FEATURES
Radio Host Promotes Mentoring
by LaTasla Jones
photo by Angel Robinson
Life After Graduation
by Cortnoy "Nunu” Taylor
On May 8th, at 9;00am in the Crown Coliseum,
approxinnately 450 students will participate in
commencement exercises and receive their degrees.
All who are enrolled in college, one day hope to reach
this step in life, but once their degree is obtained there
are those mind-t>oggling question^on what to do with
it. What Is next? Coordinator of Student Professional
Development in the Office of Career Services, Tamara
Taylor, advises graduates and upcoming graduates on
life after graduation.
The Voice: Thank you for having me! Upon graduating
many students ask what is next. Could you elaborate on
that idea?
Tamara Taylor: Well, it really depends on the student
and their interest If they want to go to graduate school,
hopefully they already submitted their application.
They need to know that if they have, they also need to
resubmit their official transcript, because the transcript
that they did submit along with their application did not
include the final grades from their spring semester.
They also wouW have to do their financial aid, basically
everything they have done when applying here at
Fayetteville State. For those who are not going to
graduate school and do not have a job, they are really
behind the ball. They really shouki have been looking
back in January for employment. We had our career fair
back in March; hopefully they took full advantage of that.
We had about 60-65 organizations here on campus,
which is the highest we had in a long time, and with that
many, that means, the agencies were looking to hire
students. So hopefully the students took advantage of
that. If they dkJ not, again, shame on them, but they
are really behind the ball, if they have not started ttjeir
looking. They need to focus and write down their skills
and the type of employer they would like to work for,
get on the internet, reach out to their people at church,
professors, staff memt>ers, former high school teachers
and principals, people in their “network," and tell them
what their degree Is in and what they're looking for.
Jobs these days are no longer advertised and are being
informed by word of mouth, so students need to develop
a network.
TV: I hear time and time again from students, that they
are not eager to find a job t>ecause of the recession. Is
that a wise decision or what is your take on that?
Taylor: Absolutely not! Just because tfiere Is a
recesswn does not mean that employers are not hiring.
This is even a better chance to start looking, because no
one knows when the job market will turn back around.
Emptoyment in North Carolina is still hijgh at 11% which
Is very good, and to have ttiat attitude is very detrimental
to their future, because we do not know when it's going
to turn around And If they're not kx)king for jobs,
they will be missing out devek>ping their skills and
professionalism in ttieir nk:he or their fieki. It will yield
them no results.
TV: In many of my current articles, I always stress the
use of networking, because it is no longer about what we
know. l)ut who we know Would you mind elaborating
or do you have an idea on how one shouki get them out
there?
continued on page 10
Michael Balsden and FSU Chancellor. Dr. James A. Anderson
Walking into Seabrook auditorium on Wednesday April
7th. dozens of excited people were found claiming seats.
They ranged from FSU students to children, to members
of the community to several Greek organizations, all to
see one man. Michael Baisden. Michael Balsden came to
town to promote his foundation's mission to motivate one
million concerned adults to become dependable mentors to
children all across America.
Doors opened at six and at first the turnout was
not good. ‘I don't care if there's 50 people out there or
five; they're going to get the same energy,’ said Baisden
backstage before the show. By 7:00 pm more intereited
fans had poured in. When the famous radio personality
walked onto the stage the crowd went wild, fans hopped
out of their seats and gave him their full attention. Baisden's
energy was Instantly contagious. It covered the room like a
blanket. “I love him. My mom listens to him all the time. He
wasn't like most speakers... he seemed as happy to see us
as we were to see him,’ saki freshman Lashanna Williams.
Balsden was spured to actkjn after last year’s beating
death of 16 year old Derrion Albert of Chicago Baisden has
spent the past few months traveling the country to promote
mentoring Several representatives from local mentoring
organizations such as Caring Family Networi, The Boys
and Girls Club, and Great Oak Youth Development Center,
accompanied Balsden as panel members. Together
Balsden and the panel worthed to express the importance
of mentoring to the Fayetteville community. Before the
show Baisden huddled the panelist together for a pep
talk. He encouraged them not to hold back and share any
stories they have come across in their years of mentoring.
The crowd was shocked by some of the encounters panel
members have faced. “If we took five minutes to ask these
kids why you so angry? Why you so loud... Why you so
sleepy? You all would get the same horror story," said
Baisden.
Baisden’s passion for mentoring certainly showed.
Throughout his presentation he had several one on one
conversations with the children of the audience. He asked
them questions and gave them advice. He showed genuine
Interest in their lives. When asked if he had a mentor as a
child Balsden responded. “Yes. you know we grew up in a
different era... we had neighbors we had teachers, we had
Radio continued on next page