Houghton College is dedicated to preparing their students for the workplace, and sometimes that workplace is the college itself. Recent graduates can apply for employment at the school after earning their degree to make an impressive addition to their resume. Zachary Palmer ‘16, Connor Vogan ‘15, and Jesse Carter ‘16 are three recent graduates who are now a part of the Houghton community in a different way, as an employee.
Vogan, a fourth generation Houghton alumni, originally came to Houghton because he was recruited for soccer. He always felt welcomed when he visited campus, and felt valued as a student. This was part of the reason he returned a year after graduating. Vogan graduated with a business degree, and decided to pursue his Masters of Business Administration (MBA) at the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). Vogan worked a few different jobs, such as a startup company run by a friend, in addition to working in a coffee shop for t a year to save money to continue his academic pursuit Shortly before leaving for Rochester to start his schooling, Vogan received a message from Kim Pool asking if he would like a job at Houghton College. Pool thought the tasks of this particular title would be perfect for Vogan. Now the Enrollment Marketing Coordinator, Vogan is doing the work he always wanted, and is currently pursuing a MBA for.. According to Vogan, working at Houghton in the mornings has been ideal. He said, “I get what I want with a brand that I love and am invested in.” He feels poured into, spiritually, as an employee at Houghton.
Carter, a humanities major who graduated in May, originally came to Houghton as a student wanting to attend an academic-achieving Christian school. He had previously attended community college, transferring to Houghton in the Fall of 2014. Because Carter had less time at Houghton than most students, he wanted to stay for a longer period of time. He is now an admissions counselor for the upstate New York area. His favorite thing about the job is being able to go on high school visits and see the faces of students he speaks with over the phone. According to Carter, the most bizarre aspect of his new role is being able to call the professors he learned from just months ago by their first names.
Another Houghton graduate now employed at the school is Palmer. During his time at Houghton, Palmer was most appreciative of the professors would take time out of their day to “sit down for an hour and talk with you about life.” Palmer studied psychology while a student, and loved it. He and his wife are still looking for graduate schools, but have found that working at Houghton during their gap year was “the best choice since we have so many ties to the community.” Palmer enjoys working at Houghton, and said his college experience has prepared him to work diligently and have grace on himself.
To the current students looking towards graduation, Carter said, “Don’t worry as much as you are probably worrying now. There are people at this school who will help you. Don’t be afraid to take chances because you don’t know what opportunities will happen from the risks you take. Enjoy every moment with your senior class. This will be the last time you see all of your friends in this kind of setting, and that should not be taken for granted.”