With another successful Commencement behind us, recent High Point University graduates are kicking off 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 2019:
Name: Aidan Jensen
Hometown: Chapel Hill, North Carolina
Major: Sport management
Post-graduation plans: Jensen joins The Courier-Times as the sports editor for local sports in Person County. He will be attending sporting events for Person High School and Roxboro Community School and will serve as a photographer and reporter by interviewing players and coaches for stories.
How HPU helped you get there: “HPU helped me get to where I am today through a combination of my classes, the opportunities to attend career fairs and the different networking events I participated in on campus. I made the effort to attend career fairs whenever I could, particularly when those fairs hosted local sports organizations. Thanks to those fairs, I was able to grow my network tremendously, which helped me as I interviewed for jobs. Dr. Jenny Lukow, my academic advisor over my four years, helped me discover TeamWork Online. In addition to the career fairs, I attended fairs hosted by the Carolina Hurricanes and Charlotte Hornets at their respective arenas, which I discovered through TeamWork Online. I used the Office of Career and Professional Development to meet with peer career advisors to discuss my resume and cover letter. Faith Cochran, my internship advisor, was instrumental in helping me obtain my internship in the fall of 2018, and spoke with Kellie McLeod, my career advisor, helped me to polish my presentation skills before I attended any career fairs or interviews. Through my visits with Kellie, I was able to feel significantly more confident heading into interviews and I had a much better idea of what questions to ask to get informative answers.
Most impactful mentor at HPU: “Without Dr. Jenny Lukow, I would not have enjoyed my college experience as much as I did. Dr. Lukow helped me excel as a student through individual meetings and classes with her. In these meetings, Dr.Lukow would talk with me about topics related to my career path and help me plan out my year. We went through tasks that I should perform regularly to pursue my career, starting with searching for organizations to work for my freshman year and ending with reaching out to employers and inquiring about open jobs during my senior year. Dr. Lukow makes her classes enjoyable by offering opportunities for discussion and a variety of real-world activities, including a mock trial in her Sports Law class.”
Most impactful moment at HPU: “My most impactful moment at HPU was during my senior year writing for my Advanced Sports Reporting class with Dr. Bobby Hayes. Dr. Hayes would sit down and have an individual conference with students about their articles and after he critiqued my articles, he would spend a few minutes with me to discuss how to write the best possible piece. Dr. Hayes believed in my potential as a journalist and, had I not taken his class, I would not be taking the role of sports editor for The Courier-Times.”
Advice for underclassmen: “The number one thing you need to do is ensure you have a good work-life balance. If you don’t, you’ll be easily stressed. I spent all of my time working during college, and I would leave little to no time to hang out with my friends or have time to myself. As I went through college, particularly in my senior year, I realized that if I had a balance I felt more motivated to excel every day. I was more productive when I took time for myself. I realized having a life outside school and work helped me develop my full potential.”