Grad Guide Fall 2012

SPECIAL SECTION

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2012

Gradguide

Start your career in Houston

Top-rated companies are just down the street

2 • Friday, December 14, 2012

THE DAILY COUGAR

Editor’s Note

Y

our hard work has finally paid off. Congratulations seniors — you made it. This Grad Guide is designed to assist you with future endeavors. You’ve made it through the dreaded core classes and tough major courses and now you’re ready to embark on a new adventure.

Or are you? For those who may need clarification there are plenty of articles that offer insight on questions you may Channler have. Don’t worry about landing a new Hill job; find out that Houston has some of the top companies to work for on page six. Are you considering going out-of-state for work? Check out page nine for some advice from UH faculty who lived in other states but decided to take their current jobs in Houston. And if you’re not heading into the work force immediately, don’t forget that UH has some of the top ranking graduate programs on page four.

I’m proud of you Class of 2012 and from one Cougar to another, I hope these articles will assist in your transition.

Congratulations

to all the

fall

2012 GRADUATES. from: Stay in touch!

THE DAILY COUGAR.COM

SPECIAL SECTION

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 14, 2012

Gradguide ra ad

You made it!

Y ttutors Your t att Learning L i Support S t Services, S i Challenger Ch ll Program P and your friends at Learning & Assessment Services

Start your career in Houston

Top-rated companies are just down the street

WISH YOU THE BEST IN YOUR ENDEAVORS! Grad Guide Advertising supplement to The Daily Cougar SECTION EDITOR Channler Hill

www.las.uh.edu FREE TUTORING

GET AHEAD

Learning Support Services Room N109 Cougar Village (Building # 563) Schedule available at www.las.uh.edu Mon - Thurs 9:00 am - 9:00 pm Friday 9:00 am - 6:00 pm Saturday 1:00 pm - 5:00 pm Sunday 1:00 pm - 7:00 pm

University Testing Services r "DDVQMBDFS r $SFEJU CZ FYBN r "EWBODFE 1MBDFNFOU r *OUFSOBUJPOBM #BDDBMBVSFBUF r (3& r 1MBDFNFOU UFTUT

www.las.uh.edu

COPY EDITORS Aryan Baktash, Amanda Hilow, Elizbeth Jiminez and

ONLINE FACULTY/ COURSE EVALUATION

Joshua Mann CONTRIBUTORS Zachary Burton, Chrystal Grant, Julie Heffler, Amanda Hilow, Demetrious Mahone, Joshua Mann, Chloe Morris and Christopher Shelton

http:// accessuh. uh.edu

COVER PHOTO Bethel Glumac

(Use your myUH (PeopleSoft) ID or CougarNet ID to login)

ADVERTISING Michelle Alvarez, Mi-

COVER PHOTO LOCATION Cullen Performance Hall PRODUCTION Andres Garcia chelle Hernandez and Gabriela Padilla

Advertising Supplement

Friday, December 14, 2012 • 3

Houston provides launch pad for careers close to home Chrystal Grant GRAD GUIDE Even with a competitive job market and economy, UH graduates have a reason to be optimistic.

“If I were a college graduate looking for a job in Houston — depending on my degree, experience and career goals — I would look at healthcare, software development, sales, financial planning and manufacturing career fields,” said executive director of the University Career Services David Small.

Small said the population is aging and people are more health conscious. There are many career opportunities for cutting edge research and start-up companies in the health fields of bio-engineering and genetics, as well as the more traditional fields.

“I enjoyed my time as an undergraduate at the University of Houston,” said health administration senior Samuel Fanta. “My plans are to take an internship in the health field

while continuing to earn my Master’s degree. I think in this time, graduate degrees are becoming more important in the job market.”

According to the Houston Chronicle, Mattress Firm was ranked one of the top mid-size companies to work for in Houston. The company promotes from within and the employees start their career in retail sales for the company’s bedding products.

“The sales market is always receptive to people who can increase the bottom line, and that means sales,” Small said.

“The degree is important, but not as much as the interpersonal/communication skills of the job candidate. The job leaves a lot of opportunity for growth within the company.”

The oil and gas industry is another demanding field, with Noah Consulting being ranked in the top 20 of 100 places to work, according to the Houston Business Journal.

The company is seeking candidates with data management

background and industry experience in oil and gas or energy.

There will also be a tremendous transfer of wealth from one generation to another within the next 25 years for financial planners, Small said.

Baby boomers are retiring at a rate of 10,000 people per day and there are 74 million of them.

Job candidates must be skilled at estate planning, wills, annuities and investments in general, Small said.

“Earning a degree in finance has helped me to understand the operation of a business, in general,” said business and finance senior Treshaun Meredith.

“Although I plan to attend law school in the next year, I will continue to educate myself in the finance field. I might have my own firm someday and being educated in finance will be a plus.”

According to Small, more than 50 percent of new college David Delgado/Grad Guide

COMPANIES continues on page 10

Reaching Even Higher Congratulations on your graduation from Tier One University of Houston. You have passed a milestone on your journey and you have been well prepared for future achievements by a nationally recognized university dedicated to student success.

This year, for the first time, UH is included as one of the 377 Best Colleges in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report. That accolade is the latest on our own journey to excellence, as we continue to strengthen the legacy we share with you. We hope you will stay involved with your university.

Your accomplishments today and in the future inspire us to reach higher year after year.

Thank you for being a Cougar! We wish you continued success.

Renu Khator President, University of Houston

Follow President Khator on

Twitter @UHPres

www.uh.edu/president

4 • Friday, December 14, 2012

THE DAILY COUGAR

Graduate programs offer reasons to stay in school Julie Heffler GRAD GUIDE Education does not end for all college students on graduation day. Some to pursue graduate school before entering the job market.

UH has highly ranked graduate programs, with social work, pharmacy, math and law all in the top 60 in the nation, according to U.S. News & World Report’s 2013 rankings.

According to UH’s website, the Graduate Program in Creative Writing was ranked one of the top three in the nation in 2008.

Kevin Prufer, professor of English and director of Graduate Studies, confirms that the general creative writing program is one of the prestigious of its kind in the U.S., citing its focus on academics and not just workshops.

“I think we’re highly ranked because of the academic requirements. It’s very important for us that the students that come through this program are not just

taking a lot of poetry and fiction workshops, but also gaining a strong sense of the historical context of their writing and a good sense of the writers who have come before them,” Prufer said.

“It has a reputation of being an academically strong program as well as a program that has extensive contact with creative writers.”

The diversity of UH is wellknown as it had a rank within the top 10 schools in that category by U.S. News in 2009. Prufer said diversity plays a large role in keepi ng his program so highly ranked.

“I think a lot of that has to do with having a large and diverse faculty,” Prufer said. “It’s one of the best programs in the U.S. I would certainly encourage (UH) students to try and stay.”

While admission to this program may be difficult — accepting five or six applicants — the quality of education and the kind of environment make schools like the Graduate Program in Creative Writing so desirable, Prufer said.

“I would say creative writing

In Fall 2012 the UH Law Center accepted students with a minimum of 140 on their LSAT. | Esteban Portillo/Grad Guide

programs come in personalities and I’d say the one here is very, very nice,” he said.

“It’s a program where all 11 faculty members get along and work enthusiastically with the graduate students.”

The C.T. Bauer School of Busi-

ness is also highly ranked with its part-time Master’s of Business Administration reaching the top 30, according to the U.S. News in 2012.

This success is, in part, because of UH’s location and its ability to attract both academic

professors and industry experts to teach at Bauer, said Daniel Currie, assistant dean for the graduate and professional programs and director of the Global Executive MBA program.

PROGRAMS continues on page 8

Advertising Supplement

Friday, December 14, 2012 • 5

COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS & SOCIAL SCIENCES CONGRATULATES OUR Fall 2012 Graduates!

Good Luck & Best Wishes for the future! From the Dean, Faculty & Staff

MAJORS ART* Art "SU )JTUPSZ 4UVEJP "SU (SBQIJD $PNNVOJDBUJPOT 1BJOUJOH 1IPUPHSBQIZ %JHJUBM .FEJB 4DVMQUVSF COMMUNICATION "EWFSUJTJOH $PSQPSBUF $PNNVOJDBUJPO )FBMUI $PNNVOJDBUJPO *OUFSQFSTPOBM $PNNVOJDBUJPO +PVSOBMJTN #SPBEDBTU 1SJOU .FEJB .FEJB 1SPEVDUJPO .FEJB 4UVEJFT 1VCMJD 3FMBUJPOT COMMUNICATION SCIENCES & DISORDERS* "NFSJDBO 4JHO -BOHVBHF *OUFSQSFUJOH $PNNVOJDBUJPO 4DJFODFT BOE %JTPSEFST

HISPANIC STUDIES 4QBOJTI HISTORY* MODERN & CLASSICAL LANGUAGES $IJOFTF 4UVEJFT 'SFODI *UBMJBO 4UVEJFT MUSIC* $PNQPTJUJPO &EVDBUJPO .BSLFUJOH 3FMJHJPO 5IFPSZ APPLIED MUSIC Brass ,FZCPBSE 1FSDVTTJPO 4USJOHT 8PPEXJOET 7PJDF PHILOSOPHY POLITICAL SCIENCE

COMPARATIVE CULTURAL STUDIES "OUISPQPMPHZ -JCFSBM 4UVEJFT

PSYCHOLOGY

ECONOMICS

THEATRE & DANCE %BODF Theatre "DUJOH %FTJHO BOE 5FDIOPMPHZ 1MBZXSJUJOH BOE %SBNBUVSHZ 4UBHF .BOBHFNFOU 5IFBUSF &EVDBUJPO

ENGLISH* $SFBUJWF 8SJUJOH -JUFSBUVSF HEALTH AND HUMAN PERFORMANCE )VNBO /VUSJUJPO BOE 'PPET ,JOFTJPMPHZ &YFSDJTF 4DJFODF 4QPSUT "ENJOJTUSBUJPO 'JUOFTT BOE 4QPSUT

SOCIOLOGY

*Teacher Certification Available. Please consult the Department Advisor for more information

$-"44 "DBEFNJD "GGBJST t ") t www.uh.edu/CLASS

MINORS AFRICAN AMERICAN STUDIES AIR FORCE LEADERSHIP ART* "SU )JTUPSZ 4UVEJP "SU COMMUNICATION $PSQPSBUF $PNNVOJDBUJPO 'JMN 4UVEJFT )FBMUI $PNNVOJDBUJPO *OUFSQFSTPOBM $PNNVOJDBUJPO +PVSOBMJTN .FEJB 1SPEVDUJPO .FEJB 4UVEJFT 1VCMJD 3FMBUJPOT "EWFSUJTJOH COMMUNICATION SCIENCES AND DISORDERS COMPARATIVE CULTURAL STUDIES "OUISPQPMPHZ (MPCBM BOE *OUFSOBUJPOBM 4UVEJFT *OEJB 4UVEJFT 3FMJHJPVT 4UVEJFT ECONOMICS ENGLISH* HEALTH AND HUMAN PERFORMANCE )VNBO /VUSJUJPO BOE 'PPET ,JOFTJPMPHZ HISPANIC STUDIES 4QBOJTI 4QBOJTI GPS #VTJOFTT 1SPGFTTJPOBMT HISTORY* "NFSJDBO $VMUVSFT )JTUPSZ -BUJO "NFSJDBO $VMUVSFT

HONORS COLLEGE $SFBUJWF 8PSL .FEJDJOF BOE 4PDJFUZ 1ISPOFTJT 1PMJUJDT BOE &UIJDT INTERDISCIPLINARY ARTS MEXICAN AMERICAN STUDIES MILITARY SCIENCE (ARMY ROTC) MODERN & CLASSICAL LANGUAGES Arab Studies $IJOFTF 4UVEJFT $MBTTJDBM 4UVEJFT 'SFODI 'SFODI GPS #VTJOFTT 1SPGFTTJPOBMT (FSNBO (SFFL *UBMJBO 4UVEJFT +FXJTI 4UVEJFT -BUJO 8PSME $VMUVSFT BOE -JUFSBUVSFT MUSIC* .VTJD -JUFSBUVSF )JTUPSZ .VTJD 5IFPSZ NAVAL SCIENCE (NAVY ROTC) PHILOSOPHY POLITICAL SCIENCE /BUJPOBM 4FDVSJUZ 4UVEJFT 2VBOUJUBUJWF 4PDJBM 4DJFODF 7BMVFT -BX BOE 1PMJDZ PSYCHOLOGY SOCIOLOGY THEATRE & DANCE %BODF WOMEN’S, GENDER & SEXUALITY STUDIES PROGRAM (BZ -FTCJBO #JTFYVBM BOE 5SBOTHFOEFS 4UVEJFT 8PNFO T 4UVEJFT

6 • Friday, December 14, 2012

THE DAILY COUGAR

Trading diplomas for dollars Demetrious Mahone GRAD GUIDE Recent UH grads are in a good position to start carving out their place in the work force.

According to a report issued by the U.S. Department of Labor, the economy added 146,000 jobs in November and the unemployment rate fell to 7.7 percent.

Graduating English senior Zeinab Kachmar is excited to get started in career post graduation.

“I am looking forward to the fact that I hopefully won’t have to take my work home with me,” Kachmar said.

The promise of a good career lures most students to college.

A college graduate will make nearly $1 million more than a person who only graduated high school in their lifetime, according to a report released by the U.S. Census Bureau.

On average, a college gradu-

Kathleen Kennedy/Grad Guide

ate will make $45,000 a year, while a person with only a high school diploma can expect around $21,000, according to

the report.

Emily Holley, a journalism major graduating in December, isn’t sold on statistics for her

career.

“Realistically, I know to expect something from $26,000 to $30,000 when I graduate, but that will go up with time and experience,” Holley said.

The U.S. Census Bureau statistics vary by degree.

A student with a degree in engineering can expect to make $80,000, while a student with a degree in English can expect $30,000.

“I feel like although some majors claim that they will be able to offer financial stability, there is nothing guaranteed in life, which is why you should learn about something that interests you rather than something that will make you money,” Kachmar said.

“Although I worry about what exactly I can do with my English degree, I would rather be working very hard and content than rich and miserable.”

Most graduating UH seniors are reflecting on their past while looking forward to the future.

“I went to college for myself, and no one can take that away from me,” said psychology senior Jacee Labuff.

“A degree gives your potential for growth. I can make good money in the future instead of bartending like I was before.”

Being a college graduate does not only mean you will make more than a person who doesn’t have a degree, but according to the U.S. Census Bureau, the jobs will be more white collar and less manual labor intensive.

There are many other advantages of obtaining a degree that cannot be quantified.

Media production senior Sean Ploch points out a few of those advantages.

“Regardless of my salary after I graduate, this has all been worth it,” Ploch said. “It has been beneficial to learn how to interact with people.”

“It has all been a series of baby steps closer to being in the real world.”

Advertising Supplement

Friday, December 14, 2012 • 7

How to manage your financial expenditures Joshua Mann GRAD GUIDE College graduates need to learn to manage their finances in the real world. Many will have to deal with things like rent, taxes, and in six months, student loan payments.

“It’s an important topic. It’s a transition, and it is coming,” said John C. Lopez, a clinical assistant professor who teaches personal finance planning in the Bauer College of Business. “When you step into the real world, you’ve got some commitments coming up, like expectations from employers.

Your time is no longer your own.”

On the financial side, students

are thrust into a world in which they are responsible for taking care of themselves, Lopez said.

“Up to this point, someone typically is providing your transportation, your housing, your support — your parents, or some kind of scholarship or grant. But now the responsibility falls to the graduate.”

Students can prepare for this transition by keeping themselves out of unnecessary debts, Lopez said.

“You have a lot of control over where your money goes if you stay out of debt. When the money comes in, if you are in debt, it belongs to somebody else. It belongs to the lenders,” Lopez said.

Staying out of debt lets gradu-

ates spend their money on what Lopez called required expenditures.

“Things like rent, things like insurance, utilities, food, transportation, those kind of things are required,” he said.

But graduates have a lot more flexibility in things like entertainment and travel, Lopez said.

In order to keep these kinds of expenses from getting out of hand — and getting graduates in debt — he said it’s important to have a spending plan.

“I’m trying to get away from the word ‘budget’ — that has the same connotation as ‘I’m on a diet.’ Nobody likes to be on a budget or on a diet, so I call it a

spending plan,” Lopez said. “You are telling your money where you want it to go: this much for rent, this much for utilities, this much for entertainment, this much for eating out.”

Another responsibility graduates face is filing their taxes.

“For students, taxation is not very complicated. They’re just coming out of school, they typically don’t have mortgages,” Lopez said. “They don’t have any highlevel investments or things that could complicate tax situations. So it sounds intimidating, but it’s really not once you understand what’s going on.”

Lopez said he recommends that graduates use a tax software,

like Turbotax or Quicken, which will walk them through the process of filing their taxes.

“Because students get intimidated, they just don’t do it,” Lopez said. “That’s the worst thing you could possibly do. Ignoring a problem doesn’t make it go away, it just makes it worse.”

Lopez also said it’s important to maintain an emergency savings.

“Once you have an emergency fund, emergencies quit happening. The car breaks down, ‘O.K., $750? I can cover that, that’s not an emergency any longer.’ As opposed to not having that fund, the car breaks down, ‘$750. Oh my God, what do I do now? Put it on my credit card.’”

CONGRATULATIONS CLASS OF 2012!

The Department of Campus Recreation would like to recognize our graduates. We wish you much success in your future endeavors.

Sell your stuff.

Call 713-743-5356 to get started. classifieds@thedailycougar.com

THE DAILY COUGAR

Your perfect

all nighter t te companion.

YOU ARE THE PRIDE! Ana Alvarez Dominique Estevez Chukwunonso Ofili Jay Sutaria

Joshua Heguero Paris Long Saraubh Gupta Van Pham

Instructional Assistant: Katie Keene, MA. Sport & Fitness Administration

8 • Friday, December 14, 2012

THE DAILY COUGAR

PROGRAMS continued from page 4

“Being in a large city like this, we have a lot of resources at our disposal to compliment what I would call our typical academic faculty. In other words, our faculty is a blend of people that went to a high-quality university, got a Ph.D. in a discipline and then maybe do

research — the main part of their job is research and teaching; research in peer-reviewed journals,” Currie said.

“Beside them we have a lot of people who have worked 25 to 30 years in industry. Many of them still have Ph.D.s, but they have a lot of industry experience. We have a lot of those in the college, too, so you get a nice blend of people with deep expertise in

Jump Ahead We have a variety of professional development opportunities to begin your career.

• Paralegal Graduate Certificate Program Information Session: December 5 and January 9

• Certified Management Accountant Virtual Information Session: December 11 and January 17

• Career Development Courses • Communication Skills Courses

Spring 2013 classes start soon.

Register today.

|

|

gscs.rice.edu/profdev 713.348.4803 gscs@rice.edu

their subject areas through study and research, and people with deep expertise in their subject areas through doing it. That results in a really powerful product.”

Students should not limit themselves professionally or academically, Currie said. Potential corporate employers will not care if an applicant has degrees from the same school. He said they care more about work experience, which the part-time MBA allows.

“I really don’t think that, in the business world, having two degrees from one institution is a negative. What’s important is that they have a good undergrad degree to build on, that they have some good work experience if they can get it, even internships, because an MBA is a generalist degree,” Currie said.

“We have an evening program if they have their first job or a full-time job. We have a full-time program for those that can be full-time.”

The sentiment that two degrees from one school is not a negative is carried in UH’s Law Center, said Craig Joyce, senior co-director in the Institute for

2013 US NEWS & WORLD REPORT UH’S TOP GRADUATE PROGRAMS You don’t have to end your days as a Cougar just yet. UH also has eight other nationally ranked graduate programs that will prepare you for a career in your chosen field. For more information please visit, www.uh.edu/academics/graduate-programs/.

U Graduate UH Gradu duat a e Pro Programs ogr g am a s

Rank

Social Work Graduate Program

37th

Pharmacy

48

Law

57

Math

68

Clinical Psychology

70

Economics

72

Political Science

72

Engineering

77

*Ranks among graduate programs according to U.S. News and World Report

Intellectual Property and Information Law at UHLC, which is ranked fourth nationally.

“Continuing from UH to the Law Center, students get opportunities no one else in the country has to gain jobs at the nation’s fourth largest city’s law firms and major corporations. Intellectual property or information law, health law, energy, there’s no better place,” Joyce said in an email.

Part of the program’s success is its practical approach to education.

“We’re indisputably the best IP and info law program between the coasts. We’re part of a law school that’s in the top quartile of all such U.S. institutions,” Joyce said in an email.

“If a student is planning to practice law in Houston or Texas, in the areas where Houston is preeminent, all other law schools in Texas take a back seat.”

FRUSTRATED WITH YOUR JOB?

READ THE CLASSIFIEDS AND SEARCH FOR A NEW JOB.

Advertising Supplement

Friday, December 14, 2012 • 9

A new career may bring out-of-state move Students should weigh options with job offers Zachary Burton GRAD GUIDE With the end of the semester, a new wave of students will graduate and set out to become part of a bustling work force.

With this milestone many questions are presented, including whether to take an out-ofstate job offer.

“Only consider places you are willing to live,” said Julia Bab-

Follow

THE DAILY COUGAR

®

cock, co-director of the Center for Couples Therapy.

“I applied for 18 jobs, got two interviews and one job offer right out of grad school.”

Students looking to move for work have to look at many of the externalities that come with a change in location. Babcock received her Ph.D. at the University of Washington and addressed necessary questions before the move herself.

“Is it a place you are willing to live? Do you have family nearby?

Do you care if you have family nearby? If you are not willing to move, don’t apply out-of-state,”

Babcock said.

The loss of a familiar surrounding can have adverse affects on some students and potential employees, but to some the ideal job is enough to pack and move. ”UH was an ideal job; ideal on a lot of different fronts — not every front, but it was a really good job offer. It became impossible to say no,” said Director of Developmental Psychology and the Laboratory for Neural Bases of Bilingualism Arturo Hernandez.

“There are a lot of things about Houston and (the University) that helped.”

Hernandez urges those

interested in other states to pay attention to the benefits and risks, but also to consider taking the gut approach.

“The most important thing is for it to feel right. If it feels right, you need to take the offer,” Hernandez said. “You just have a feeling that is the right place. I think that really is the best metric.”

In some cases students find themselves drawn from Houston for reasons beyond their work and family. ”I would move,” said pharmacy freshman Karina Tverbakk. “I’ve lived here my whole life. It isn’t

exciting at all. I just don’t feel as though I belong in Texas.”

Besides gut feelings and surroundings, graduates have to be sure to find a place that permits their work.

“I looked for a place that would allow me to do my work well; that had all the things that I needed,” Hernandez said.

The opportunity to live in what may be a drastically different location in the U.S. or out of the country gives one a taste of a new culture, which is something people should experience, Hernandez said.

POWER FUL CHOICE.

Houston’s MBA.

On Twitter @thedailycougar

www.mba.uh.edu

POWERFUL energy to change your future.

POWERFUL ideas driving real-world strategies.

POWERFUL connection to global business leaders.

POWERFUL degree of excellence.

Full-time day MBA Q Part-time evening MBA Leadership Executive MBA Q Global Energy Executive MBA Offered on the Northwest Campus: Part-time evening energy MBA

C. T. Bauer College of Business is an AACSB accredited business school.

The University of Houston is an EEO/AA institution.

10 • Friday, December 14, 2012

COMPANIES continued from page 3

graduates are unemployed or underemployed.

More than 80 percent move back in with their parents upon graduation.

THE DAILY COUGAR

“The average amount of debt for a new grad now exceeds $25,000. Not a pretty picture,” Small said.

“However, much of the problem can be attributed to structural unemployment, that is, there are employers begging for job canidates but there are

not enough candidates with the necessary skills.”

The top three career goals for UH graduates should be security and stability, work and life balance and an employer with a social conscience, Small said.

The Houston area has performed better than various job

markets during the recession and the population continues to grow.

“I definitely plan to finish my graduate education in Houston,” Meredith said.

“The job market in Houston is phenomenal and allows me to sustain stability.”

We misspell on purpose.

Just to keep you alert.

Your welcome.

Let us know when we mess up. e-mail editor@thedailycougar.com

CALL FOR MOVE IN SPECIALS!

Harvest Hill apartments

Students Welcome • • • • •

Internet Cafe Billiards Entertainment Lounge Student Business Center Walking distance to NEW UT DENTAL COLLEGE

• Walking distance to Metro Rail System & UT Shuttle • Minutes from Downtown, UTMB, Baylor, Rice, U of H, TSU & Prarie View Nursing College

8282 Cambridge Houston, Texas 77054 713-799-9046 harvesthill@myari.net

Congratulations Fall 2012 Graduates!

Advertising Supplement

Friday, December 14, 2012 • 11

First-generation graduate seeks bright future Chloe Morris GRAD GUIDE Jaleesa Denise Wade started her freshman year at UH in Fall 2008 with plans of getting the prerequisites out of the way for nursing school — she never came with the intent on getting her degree. Now, she’s the first in her family to graduate from college.

Wade studied human development and family studies with a minor in health and graduated with a 3.3 GPA. Wade now has her sights on nursing school in Fall 2013.

She said she hopes to attend UT Health Science Center in the Texas Medical Center.

Wade says the highlights of her years at UH were meeting lifelong friends and having the opportunity to discover her inner self. She still has fond memories of September 2011, when UH played Texas Tech in football.

“UH had won by one point and I remember everyone rushed the

field, including me,” Wade said.

Compared to being a freshman, she says she can feel a difference in the toll that the semester takes on her now.

She remembers how young and wide-eyed it was to be new on campus.

“You don’t really care about your grades.You aren’t used to classes and you don’t think about paying for consequences later.

You don’t take it serious,” Wade said.

Although beginning with a tough start, Wade isn’t a stranger to hard work.

She took 12 hours a semester and completed 300 hours of an internship with Health Bridge Children’s Hospital.

She also maintained two jobs — on campus at the UH Children’s Learning Center and at Textbook Solutions.

With all the stress and worry, there are still things she will miss about UH. “The beautiful campus, Cougar Red Fridays, Student

Wade makes her family proud by never giving up on her chance for success. | Courtesy of Jaleesa Denise Wade

Programming Board events, living on campus, meeting new people, the parties and UH traditions, such as Finals Mania, are the things I’m going to miss most,” Wade said.

With no plans to return home to El Paso in the immediate future, she hopes to find a job in her field and further her education with a master’s degree.

“I’m excited; I can’t believe it’s

almost over,” Wade said.

“Sometimes it doesn’t feel real and I think I have to sign up for classes, but when the day finally gets here, I think it will be real to me.”

12 • Friday, December 14, 2012

THE DAILY COUGAR