Lynn Chisholm and Peter Thorsett, 2018 Innovative Spirit Award Recipients

Peter Thorsett
Lynn Chisholm

The SoACE Imaginative Spirit Award is presented to either an individual, team, or office in recognition of their contributions toward the implementation of a unique and creative approach relevant to student/alumni programming, advising, employer/university relations, recruiting and/or training.  This award upholds the high standards of excellence in support of student/alumni/employer/university engagement and serves to encourage creativity in our profession.

At the 2018 Annual Conference in Atlanta, the SoACE Innovative Spirit Award was presented to Lynn Chisholm and Peter Thorsett from the University of South Florida. Lynn and Peter were recognized for innovation and creativity in developing the USF Career Readiness Badging Program. This program has provided a creative and scalable “career readiness” solution for the more than 50,000 University of South Florida students across all three campuses.  Utilizing the university’s on-line learning platform, a framework was built using the NACE Career Readiness Competencies, organized by Learn It, Do It, and Show It components.

Utilization of this badging program has helped students build stronger resumes, become fully connected with job search tools, and iteratively practice and receive feedback on their performance in behavioral interviews.  Furthermore, the badges they earn are made fully visible to employers and portable for students through the utilization of verifiable credentials based on the Open Badges standard through Badgr.

In support of student success beyond the University of South Florida, this team has been asked to share their program with higher education institutions across the country, as well as with high schools and communities, and have given many presentations and webinars, including at the SoACE Annual Conference.

As Director of Internships and Career Readiness, Lynn Chisholm is responsible for the overall administration and supervision of the Office of Internships and Career Readiness to develop, support, and manage student career-relevant experiential learning opportunities and programming. This office collaborates with Employer Relations and the Office of Professional and Career Development to offer internship opportunities for both on-campus and off-campus experiential learning including co-op, as part of a student’s progress toward graduation and obtaining full-time professional employment. Previously, Lynn was the Internship and Prior Learning Assessment Coordinator at Polk State College, Human Resources Specialist with the City of Lakeland in workforce and organization development, Clinic Director at the University of Georgia Speech and Hearing Clinic, and Speech and Language Clinic Coordinator at Florida State University in the Communication Sciences and Disorders Department. Lynn earned a Certified Public Manager Master’s Certificate through Florida State University, a master’s degree at Boston University, and a bachelor’s degree at the University of Central Florida.

Peter Thorsett works within the Community Engagement and Career Readiness (CECR) unit at the University of South Florida. In his role, Peter directly supports the efforts of the Associate Vice President in strategic planning, evaluation and assessment, and programmatic integration across the unit’s individual teams to ensure that student career outcomes are linked to student and career success. Peter is also responsible for managing the team that provides marketing, outreach, and operations support to all of the teams in CECR. Peter has more than 20 years of experience in a variety of strategy, marketing, and technology related roles in both higher education and private industry, including work for Turner Broadcasting, Johnson Controls, Miami University (Ohio), UNC Charlotte, and Georgia State University. Peter holds an MBA from Georgia State University and a BSBA from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Sheena Jacobs, 2018 Champion of Diversity Award Recipient

The Champion of Diversity Award is presented annually to a member who has demonstrated a sustained commitment to the pursuit of diversity and inclusion in the community or workplace. Contributions in advancing diversity could be in the form of activism, education or outreach, publication, service, or other initiatives. Criteria for the award includes: demonstrated commitment to the spirit of diversity and inclusion through active participation in promoting diversity and inclusion initiatives within the last twelve months; positive communication and education that promotes mutual respect, acceptance, cooperation or tolerance among people of different backgrounds; and demonstration of a positive influence on constituencies. These contributions could be within the member’s employing organization, SoACE, or the larger community.

The Champion of Diversity Award was presented at the 2018 Annual Conference to Sheena Jacobs from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, an individual who has developed successful strategies and programs that serve as models of excellence both inside and outside the UNC community.  When tasked by her Vice Provost and Vice Chancellor to support the university’s Retention through Recruitment program to increase the number and success of African-American males enrolling as undergraduates, she used her voice to assure that issues of diversity are factored into the institution’s strategies and part of everyone’s professional growth plan.  She initiated collaboration between the Career Center and Carolina’s Office for Men of Color Engagement to help minority men navigate the academic climate and become more aware of opportunities and support at UNC.

In addition, as Carolina and Career Development Co-Chair for UNC’s Women of Worth Initiative, she piloted a four-part lunch and learn series promoting academic preparedness, holistic student wellness and success, identify development and career readiness for women faculty, staff and students of color.

One of her colleagues said the following of Sheena:

“She sets the standard for student affairs professionals striving to enact diversity and inclusion programs.  She’s the one who prods her colleagues to be vigilant about providing respect, appreciation, and inclusion to everyone.”

Sheena Jacobs serves as an Assistant Director for University Career Services and Liaison for the University Office of Diversity and Inclusion. She has a B.A. in Communication Studies from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a M.A. in Career Counseling and Placement from North Carolina Central University, where she served as a graduate intern in their career center. Sheena is a Higher Education professional with training and experience in Undergraduate Admissions, Scholarships and Student Aid, Career Counseling, and University Program Planning. She has spent her professional career in higher education and has a professional interest in the areas of career counseling, coaching, and professional development. Sheena is an active member of many professional associations, NASPA and SoACE. Her favorite quote is:” Change your IF, to WHEN.”

 

Paige Hellman, 2018 New Professional Award Recipient

The New Professional Award may be presented to SoACE members with no more than five years of experience in the profession who have demonstrated significant contributions to career services and/or recruitment. It is meant to recognize “future leaders” within the association.  Contribution may be to the association, a state association, NACE, or through direct activities as a part of their normal employment.  These activities must show innovation, reflect foresight, and display promise that the individual has the unique quality of future leadership. Paige Hellman, Senior Career Coordinator at the Texas A&M University Career Center, was presented with this award at the 2018 Annual Conference in Atlanta.

Paige was nominated by Dr. Michael Shehane, Director of Campus Programs at the Texas A&M Career Center. His nomination described her as follows:

“Leadership, innovation, foresight…these words barely scratch the surface for the accomplishments she has achieved so early in her career.

Soon after joining the Texas A&M Career Center as the Career Coordinator for First and Second Year Students, Paige lead both regional and national initiatives to bring early engagement in career advising to the forefront…by developing the First and Second Year Career Advising Consortium, a collection of career services professionals from across the nation dedicated to serving first and second year students, representing more than 25 institutions from coast to coast, large to small, and public to private.

She also organized a collaborative panel for the 2017 SoACE conference titled “First and Second Year Students: Building a Bridge to Early Career Engagement,” and launched the “First and Second Year Initiatives Career Advising Focus Area” currently serving as the coordinator through SoACE. This focus area hosted the “Summer Sharing Series,” a three-part webinar that focused on early engagement and best practices for sophomore and freshman programming.

And, perhaps best stated by students she has assisted through her primary role as Career Coordinator in the Texas A&M Career Center, “Everything she does is for the betterment of the students she serves.  She has dedicated herself to helping others learn and develop and is so loved by her students for being the catalyst that she is.”  Another student shared, “She impacted my college experience by first and foremost helping me to understand what it meant to be persistent and work toward my dreams.”

Dr. Shehane ends his nomination by stating, “It is one thing to come to work every day and give back to your students and your institution.  It is another to recognize an opportunity to so drastically impact your industry—change the landscape by starting an absolutely necessary conversation—and seize the moment to make a long-lasting difference.”

Paige Hellman serves as a Senior Career Coordinator within the Career Center at Texas A&M University. Paige primarily works with first and second-year students, developing campus relationships and programs aiming to engage students in career planning and exploration as early as possible. Her goal is to aid students in selecting majors and careers based on their values. Paige also serves as the advisor for Aggie Career Team, the Career Center’s career peer educator program. Paige earned a B.A. in Communication from Texas A&M University in 2015 and an M.Ed. in Higher Education and Student Affairs from the University of South Carolina in 2017. She will begin pursuing a Ph.D. in Educational Human Resource Development at Texas A&M University in Fall 2019.