
Travelers CareerWays Celebration on Flickr
CareerWays objectives
- Develop transferable skills for the workplace
- Provide feedback for personal and professional development
- Improve your comfort with the job application process
- Promote career development
CareerWays scholar spotlight: Bryn McGary
Originally from Cottage Grove, Minnesota, Bryn McGary, 18, graduated from Park High School, Class of 2017. Bryn is earning her Associate of Arts (A.A.) at Inver Hills with plans to transfer to a four-year university to pursue a bachelor’s degree in art with a minor in sociology. She is intrigued by a career as an art therapist because the field combines her love for art with her strong desire to care for others.
“I have always been very passionate about art and helping people,” Bryn said, “so I felt that majoring in art and minoring in sociology would allow me to do both. After Inver, I want to transfer to the University of Minnesota and get my bachelor’s in art.” Bryn also chose the U of M because of the university’s Arts and Healing program.
Three words that describe you as a college student:
MOTIVATED. HARD-WORKING. EASYGOING.
Bryn’s previous career experience includes working as a lead cashier at Nadia Cakes and as a food nutritionist at HealthEast Clinic, both locations in Woodbury, Minnesota. At Inver, Bryn works as an employer relations coordinator at the Center for Experiential Learning. Her duties include working with employers and students to arrange internships. She is supervised by Emily Johnson, the director of Career Services.
“Bryn was an excellent candidate for CareerWays,” Emily said. “She is a young professional who has not had previous opportunities for professional development. The program allowed us to have intentional and structured conversations about some of the really important facets of her position on campus and helped us draw parallels to how her experience on campus can translate to the world of work off campus.”
Bryn also believes her CareerWays experience has helped her prepare for her future career.
“I benefited from CareerWays in many respects,” she related. “The program taught me how to write a better resume, which is something I struggled with. The program also taught me how to use different communication skills in the workplace that allow me to be more effective with my co-workers.”
Bryn added that her favorite aspect of CareerWays was how the program addressed certain issues she feels many workplaces may overlook.
“One of the modules was about cultural differences and how that can affect the workplace,” she said. “The module [Module 9: Cultural Competency] provided me with tools to reflect on diversity in all aspects of my life, including the workplace.”
Bryn resides with her mom and dad in Cottage Grove. She is an only child, but she does have two cats, Chaos and Mayhem, both tabbies. Her favorite pursuit is drawing in pencil and charcoal. She experimented with animated drawings early on and is lately focused on producing photorealistic sketches. She also enjoys reading nonfiction works, including biographies, as well hanging out with her friends and boyfriend.
Bryn McGary sketch gallery
Bryn McGary | 12 Answers
- Favorite sport or physical activity: Going for runs; I run outside and go for an hour on my treadmill, counting calories.
- Place you would most like to visit: Many places, but to pick one, Barcelona
- The most exciting thing you’ve ever done: This spring break was my first trip I took with my friends to South Padre.
- Your personal motto if you had to have one: “Don’t worry about it.”
- Favorite all-time TV show: The Office
- Favorite all-time movie: The Breakfast Club
- One thing you most want to accomplish in life: Having a career that actually makes me happy
- Most precious material possession: My phone
- Dream occupation: Creating art
- Person you would most like to meet: Drake
- Skill you would most like to learn and master: Writing in cursive
- Most important issue or problem facing humankind: Global warming
To learn more about CareerWays and TRIO Student Support Services at Inver Hills, contact:
Matt Kruger
TRIO Student Support Services Director
Travelers EDGE Director
651-450-3701
To learn more about the Center for Experiential Learning contact:
Emily Johnson
Center for Experiential Learning Director
Inver Hills Community College
651-450-3241