Career Chronicles

At Elliot Davis, Clifton Strengths are a core part of the experience that new associates have at this Greenville accounting firm.Talent Development Director Tim Wilson and Talent Development Coach Adam Riddlehoover are here to discuss how Strengths have helped their team become more self-aware, articulate, and empathetic. They also offer advice on how students can find the same benefits and apply them to employment with the resources that Furman provides. 

There are many career paths within the sustainability firm. HRP Associates consults for environmental and civil engineering, as well as sustainability services. Tad Goetcheus, the company’s COO and president, is here to share what he finds rewarding and challenging about his job, and how college students and new graduates can find their place in this growing field. 

We're diving into the world of commercial real estate and project management with an inspiring panel of women leaders from CREW! Each speaker brings a wealth of experience and a unique perspective, from a range of real estate and project management experience, offering great insights into the industry.   Meet our panelists: Stormie Ellenburg, Director of Development at Clear Mountain Properties, where she focuses on real estate and development projects across the Upstate. Emily Laundra, a sales specialist with Young Office, partnering with companies to create tailored interior solutions for commercial spaces. Britney Barnes, head of the Environmental Department at the Civil and Environmental Consultants' Greenville office, which is home to heavy civil engineers and environmental professionals. Britt Atkinson, Principal Designer and owner of Atkinson Collaborative, an interior design firm in Greenville that specializes in Multi-Family, Hospitality, and Corporate/Commercial projects.  Join us as they share their educational pathways, journeys, project management wisdom, and tips for navigating the complexities of the commercial real estate industry. Whether you're already interested in real estate or simply looking to learn more, this episode is packed with inspiration and actionable advice for Furman students! 

We're diving into the world of commercial real estate and project management with an inspiring panel of women leaders from CREW! Each speaker brings a wealth of experience and a unique perspective, from a range of real estate and project management experience, offering great insights into the industry.   Meet our panelists: Stormie Ellenburg Director of Development at Clear Mountain Properties, where she focuses on real estate and development projects across the Upstate. Emily Laundra A sales specialist with Young Office, partnering with companies to create tailored interior solutions for commercial spaces. Britney Barnes Head of the Environmental Department at the Civil and Environmental Consultants' Greenville office, which is home to heavy civil engineers and environmental professionals. Britt Atkinson Principal and owner of Atkinson Collaborative, an interior design firm in Greenville that specializes in Multi-Family, Hospitality, and Corporate/Commercial projects. Join us as they share their educational pathways, journeys, project management wisdom, and tips for navigating the complexities of the commercial real estate industry. Whether you're already interested in real estate or simply looking to learn more, this episode is packed with inspiration and actionable advice for Furman students! 

Furman alumnus Colin Brake ‘24 is taking a gap year to be a participant of the Jesuit Volunteer Corps. He works at Homeboy Industries in L.A., the largest gang rehabilitation and re-entry program in the world. Colin discusses with hosts Lizzy and Roger what he has learned through his work, from balancing empathy with mental health to adapting to group living. He also shares tips for how to figure out if taking a gap year to do service is right for you! 

Lexie Johnson, the assistant director of the Internship Office, shares everything you need to know about the internship search process! She gives advice on why to pursuse internships, when to start looking, and how the internship office can help.  Book an appointment with the Internship Office here! https://www.furman.edu/internships/contact/

Yaseen Echekki is a senior, and currently serves as the president of Student Government Association. Involved in a myriad of organizations over the years, Yaseen discusses how his involvements and choices shaped his career plans and changed him as a person. He also gives advice to young students for how to make the most of their time at Furman.

Do you have a passion for maximizing experiences and making things the very best they can be? Performance Excellence & Process Improvement roles might be the perfect fit for you! Vivian Sevilla is a Senior Integration Manager and Performance Improvement Advisor with Prisma Health. In her role, she's approached by an executive leader with a problem, analyzes data to determine the scope of the problem, and then manages the process improvement project to make the process and organization more efficient. We talk about performance improvement advisors as doers, analysts, and conductors specific to making a process more efficient for its customers, as well as how college students can further develop much needed skills and learn more about this kind of career pathway through Vivian's advice and various educational paths and opportunities!   

Marcus Hamaker is the CEO of [bu:st] USA, a business with seasoned project management consultants who assist other companies with internal projects. He gives advice to students that are interested in project management, and discusses the field through the lens of consulting and more technical projects that [bu:st] handles, as well as how vast project definitions and the range of projects can be.

Whitney Wilson is a Project Manager at TD Bank. She speaks with us about project management through the lens of finance, and shares some essential skills for someone who might be interested in pursuing a career in the field. As a Furman  alumna herself, Whitney also shares some key opportunities that she took advantage of as a student, as well as ways for current students to develop their own career paths -- both in and outside of the classroom. 

Bryan Davis is the Executive Director of the Hill Institute for Innovation and Entrepreneurship at Furman. He says the institute functions like a clubhouse -- a place to bounce ideas off of one another, explore new types of work, and become comfortable with just trying things out. On the podcast, he discusses how to get involved with the Hill Institute and entrepreneurship as a college student!

CliftonStrengths offers a way for students to understand what they're best at and market themselves using helpful language. Career adviser Kristin Irwin gives practical tips for how to use strengths in the job interview process as well as throughout your career.

To aid freshmen in their career exploration, the Malone Center hosted a panel of upperclassmen to discuss what they are doing in college to set them up for success career-wise. Lousia Brown '24, Colin Brake '24, TJ Robertson '25, Esmie Fernandez '25, and Abby Kandare '26 talked internships, Linkedin strategies, and how to make the most out of co-curricular experiences at Furman.

Dr. Randolph Hutchison is a health sciences professor at Furman, but he’s also a dad, husband, avid runner, and musician. We discussed work-life balance and how he makes his wellness a priority alongside work and family using tools like mindfulness, reflecting on the “perfect day”, and adding a social component to exercise habits. 

Esmie Fernandez is a junior Business and Communications double major with a minor in Data Analytics. She joins us to discuss her recent semester in Edinburgh, Scotland and how it is shaping her career! She shared tips for students hoping to study abroad and what aspects of the experience changed her the most.

Rolyn Rollins from the Cothran Center speaks with us about callings: what they are, how you find yours, and how the Cothran Center can help by providing three key questions for reflection. She also shares how she came upon her own calling: working with college students. 

Dr. Brad Harmon, Assistant Dean for the first and second-year experience, is known for helping students thrive in college, not just survive. He shares tips for students that are struggling to make this jump, and provides an inside look at the goals of the Pathways program and how this aligns with his motto.

Nancy Cooper is a well-known face around Furman as the Coordinator of Volunteer Services with Heller Service Corps. On this episode, she shares the story of how Heller came to be, the journey that landed her at Furman, and how students can get involved in service even after college.

Not everyone has what one might consider a "traditional" career path. Whether you get a later start on building your career, or you find out that your college degree wasn't the right fit, there are lots of ways that you might end up in an unconventional job. Michael Mace, the Malone Center's Operations and Employer Engagement Coordinator, joins us to discuss his path and the stigma surrounding non-traditional jobs and not doing what's "expected" of you, and how to overcome it.

Dr. Franklin Ellis, the Director of the Center for Inclusive Communities, joins us this week to discuss how we can find and contribute to inclusion in the workplace. We talked about how to go beyond just talking about diversity, and how Franklin's work involves helping students "be better people by being better to people."