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Trustee-Alum Comes Full Circle

Oct 5, 2022 | Stories

Mitchell College Trustee Cornell Yarbrough ’01 fondly remembers words of wisdom imparted to him as a student by one of his Mitchell professors: “Comparison is the thief of joy.”

“I love that line,” Cornell said.

Living your unique story – not trying to live someone else’s – is an ingredient for living a joyful life, and Cornell’s Mitchell experience was one part of his recipe.

“When I arrived on the Mitchell campus,” he said, “my intention was just to attend college and live on a campus while I figured everything out. I didn’t have a specific plan. I was drawn to the school for its campus, the individual attention a smaller college like Mitchell can provide and the amazing teachers. Mitchell was beautiful, transformative and fun.”

Cornell began his Mitchell career as a sport management major before changing to liberal arts. He earned his associate degree in 2001 and went on to Hofstra University to earn his bachelor’s degree in communications in 2004.

“I learned discipline and how to focus at Mitchell College, which helped me tremendously in my success at Hofstra,” he said.

Today, he excels in the communications field as an on-air personality and DJ for iHeart Radio in New York and Boston. He also pays his success forward as CEO of Whutever it takes DJ Academy – an innovative afterschool program that exposes students in grades 4 through 12 to a unique form of learning music, communication and improvisation, all which can be the foundation for future careers.

A soon-to-be-author, he is also working on a line of children’s books to inspire youth through music.

“I’m excited because the storyline will show that all children are created equal and can overcome any obstacle in life, whether they have disabilities or not.”

As a Mitchell student, Cornell involved himself in many activities.

“I was on the baseball team, in the multicultural club and worked in the campus bookstore. I was also a resident assistant for Matteson Hall. Some of my favorite memories at Mitchell were family weekends, on-campus parties in the club room, talent shows in Clarke Center Auditorium and laughing with friends in the lobby of Matteson Hall.”

As a Mitchell trustee and an alumnus, Cornell is in a unique position to help move the college forward.

“Being an alumnus informs my work as a trustee by allowing me to have a similar perspective of a future, current or past Mitchell student. I can bring information to my fellow trustees about events and other ideas that can enrich the student experience at Mitchell.”

Helping Mitchell and Its Students Flourish

Oct 5, 2022 | Stories

Having worked for 17 years at Mitchell College in various roles, Kim Hodges ’03 recently returned to the school after a 10-year hiatus. Now the director of development, she is eager to do her part to help both her alma mater and its students flourish and thrive.

“I feel an affinity to Mitchell for helping me accomplish my educational goals, earning my bachelor’s degree in human development and family studies. More than that, I have seen students accomplish more than they ever thought possible. When I speak to someone that Mitchell has made a profound impact on or impacted their child, it makes me feel great. We each have a role in helping our students learn, grow and discover their bright futures and their best selves,” she said.

Kim was a non-traditional student who went back to school after her son was born.

“The family-owned business I had worked at since high school closed. I knew I wanted to go back to college, so I visited several in the area. None of the programs seemed to be a good fit for me. My best friend had attended Mitchell, loved it and thought it would be great for me. I saw that there was a part-time opening in the registrar’s office, so I applied for the job, started working at Mitchell and taking classes. My best friend was right. Mitchell was the perfect fit for me!” Kim said.

As a college student, Kim said she was an intelligent person but a non-confident learner, especially in the areas of math and writing. She credits her professors with changing that.

“Ann Keating, my statistics professor, took me to lunch and helped bolster my confidence. And the best academic day of my life was having Dr. Don Helms, my psychology professor, tell me I was a good writer. He also nurtured my desire to speak and encouraged me to attend the Connecticut Storytelling Conference at Connecticut College,” she said.

Kim said that after attending that conference, she became one of the storytellers at the Psychology Department’s Halloween Festival and also told stories at other events.

“I truly believe that without the support of the Mitchell community, I would not have had the courage to pursue something that has made such a positive impact on my life and has led me to meet people all over the United States,” she said.

In addition to using her newfound skills for the benefit of the Mitchell community, Kim has also presented and written professionally on topics related to both secondary and higher education, ranging from “Thirty Questions You Should Ask Before Sending Your LD Child to College” to “Preparing for College Through Military Service.”

Kim said, “Without the Mitchell faculty’s encouragement and support, I would not have had the courage to pitch stories to magazines or present at national and regional conferences. Not only did the faculty support me in these efforts, Kevin Mayne, my supervisor at the time, provided additional coaching and opportunities to grow in this area.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Job Takes Alumna ‘Out to Ballgame’

Oct 5, 2022 | Stories

When Emily Mitchell ’20 began at Mitchell College, she had a goal of becoming a sitcom writer. As time went on, her interest changed.

“I rediscovered my love of sports and started gravitating towards sports media, such as journalism, broadcasting, social media and video production. As a student, I attended a lot of athletics games on campus and made friends watching post-season baseball in the lobby of the residence halls. I’ve always been someone with a lot of ‘school spirit,’ so I loved going to games of any sport, and as a competitive person, I was passionate about winning, especially during the baseball season,” she said.

Emily majored in communication with a concentration in sport management. She was also one of the students who helped to create Mitchell’s sports broadcasting team through Radio Mitchell. After graduation, she found her way to the Hickory Crawdads, a Minor League Baseball team in North Carolina, affiliated with the Texas Rangers, a Major League Baseball team.

She works as both a group sales executive and on-field host for the Crawdads, sharing her passion for the sport with young and old alike.

“As a group sales executive, I love being able to work with my clients, who are often families or businesses, to create the best experience possible for them. The most challenging aspect of that job is finding creative ways to solve problems, but that makes the job exciting,” Emily said.

As the on-field host, Emily emcees while hosting fan games, like Dizzy Bat, Launch-A-Ball and trivia. She also sings “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” in the middle of the 7th inning.

“Being an on-field host allows me to interact with so many fans at the ballpark. It’s also a great way to keep the energy high there, but it can be challenging to stay within the allotted time limit and to make sure younger kids don’t get nervous.”

Thanks to her Mitchell education, however, Emily feels well-equipped to handle many situations that arise in her job.

“I spend most of my day communicating with people. At Mitchell, I learned the basics of effective communication in a business setting and sharpened my communication skills by never being afraid to ask questions.”

She also problem-solves and draws on her understanding of diverse perspectives.

“Nothing is predictable in the sports world, and there are always problems to solve, whether it’s an unaccounted-for food order or a fan upset about a rain delay. Working as a Resident Assistant and being in the Honors Program at Mitchell, I learned how to listen to the needs of others and think creatively about how to solve problems. Also, as someone who moved from New England to North Carolina, I’ve had to address cultural differences here – which has been difficult but rewarding – and have worked to make the Crawdad fan experience more inclusive.”

Emily has a goal of pursuing a graduate degree in marketing or sports management/athletic administration. She credits Mitchell College with pointing her in that direction.

“I was drawn to Mitchell for its location between New York City and Boston. Now I know that Mitchell was the best place for me because of its close community, supportive faculty and staff and the ability to tailor my education to what I needed. Mitchell made it easier to challenge myself academically when I needed it and helped me to realize the passion that I am pursuing now.”

Play ball! Radio internship hits home run

Aug 30, 2022 | Stories

Dean Pavlou dreamed of being a Major League Baseball player when he was young. If that didn’t work out, he had a backup plan.

“I used to put the TV on mute and announce the game,” he said. “Announcing has always been fun for me, and I have always had a knack for announcing and following the game. I love listening to and learning from what the announcers would say about a play. Gary Cohen from the New York Mets and Mike Breen from ESPN are announcers I try to emulate.”

Already the game announcer for Mitchell College baseball and basketball and the president of Radio Mitchell, the senior communication major honed his skills at his summer internship with WABC Radio in New York City. Paul Dunn, Mitchell’s integrative career development coordinator, helped Dean imagine what the internship would entail.

“I interned as a radio journalist, writing sports articles and live-tweeting baseball games,” Dean said.

As part of the internship, Dean attended meetings with three to four other people from the sports department to talk about what content would be released through various channels.

“The stories that I wrote went on the Intern’s Corner of the WABC website. Some were also posted on the regular sports page. I like writing sports articles a lot and have really improved my writing. Working in the sports department with other people who are interested in the same things I’m interested in was great, too. I had a lot of fun with it.”

In addition to writing, Dean practiced his broadcasting skills.

“My favorite part of the internship was doing the demos and recording myself speaking. I liked putting them together and writing the headlines. I follow a lot of sports teams, so I stayed up to date with what’s going on. It was easy for me to find information on the internet and say, ‘OK, there it is,’ and then say it in the demo.”

Dean also followed the games and social media of Major League Baseball teams.

“I tweeted baseball games, which means if there was a really good play that a player made, I tweeted it out. I also tweeted out what the teams’ social media teams put out. I went on the Mets page or the Red Sox page, found content and put it on the WABC page. I looked for whatever captured the eye.”

Dean said that communication in the job was key, and he also thought critically about his work.

“You had to figure out if something was appropriate to write about. I learned a lot about that and picked it up really quickly.”

While Dean has the information and knowledge for sports writing, he said sometimes he was challenged to find the right word or correct style when writing an article or doing other work.

“It’s the little things that got me,” he said, “like when I made a demo, I said ‘ah’ too many times.”

But he is right where he wants to be.

“My internship went well. I’ve overcome a lot, thanks to support from Mitchell and the Bentsen Learning Center. I have a learning disability and am grateful to be where I am, having worked at WABC, about to graduate college. My dream hasn’t changed at all, and I’m excited for my next chapter.”

A taste of hospitality work

Aug 18, 2022 | Stories

Senior Annie Gallagher said the three things that stand out to her about Mitchell College are its access to learning opportunities, its dedicated leadership and its strong student supports, such as the Bentsen Learning Center and the tutoring center.

Taken together, they helped her successfully pursue a summer internship at The Hotel Hershey in Hershey, Penn.

“Mitchell does a great job of leading their students to where they want to go in the future,” Annie said.

After submitting her application and participating in a video interview, Annie was accepted as a recreation intern at the resort hotel. The hospitality and tourism major put lessons learned in Resort Management and Introduction to Hospitality to work, as she gained real-world experience in the “chocolate capital of the world.”

“When I started my internship, I heard about how we had to deal with guest complaints. That got me really nervous because I didn’t think I would be able to handle all of that pressure. But as the days went on, it got easier,” Annie said.

She learned that there are ways to handle complaints, such as issuing discounts to appease unhappy guests. In her work with guests and fellow employees, she honed her skills in problem solving, communication and social interaction every day.

A typical day for Annie consisted of making rounds to check on and help with different activity sites on the campus of the historic hotel, including the Cocoa Clubhouse for kids, outdoor pool and sports complex.

“My favorite part of my internship was being able to interact with the guests and kids. Whenever I saw a kid having a good time, it made me so happy. I realized that I love being surrounded by kids, so, when thinking about what I want to do in the hospitality industry after graduation, recreation is definitely an option for me.”

In addition to immersing herself in this five-day-a-week learning opportunity, another benefit of working at The Hershey Hotel were the fun perks, including discounts at Hershey stores and restaurants and free admission to Hersheypark – all in all, a sweet way to spend the summer in “The Sweetest Place on Earth.”

A winning experience with Bay State Games

Aug 12, 2022 | Stories

Nate Chadbourne spent much of his summer as an operations intern at the Bay State Games, a non-profit organization in Massachusetts that offers a variety of amateur sports competitions in an Olympic-style format.

The senior sport and fitness management major worked with other interns to help organize and prepare for the competitions. He said his responsibilities ranged from doing office work, where he helped pack for upcoming events and prepare reminders to athletes, to game day assistance at various sports facilities where games were held around the state.

Nate said that during the peak of the games season, every day was different, and he had to be ready for assignments to change

“One of the phrases that was used in the office is that 60% of the plan won’t go according to plan. It’s important to expect the unexpected and be prepared to adjust,” he said.

Being adaptable to change is a skill that Nate has honed at Mitchell College, along with other transferrable skills that he used regularly in his work.

“At the Bay State Games, I worked with a lot of different people, so being able to communicate and interact effectively and in a professional manner was important. These skills helped the Bay State Games maintain long-term relationships with the people that helped with our purpose. Being able to problem solve and think critically was also important for being able to adjust when plans didn’t go as expected when organizing and preparing for competitions and events.”

Nate found the camaraderie of the other interns and the full-time staff of Bay State Games a highlight of his internship, along with visiting numerous sports facilities around Massachusetts. His internship, however, was not without challenges.

“Meeting my own expectations and those of others around me was sometimes a challenge. At times I doubted my competency, but the staff at the Bay State Games provided me with great mentorship. They guided me and helped me trust in my own abilities, which, over time, made it easier to overcome challenges.”

Armed with his newly-gained confidence, Nate is looking forward to his final year at Mitchell. He knows that he will be prepared for whatever comes his way after he graduates.

“I chose Mitchell because I liked the idea of being at a small school. Its size made it easier for me to focus on developing skills and traits that can help me find success later in my professional career.”