PRAIRIE VIEW, TX – It’s been two weeks since the Alumni in Residence (AIR) program launched in the College of Agriculture and Human Sciences (CAHS), and the on-campus resource is off to a great start. Our Alumna in Residence, TeKedra Pierre, Director of Experiential Learning Programs at the Village School, has started visiting with CAHS students to prepare for their professional careers by offering resumes, and researching skill

Pierre’s interest in establishing the program stemmed from witnessing post-graduate students faltering in the real world from lacking the structure and guidance needed to land the perfect role for them. Mentorship, she says, is hard to come by for plenty of young adults, and this opportunity can fill in the gap.

While the program has just started, TeKedra already has met with students in person and has spotted a few areas in which she would like to focus with her mentees. Below is a condensed conversation with Pierre about her experience so far.

How was the first day?
The day was really great. I was honored to have the purple carpet rolled out for me and all the other alumni that will join me in the future. I did meet with a handful of students, and it was most rewarding for me to be able to bring my skill set and expertise to the students and help support them in their current journey.

Have you been able to pinpoint some specific needs that CAHS students have?
The biggest area that I identified to help with is the resume itself. The structure, what should be included, how to best communicate who they are on one piece of paper. The next would be interview skills. Just being able to answer a question with enough detail that is not general with just information from a Google search, but specific enough to the experience that they had, so that the person that is interviewing them knows that he or she applied it to the work. I want the students to get the opportunity to do mock interviews so that they can talk about themselves in a professional way that best communicates who they are as a student and as a person.

What are some other areas on which you would like to concentrate now that you’ve met with a few students?
Another topic that came up was how to identify roles in the industry that don’t look like typical Ag positions but could be a good fit for them. Getting them to understand that their skill set translates further than just agriculture or animal science or nutrition. Their opportunities are far more expansive than the title of the degree or the titles of the classes.

Have your goals for the program changed at all?
No, I am further affirmed in my goals. And I received specific direction from Tamra Tolen, Ph.D., and the college on what they want to achieve in the short and long term. Dr. Tolen and I will work together on making sure that our students are getting the essential skills that they need before they graduate. That term is something that the students will start to hear more about, and it covers everything from professionalism, interview skills, the resume, the internship process; everything they need to move forward. Hopefully, a year from now “essential skills” will be a common language in the college so they can answer questions like, ‘Has someone checked your resume? How are your interview skills? Have you been to the career fair?’ We had one student who said he had not been to the career fair because he didn’t think it would benefit Ag students. The career services department does a good job of pulling from different industries but if a student has the preconceived notion that it’s not for them and they don’t go, then we must make sure that our students know that there are companies there that are looking for Ag students.

Pierre will be on campus two times a month. To schedule an appointment, please visit her Calendly site.

Pascale Mondesir
Communication Specialist II
pamondesir@pvamu.edu
(936) 261-5155