Leader. Innovator. Educator. These three words are repeatedly used to describe Susan Gresham, recently named the Outstanding Career Development Professional by Indiana INTERNnet, the statewide resource for internship opportunities from the Indiana Chamber of Commerce. The organization honored excellence among interns, employers and career development professionals at its sixth annual IMPACT Awards luncheon in Indianapolis, Ind., on Feb. 21, 2012.
“It is a tremendous honor to receive this prestigious award. As a career professional it is a top priority to engage students in experiential learning opportunities. These experiences play a key role in fostering the personal and professional development of college students, which enhances their professional readiness. In today’s economy, career services play a critical role in preparing students for their future careers.”
~Susan Gresham, Career Development Center Director, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College (SMWC)
An alumna of SMWC, Gresham designs, develops and leads the implementation of career development strategies. She directs a staff that thrives on student success. The department assists and guides students in their career quests by partnering with employers to facilitate career exploration in the public, private, government and corporate sectors.
Initiatives under Gresham’s leadership include:
- development of a virtual social media marketing internship involving campus, distance and international student completing a project for a nonprofit agency a learning contract completed by both the student and intern employer,
- site visits to every internship location within the state with site supervisors,
- through an evaluation assigning a letter grade that accounts for 40 percent of the intern’s grade,
- actively recruiting employers to campus for class presentations, panel discussions and special events and
- the establishment of a student orientation program.
“Preparing students for success is what we do every day,” said Dottie King, Ph.D., president of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College. “We are very fortunate to have Susan at The Woods to assist our students and graduates in developing specific career goals and charting a course on how to best reach them.”
From matching students with the right employers to creating new partnerships, Gresham’s singular focus is to secure diverse opportunities for students.
Teresa Dwyer, assistant director of the career development center shared why Gresham deserved the special recognition, saying, “Susan routinely formulates creative ideas from something she read or from a casual conversation and consistently leverages those ideas to develop connections for students and alums.”