Contacting Co-op

How long have you been in this role?
I have served as director of the Cooperative Education Program since 2011. I am the sixth director of the program in its 50-year history at Clemson. I joined the program as an associate director in 2002. I hold a faculty appointment and also serve as the co-op advisor for packaging science students in the program.  I teach COOP 1000 (Introduction to Cooperative Education) for packaging students.

What is your educational background?

My bachelor’s, master’s and doctorate degrees are from Clemson.  My doctorate is in education (in the area of vocational development/educational counseling). Doctoral work also included study in health behavior/education at the University of South Carolina School of Public Health. My professional interest areas within vocational development include experiential education, applied learning and professional development in undergraduate students.

What is your previous work background?

Prior to coming to Clemson, I served in leadership in a health care organization with responsibilities for human resources and clinical education programs.

Professional Memberships:

American Society for Engineering Education, Cooperative and Experiential Education Division

Society for Experiential Education

American Counseling Association

Phi Delta Kappa (professional association for educators)

Co-op Advising Majors:

Architecture, Bioengineering, Biosystems Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Chemistry, Civil Engineering, Construction Science Management, Environmental Engineering, Material Science & Engineering

What do you do in your current position? How long have you been in your current role?
I started at Clemson University in 2001 serving as a Student Services Coordinator with the Graduate School. Then, I served as a Graduate Student Advisor for the Department of Bioengineering for 11 years. In 2019, I joined the Cooperative Education Program as an Assistant Director and serve as an instructor for COOP 1000 – Introduction to Cooperative Education.

Where are you from and what is your educational background?
I am from Puerto Rico. I have a Master of Education in Counselor Education from Clemson University and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from USC.

What is the most common question you get from students?
The most common question is, “What is Co-op?” Co-op is an experiential learning program designed to provide students with an opportunity to learn and develop under a mentor in their field of study over multiple rotations. Students are employed full-time, with pay, by a company that partners with the program. We monitor each student’s experience for evidence of learning and development of professional skill sets.

What do you like most about your job?
I love working with students and to be a resource for them. I love to see them learn from the applied perspective. Being part of the student’s development as they prepare for life after graduation is incredibly rewarding.

Professional Memberships:

American Society for Engineering Education (Cooperative and Experiential Education Division)

Southern Association of Colleges and Employers (SoACE)

Co-op Advising Majors:

Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Computer Information Systems

What do you do in your current position? How long have you been in your current role?
I started at Clemson University in 2016 and began in my current role in 2018. I help students through the co-op matching process and also monitor them while they are with their co-op company to make sure they are doing real professional work. It’s rad.

What do you like most about your job?
I love helping people improve their resumes, which is one of my favorite things to do regularly. I also love it when graduating students stop by and tell me how much more prepared they feel about starting their careers and thanking me for helping them find a co-op. That always makes my day!

What is a fun fact about you?
I have played, loved, and learned from video games since receiving a Sega Genesis for Christmas in 1992.

Education:

M.Ed. Counselor Education: Student Affairs, Clemson University, 2018

M.A. Linguistics & TESOL, Ball State University, 2012

B.A. Latin & Classical Cultures, Ball State University, 2009