Professional U Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Tiffany Welch

Professional U Faculty Spotlight: Dr. Tiffany Welch Integrates Career Development into Classroom Learning at Career Expo

Dr. Tiffany Welch recently brought her Honors Human Rights and Social Justice class to the Government, Non-Profit, and Human Services Career Expo, held at CU-Mansfield on Feb. 18; providing her students an immersive, hands-on learning experience that connected classroom concepts to real-world career opportunities.

As part of their experience, students interviewed at least five different employers at the Expo. and explored how human rights and social justice related issues are considered in the work of each participating organization. The goal was to understand how their future career paths might intersect even if their major is not traditionally associated with government or human service industries.

“Hearing directly from these individuals and organizations impacted the way I saw their work and the positive things that come from it,” said one student participant.

Dr. Welch emphasized how this opportunity helped students engage beyond the classroom and broaden their understanding of career possibilities.

“An accounting major may not think to attend the Government, Non-Profit, and Human Services Career Expo, but they would quickly learn that agencies such as the Bureau of Federal Prisons absolutely hire accountants,” she noted. “Exposing students to career and internship opportunities that don’t ‘typically’ fit their major helps expand their vision of what types of future employment opportunities are available.”

Her students agreed.

“As a media and journalism major, I got to learn how the public perception of certain human services can affect how people interact with the services.” said another student.

This successful integration of career development into coursework highlights how faculty play a crucial role in helping students connect their academic learning to potential career paths and foster transformational experiences and how experiences like this can have a profound impact

For more information about how you can partner on events like Expos, Career Road Trips, Networking events and more, contact the Department of Alumni and Professional Engagement at professionalu@commonwealthu.edu.