>> Winella Reed: Okay.
I went to Douglass College, what was once known as Douglass College.
I graduated in 1998.
I majored in Africana Studies and Women's Studies.
And for it was just -- those were the majors that made the most sense to me.
That really literally came easy for me.
I enjoyed it.
I enjoyed the coursework.
I actually came in as a biology major,
and no matter how hard I worked I still kept getting C's.
And I said, "Okay.
This cannot be it for me."
And I started taking women's studies and Africana studies courses,
and I really enjoyed the coursework.
And it was an opportunity just for some self-reflection, maybe introspection
and just learned a little bit more about myself.
And I just really did exceedingly well in the courses.
And but I didn't think I wanted to be involved in university career services,
despite the fact that we do have such a function at Rutgers University.
I knew it existed, but I didn't exploit it in the way that I should have.
So when I graduated, like a lot of students, I didn't have a fulltime job.
I actually thought I was just going to present my resume, someone's going to go, "Oh,
you graduated from college; awesome.
Here you go.
Here's your job," somewhere.
I did have some work experience on it, and I did have an internship for a few years,
but in retrospect and now based on what it is I know, I know I wasn't effectively plugged
into the university career services function.
So when I graduated, I didn't have a job.
I got one shortly after graduation, and it was actually working for the now defunct MCI,
and it was business to business sales.
I hated it.
I hated it, because it was just not a good fit for me.
In retrospect, with the wisdom that I have now, I probably could have done a better job.
But eventually I found my way over to the Urban League, and I was, you know,
perusing a job search folder that they had, or a booklet, and the director of the center came in
and said, "Are you looking for a job?"
I said, "Yes."
She said, "Do you have a degree?"
I said, "Yes."
She said, "We have an opening."
So I interviewed for an opening as a youth developer, working with high school students
around job skills, or employment readiness.
And then there was a position advertised on the Rutgers University website
for a career management specialist for the business school.
And so that's how I got to let's say fulfill my dream of helping college students,
and informing them about employment readiness, job search readiness,
but within the 4-year or university setting.
[Silence]