Summer students gain first-hand knowledge from experts

<p>Approximately 45 Recreation and Tourism Management students, many of whom will be graduating in Spring 2009, were treated to a candid executive panel discussion on career development in management during their summer class, Administration of Recreation and Tourism.</p><separator></separator><p>The panel, whose career paths represented higher education, non-profit organizations, public services, and private foundations, was able to provide valuable insight to students regarding the importance of networking through professional organizations and regularly meeting people in a wide variety of vocations. They also discussed the need to update their skills throughout their career by reading and being observant of practices and trends around them. The panel agreed that while their college and advanced degrees formed important base knowledge for their current jobs, they stressed the importance of recognizing and consuming new information throughout their professional journey.</p><separator></separator><p>Panelist included ASU Vice President, Dr. Mark S. Searle; Arizona Community Foundation Chief Operating Officer, Deborah Whitehurst; City of Phoenix Neighborhood Services Department Director, Jerome E. Miller; and Women’s Fresh Start Foundation Women’s Director, Natalie Lee Young.</p><separator></separator><p>Students also had the opportunity to hear how these executives balance their demanding jobs with their private lives, advice to new graduates, and how they got to where they are today in their career. Graduates majoring in Recreation and Tourism Management pursue jobs in pubic relations, nonprofit youth serving agencies, and tourism.</p>