Transfer101

For Oremosu, the trip was worth the wait.

Origionally from Nigeria, Oremosu came to the United States to study through a Visa.  He started at the University of Houston but the travel proved to be a challenge.  ”The commercial buses won’t reach my apaprtment… I was getting late to class and always tired.”  His advisor talked to him about transferring to a closer option, Houston Community College, which turned out to be a great opportunity.

While there Oremosu was invited to join Phi Theta Kappa, which helped him get scholarships to the University of Texas – Pan American and help make the transfer process easy.  ”Phi Theta Kappa encouraged me in making quick decisions and my transition easier.  It boosted my courage and reduced a lot of burden.”

He currently majors in Electrical Engineering and will graduate in December of 2011.

His advice to other international students?  ”Try to have a prior understanding of the potential college.”, he says.  His advisors at both community college and the university were essential to the transfer as well as support from Phi Theta Kappa.

His last word of advice, “Be focused and hardworking.  Sometimes along the line unexpected help might come.”

For Fred Vernon the path to becoming a successful Lamar University student has been a winding one.

A junior accounting major, he hopes to eventually become a partner after completing his bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Lamar University.

“It’s been great. I’m learning about business. I’m learning about myself. One of the senior partners is a Lamar University graduate. He’s been working with me a lot, teaching me about business and coaching me along the way,” Vernon said.

Not all of the jobs Vernon has held since graduating from Memorial High School have related as directly to his long-term goals. After high school, Vernon started going to welding school at night while working as a welder during the day.

He saved his money and enrolled full time at Tyler Junior College. The money didn’t stretch as far as he had hoped. After two semesters he was back home, getting certified in combination welding and going back to work as a welder while going to school at Lamar State College-Port Arthur and San Jacinto College to become a certified welding inspector. “Toward the end, I decided I can’t keep doing this. I don’t want to work outside in the heat. I didn’t know I wanted to do accounting yet, but I knew I had a knack for business,” Vernon said.

He completed a degree at Lamar State College-Port Arthur and transferred to Lamar University. He decided to major in accounting because of his strong performance in his first two accounting classes and the encouragement of Ann Watkins, chair of the Department of Accounting and Business Law.

Vernon cites the approachability and availability of faculty and staff as one of his favorite things about Lamar University. “I believe when people see someone who is driven and ambitious and has a well-defined goal, people are eager and willing to help someone like that,” Vernon said.

Vernon expects to be the first in his family to graduate from college. In addition to pursuing a bachelor’s degree in accounting, he plans to complete his MBA and Master of Science in Accounting degrees at Lamar University. He credits God and his mother as two of the reasons he has achieved what he has so far. “The work ethic and discipline she instilled in us as children at that age has undoubtedly made an impact.”

A prestigious Army course in El Paso, Texas, put a soldier on the path to a master’s degree.

Army Sgt. Maj. Chris Gunn, a sergeant major for the 3^rd Brigade, 1^st Armored Division, put  academics on hold at Middle Georgia College when he joined the Army.

He left his home in Warner Robins, Ga., and joined the military. As he rose in rank and responsibility, he saw the world – and the benefits of an academic education.

Gunn took some online classes but his academic breakthrough was being selected in 2008 to attend the U.S. Army Sergeants Major Academy at Fort Bliss, Texas. The nine-month program trains top non-commissioned officers in the U.S.military and foreign countries.

While at the academy, he met a representative from The University of Texas at El   guided him to earn a bachelor’s in multidisciplinary studies in spring 2009.  UTEP personnel encouraged him to register for the master’s in leadership studies hybrid program (half face-to-face, half online). He earned his hood in May 2010.

“The Army wants critical, creative thinkers. (Its leaders) want us to be able to perform outside our comfort zone,” he said.  “It’s amazing how school has opened my eyes and made me more analytical.”

He suggests transfer students keep their options open and keep their eyes on the broader horizon.

Gunn said his ability to tie his Army training and academic education has given him a broader perspective in numerous areas including business and culture that will make him a better military leader and a more marketable civilian.

Cynthia Barros always wanted to go to a four year university and decided to come to the United States for it because of an athletic scholarship to play Volleyball while living in Belo Horizonte, Brazil.

She decided to go Panola Junior College and get an Associate Degree of Science before transferring on to the University of Texas – Pan American for a Bachelors Degree in Manufacturing Engineering.  ”I had better opportunities starting at a Junior College,” she says. “More scholarships available, smaller class sizes, more one-to-one interaction, and a smaller community.  It was easy to make friends and interact with them.”

The difficulty transferring lied within the paperwork.  ”It took longer and I had to obtain a new visa.” says Cynthia.  The culture change also proved to be an unusual challenge.  Starting in East Texas and then going to South Texas she had to learn ‘Texas culture’ twice!  ”In East Texas I got used to the cowboys.  When I moved to South Texas I learned all about the Hispanic culture.  It took me awhile to get used to it but now I love it!”

Speaking of culture change, “It was harder to interact with other people and make friends” she says.  The international office helped her with those challenges.  ”It had some events, trips, and meetings which helped a lot.”  Now she has a campus job and gets involved in engineering organizations and Intramural Sports to help meet people.

Cynthia’s advice to other international students?  Prepare early.  ”Take classes which are prerequisites for the major you are planning because you will lose time if you don’t have those when you begin at the University.”  And on a broader level, “being international, you can go to any four year university you want, so it is really important to do your research about the school and the area.”

While Dawson Muñoz was serving with the Texas National Guard in Iraq, he spent time talking about life with the troops’ interpreters.

“A lot of them wanted the American Dream,” he says. “But it was impossible for them. Yet here I am, able to take advantage of these things.”

So Dawson, who had been voted the student of the year by his peers at South Plains College, had a plan when he transferred to Texas State University upon his return from active duty.

“Dean’s list every semester,” says Dawson, who is the first member of his family to attend college. “Get involved as much as possible. Make the most of the college experience.”

From academics to involvement in Texas State’s mentoring program, Dawson indeed has made the most of his time at the university. He pledged a fraternity. He was part of the unique program that allows business students to manage a portion of the university’s endowment. He joined the University Ambassadors, an organization that promotes Texas State both on and off campus.

The finance major also found ways to make his experience richer off campus. He took part in the Texas State Study Abroad program, living with a family and studying business in Mexico, and he received a Fulbright grant to teach and do research in Spain.

“It’s turned out to be a dream come true,” he says of his time at Texas State. “I couldn’t have asked for more.”