Rosalind Brewer is the Chief Executive Officer of Sam’s Club. However, many do not know that her undergraduate area of study was chemistry. After graduating from Spelman College in 1984, Brewer took a job as a chemist with Kimberly-Clark, working in a lab. (Daniels). Five years later, she made the transition to the business side. She worked at Kimberly-Clark for twenty-two years. She gradually became the president of the global nonwoven fabrics business. In 2006, Walmart invited her to head stores in Georgia. Brewer benefited the business by raising their profits and eventually became president of Walmart’s United States East business unit. She was responsible for more than one hundred billion dollars in revenue (Daniels). She is now one of the nine executives who report directly to Walmart’s Chief Executive Officer, Michael T. Duke. In 2012, Brewer was named one of “The World’s 100 Most Powerful Women” by Forbes magazine, which is a highly respectable title. Brewer does not ignore her STEM background. She credits her chemistry degree with sharpening her analytical skills and helping her to stand out in the business world. Individuals entering the workforce can expect to move throughout various job and career fields over their lifetime. Knowing how to learn and think critically is becoming more important than learning a particular occupation, or vocational training. A STEM education combined with a liberal arts education can open doors to multiple job and career opportunities, as well as prepare workers for an ever-changing job market. Colleges and universities need to be structured so that they prepare students for specific career roles, as well as give them a level of appreciation for the world in which they live. Brewer’s succe... ... middle of paper ... ..., 2008. EBSCO Host. Web. 3 Dec. 2013. Brinkley, Alan. “Half a Mind is a Terrible Thing to Waste” Newsweek (2009): Academic Search Complete. Web. 19 Nov. 2013. Daniels, Cora. “Boss Lady.” Essence 34.7 (2012): Academic Search Complete. Web. 25 Nov. 2013. Drew, David. STEM the Tide: Reforming Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math Education in America. Baltimore: The Johns Hopkins University Press, 2011. Print. Ferrall, Victor E. “Are Vocational Education, Liberal Arts on a Collision Course?” Pacific Standard. Pacific Standard, 3 Oct. 2012. Web. 5 Dec. 2013. Mervis, Jeffrey. “Straight Talk about STEM Education” Science 317 (2007): 78-81. Academic Search Complete. Web. 24 Nov. 2013. Nijhuis, Michelle. 2011. The Calligraphers and the Apple. JPEG file. Trinko, Katrina. “Don’t Zero in on Math and Science” USA Today (2013): Academic Search Complete. Web. 14 Nov. 2013.
Throughout this course, topics such as the transition from high school to college, learning skills, self-discovery, and career exploration have been discussed. Conversations occurred concerning the challenges and benefits of private and public colleges as well as the transition from high school to college. We also talked about our strengths and weaknesses while studying. Finally we talked about the jobs that we wanted, and the jobs we would be good at. During the rest of this paper, I will go into more detail about the topics we discussed; and go more in detail with what I learned.
Over the past few years, people have begun to see going to college as a way to achieve the American Dream through career-readiness. People used to go to college, hoping to get a better well-rounded education. For most the well-rounded education, it usually came with the courses required for a liberal arts education. The courses would provide a level of analytical and in-depth understanding that would prepare the students for both life and whichever career path chosen. No matter the amount of money paid, parents would be willing to gi...
STEM, also known as Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics, is the field that is advancing at a rapid rate. Within STEM, there are many occupations across the four fields. As years go on, more and more people start to have a growing interest in STEM, but this can’t be said for women. Women almost take up half of the workforce, but when it comes to STEM, women only take about 24%, almost half of the women aren’t participating in STEM. The numbers continue to get worse. From 2000 - 2009, the numbers have remained at a constant 24%. At this rate, employers could potentially see a decline in women’s representation, but there have been efforts to change this rate (Beede et al par. 6). This could mean disastrous problems in the world as more problems will arise and there’s nothing to be done because companies are non-diverse and
As the economy evolves and the job market continues to get more competitive, it’s becoming harder to have a successful career without some kind of college degree. This creates a belief in many young students that college actually is a commodity, something they must have in order to have a good life. There’s many different factors that influence this mindset, high schools must push the importance of the student’s willingness and drive to further their education. College isn’t just a gateway to jobs, but it is an opportunity to increase knowledge and stretch and challenge the student which in return makes them a more rounded adult and provides them with skills they might lack prior to
Zac Bissonnette, “Your College Major May Not Be as Important as You Think”. New York Times. New York Times. 03 November 2010. Web. 05 Mar. 2014
Potter, Claire. "Should They Stay or Should They Go?: A Few Thoughts on Who is 'Supposed' To Be in College.". The Chronicle of Higher Education, 2011. Web. 16 November 2013.
Numerous college students today feel as if they are not adequate enough. So much is put on their plate, and above it all, in order to maintain moving forward academically towards a career, they must showcase themselves. This idea is explored in “College Pressures” by William Zinsser. He discusses why students are driven to try so vigorously in order to earn a step ahead, yet the reasoning is arguable.
College success has become a most desirable goal. However, many students struggle through college. In fact, according to the Website Ask.com, approximately 15 percent of college students receive a degree. Because I’m willing to earn a degree like many other successful students, I find that college is the stepping stone to my dream goals. I know that college is difficult, but I realize that attaining my dream of a college education will require me to understand the benefits of what I’m learning, to prepare for obstacles, to seek advice, and to create effective and reasonable strategies will help me achieve my goals.
Making a decision for the future can be hard, but it can be even harder when people are torn between their passions and meeting other’s expectations. In today’s generation, most students are expected to have their career chosen by the time they are out of High School. They are trained to plan and map out their entire lives. Yet, college students still end up having an undecided major by the time they start their freshman year in college. A huge issue that is present in today’s society is that college students chose their major for the wrong reasons. Parents pressure students to pursue careers in business, medicine, politics, and law; however, unless practiced with passion, those careers are pointless.
Mead, G. H. 1934. Mind, self and society and society. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
Further education gives students an opportunity to develop skills, talents, and discover new interests. It teaches students how to examine, evaluate, and compare arguments with different people. Many young students are undecided about their career path when they think about college. Some people are not ready to decide their majors because they have not received enough information about the different subjects. Fortunately, colleges offer students the opportunity of exploring a variety ...
With all the independence and freedom that recent high school graduates possess, they should carefully ponder the possible options that exist. Through abiding by the “check the destination before the ticket is purchased” adage, high school graduates can competently guide their personal journeys in college life or the real world. Regardless of the path chosen, college students and those who immediately enter the workforce will ultimately decide their future destinations. In addition, while graduates pursue their dreams, goals must be set and diligently fostered. The necessity of a college and/or career game plan is crucial, and should not be disregarded. Before Dr. King ended his “I Have a Dream” speech he declared, “Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning.” Similarly, high school graduation is not a finish line, but a starting gun.
Vygotsky, L. (1978). Mind In Society:the development of higher psychological processes. Cambridge, Ma: Harvard University Press.
This class has opened my mind to the incredible impact that STEM Education can have on our society. I do not work in an institution that has a STEM program. I work at a preschool; this makes my practice of any type of STEM program extremely limited. However, it is a private school. All my students come from households where one or both of their parents are professionals. These professionals want their children to be academically prepared for school. This means we must academically, mentally, and emotionally prepare them for their future schooling. I teach my students how to be a functioning participant in a classroom while exploring mathematics, science, art, history, literature and pre-writing. Puzzles, counting, shapes, measuring, etc. are on the daily agenda. Science is a huge part of our curriculum. Science in the
In the first chapter of STEM Lesson Essentials, it asks you to write down your own definition of STEM education. Here’s what I wrote: STEM education is interdisciplinary lessons engaging the students in real life scenarios through hands on activities and explorations. Although I had not yet been properly given the direct definition till further in the chapter on page four. I was surprised to find that I was not that far off from what was given as the “real” definition. It states that some of us may have even been a STEM teacher at some point in their teaching career with out even knowing it. Looking back on my teaching, I believe this to be true for most of us at some point.