As they prepared to embark on new careers and futures, graduates at Lander University’s 170th commencement Thursday (Dec. 12) received advice, drawn from an introductory psychology course, on how to apply psychological science for their future success.
Dr. Shana Southard-Dobbs shared three key lessons, which she said were “a final Psych 101 lesson,” for advancing in life as Lander conferred more than 460 bachelor’s and master’s degrees to graduates.
An associate professor of psychology and Lander’s 2024 Distinguished Professor of the Year, Southard-Dobbs first stressed “the importance of social connection and belonging.”
Humans are social creatures, she said, and “we need social connection to thrive. Feeling a sense of belonging in social settings like school, the workplace or the community where we live means we feel that we are valued and can be our authentic selves, and we can make meaningful contributions.”
By seeking a social connection, “you’ll be much better prepared to start building a community of mentors and supportive colleagues who will help you achieve the next thing: adopting a growth mindset,” she said.
A growth mindset gives people an opportunity to “get better at the thing you’re trying to do,” said Southard-Dobbs, acknowledging that this stop doesn’t come naturally to many people.
However, for those who have built a strong social connection with friends, partners, family and mentors, having a growth mindset is less challenging. “You have people to help you figure out those next steps. And if you choose those people wisely, they’re going to help you remember that it may take practice and patience … but you can do this.”
Finally, she called on the graduates to experience and express gratitude to achieve greater well-being. “At the end of the day, name three good things that happened that day, or write a letter of thanks to another person and actually send it,” Southard-Dobbs said. “Small expressions of gratitude can have a big impact on well-being.”
Grateful for a second chance
Lander nursing graduate Jasmine Jones, of North Augusta, already has put Southard-Dobbs’ “attitude of gratitude” in place. When an academic challenge led Jones to change her major from nursing, Jones said, “I had no choice but to move ahead. I decided to face the obstacle head-on. I had to self-reflect … and with a positive mindset I enrolled in a new major.” Jones earned a B.S. in Public Health, with a minor in nursing, and then was accepted back into Lander’s nursing program.
Now, as part of the Class of 2024 in Lander’s School of Nursing, Jones is completing the journey on which she embarked at first. She will begin her nursing career at Prisma Health Greenville where she is looking forward to working in the hospital’s emergency department.
“Lander has prepared me for my future by instilling the knowledge and skills that will forever be the foundation of my nursing career,” she said.
Lander University conferred more than 460 bachelor’s and master’s degrees during its 170th commencement ceremonies at Finis Horne Arena. Photo by Dawn Lewis.
Making connections for success
Gracee Dixon, of Calhoun Falls, experienced that important lesson of social connections while she was a teacher cadet in high school. “School was easy for me. However, I realized that was not the case for everyone, even my close friends. I began helping them understand new concepts, tutoring and even serving as a peer mentor throughout school,” she said.
Although she thought she would become a high school teacher, she realized that a person’s self-esteem is developed throughout their elementary school years. “I knew then that I wanted to build a strong connection with children in elementary grades so I could help them build a strong self-confidence.”
The president of Lander’s Teaching Fellows, Dixon has been an intern at Woodfields Elementary School in Greenwood. She will continue with this position as a fifth-grade writing teacher through the spring. “After that, I will continue to be an educator for as long as there are young minds that need shaping.”
Crossing the miles to celebrate
Two members of the graduating class traveled long distances to celebrate their academic achievements.
Stephanie Sarchett, of Concord, California, traveled some 2,500 miles to Greenwood for the awarding of her degree in Lander’s acclaimed M.S. in Emergency Management Program. More than 7,400 miles separated U.S. Army Capt. Tara Muldrow, who earned an MBA online, from her current military post in Kuwait to Lander’s campus.
Sarchett, who has worked as a paramedic at the Oakland Zoo, managed by the Conservation Society of California, supervises the California Trail section at the zoo. She treats and assesses injuries experienced by employees, visitors and guests and monitors the area for wildfires. Her job also involves coordinating activities with the zoo’s animal care staff when first responders from the community are called in emergency situations.
The master’s degree program at Lander “gave me the opportunity I needed to focus on school while working,” Sarchett said. “As a paramedic, I’m a reactive art of the system to lend aid after an incident has occurred. As an emergency manager, I’ll have the ability to be more proactive and hopefully decrease or eliminate the loss of life and property before an incident occurs. I’m optimistic that this degree will allow me to earn a position that will enable me to share my knowledge with the community.”
Muldrow, who has been in the Army for more than eight years, joined ROTC at Lander in 2017 and earned a B.S. in Business Administration, with an emphasis is marketing management, in 2020. She joined the military “to become part of something bigger than myself, while pursuing new challenges and being able to travel to new places.”
A logistics analyst for the Army, Muldrow believes her graduate degree is integral to success in her military career. “Earning the MBA will enhance my qualifications for both military and civilian roles, making me more competitive for promotions within the Army,” she said.
Immediate career application
Wes Wessinger, of Greenville, realized early in his studies for a Master of Science in Management that what he was learning had direct application for his job at ReWa, which provides wastewater treatment services in Upstate South Carolina,
Wessinger, ReWa’s talent and development program manager, said, “I work in an environmental science field, and I found immediate value in Lander’s program. My coursework moved quickly, and I saw that what I was learning had immediate value in my job.”
During a recent meeting at ReWa, Wessinger said, “I was sharing my story and discussing how great the benefit has been to me professionally. Every course I was taking at Lander was benefiting me at work. I find ways to apply this knowledge every day. What I’ve learned has been very practical, and what I’m learning is beneficial to ReWa, too.”
A challenge for the future
Southard-Dobbs called on the graduates to “make a plan for how you can experience and express gratitude regularly and how you’ll seek out connection and belonging in your new workplace and communities, and how you’ll work to hold a growth mindset about all the new challenges ahead of you. Your communities will be all the better for these efforts, and so will you.”