Catawba College has recently come up with a spectacular program that can help students with exploration and career awareness. I decided to have an interview with Kim Smith (which took time out of her busy schedule just to answer this, so thank you Kimberly) I asked her a few questions about what exactly C2C is. This was her response:
What is the C2C?
C2C stands for Catawba to Career, which is a new program at Catawba to help students with career awareness and exploration. Specifically, the program is made up of three components:
1) Focus 2 is a computer-assisted career guidance system which, by a series of assessments, helps student better understand some of their personal attributes, and how those may be compatible to certain occupations.
2) The Skills Development Plan, aka “CAT-R,” is a transitional resumé so that students can begin to build a professional resumé or can enhance an existing one.
3) Career Awareness Activities. The C2C sponsored Dr. Bryan Dik, who spoke earlier this semester on the importance of creating meaning in a chosen vocation. The next speaker on campus, brought to us by the English Department’s Writers @ Work series and co-sponsored by the C2C, was Ms. Emily Ford. Ford, who had an extensive career as a columnist and journalist for the Salisbury Post is now a Communication Specialist with the MURDOCK Study at the North Carolina Research Park in Kannapolis. All students were invited to attend this presentation at 11:00 a.m. on November 5 in the Hurley Room of the Student Center.
How can the C2C help students?
There are several ways that the C2C can help students. The most obvious one is for when a student does not know what career he or she should pursue. The Focus 2 assessments can help students better identify their interests and skills as they pertain to an occupation. On the other hand, some students may believe that they know exactly what they want to do. The C2C program, for them, is more about having a plan B and plan C in line if the first objective does not work out. However, it is possible for students to take assessments and re-think a major.
This happened to Sarah Taylor, a student who was originally majoring in Theatre Arts. The assessments Sarah took confirmed that choreography, her true passion, was an occupation that fit her personal attributes and interests better than Theatre Arts. Sarah, having had prior injuries, wanted to explore Dance as it related to the mechanics of the movement and how to work with the common injuries of dancers. Sarah is working with her academic adviser, Prof. Meredith Fox, and Dr. Jim Hand, Chair of Sport and Health Sciences, in order to pursue an individualized major in Dance Science. The C2C will also help students with the preparation of a resumé which will begin the job or graduate school search process as they approach graduation.
Impact on Catawba campus community?
Catawba wants its’ students to be prepared for the 21st Century workplace. By implementing the C2C, Catawba is emphasizing the important parts of its Mission of both personal attention and the blending liberal studies with career preparation. The program is free and open to all sophomores, juniors and seniors. Interested freshman are encouraged to make an appointment to take the Focus 2 assessments and begin career counseling, in general. For more information, please contact the C2C Director, Ms. Kimberly Smith, at 704.637.4765 or [email protected].
If you guys haven’t checked out this program, please be sure to! Its an amazing opportunity!
