With another successful commencement behind us, recent High Point University graduates are preparing to commence prestigious career paths around the world at Fortune 500 companies, international service programs, public school systems, top-tier law, medical and graduate school programs, and many other esteemed organizations thanks to their journey at HPU. Here’s a glimpse of one extraordinary senior from the Class of 2016:
Name: Johnathan Stroud
Hometown: Elkin, North Carolina
Major: Stroud graduated with a B.S.B.A. in Business Administration, with a minor in Philosophy, on May 7.
Post-graduation plans: Stroud accepted a sales position at Tom James in Raleigh, North Carolina. In his position, Stroud will sell Tom James’ high-end clothing to business owners and entrepreneurs.
How HPU helped you get there: “HPU offers students a multitude of resources that help you figure out what exactly you want to do after graduating. The biggest help to me has been having teachers that give practical real-world advice from experiences that they have had personally. This has helped me to make a detailed plan of how I can be successful and reach my goals.
I began going Career & Professional Development my sophomore year in order to develop a great resume and cover letter. Junior year, I went to them for help finding internships, and when I walked out of the meeting with Eric, I had multiple good leads – two of which led to offers. Senior year, I visited them first in the fall semester to nail down my cover letter and resume. At the beginning of spring semester, I went to Eric again for help finding a full-time job. This meeting eventually led to another offer from Citrix, a tech company in Raleigh.“
Most impactful mentor at HPU: “My most impactful mentors actually came in my senior year as I prepared to graduate. This semester I have had Mr. Larry Quinn for two classes, Negotiations and Sales in Dynamic Environments. Mr. Quinn is a great teacher who allows students to practice their skills in class through cases that are meant to put you in real-world situations. During the class we practiced how we would present ourselves in a job interview. We even had a career fair for the people in the sales program. This career fair is where I landed my job at Tom James.
Mr. Quinn has been there throughout the process providing the opportunities and advice. Once I had both the offers from Citrix and Tom James, the next day I went to Mr. Quinn’s office knowing that he would be able to give guidance as to which I should choose. On top of all of this, I have learned so much from Mr. Quinn – from observing how he interacts with students and other faculty, to the passion and humility he showed when delivering the keynote speech at the Greek Scholarship Banquet. I firmly believe that Mr. Quinn is not just one of the best professors on this campus, but one of the best examples for students to learn from outside of class.”
Most impactful moment at HPU: “My most impactful moment was when I received the news that PwC wanted to fly me to Boston for the final round of the interviewing process. I could not believe I had the chance at the job I had dreamed of since officially beginning my accounting major.”
Advice for underclassmen: “Don’t wait until senior year to start figuring out what you would like to do. Internships are crucial in understanding the difference between what you think you would like and what you actually would like to do as a career. Once you do figure that out, you have to use the resources that the school has provided you with to make sure that you are making the connections that you need in that industry. Everyone wants to be successful, but the ones who end up being successful are the ones who take action towards their goals. Don’t hesitate to put yourself out there.“