Shahiyda Plair
Business Management: Human Resources
CASAS Mission Award
Favorite Time at SCSU
My Favorite part of being at SCSU was definitely my time working with students at CASAS and having Fall and Spring trainings. I really loved learning new ways to carry myself in order to be the best help I could be to my students. I love Academic Success Coaching with a passion and fire I didn't even know I had. The most rewarding part of coaching is seeing the overall improvement from their first appointment with me to their last appointment. I loved hearing how helpful I was to them and how they felt more motivated and energized to complete their work after having a meeting with me. It genuinely makes me so proud to be part of their success journey.
What are you going to miss the most, and what are you looking forward to the most?
Due to have worked at CASAS, been the Secretary for the Caribbean Student Association, and having worked at Wintergreen, I knew and was acquainted with A LOT of people, so I am going to miss bumping into someone I know from literally any corner of campus. I genuinely feel like there isn't anywhere on campus that I could feel lost or out of place because there was always someone I knew or had a good rapport with. I will miss the community of Southern, because some elder staff members started to feel like older aunts and uncles, all looking out for me and cheering me on. :)
Advice to Incoming Students
GET INVOLVED ON CAMPUS!! GET INVOLVED ON CAMPUS!! GET INVOLVED ON CAMPUS!! GET INVOLVED ON CAMPUS!! I can not stress it enough, become E Board members, become Student Leaders, take on leadership positions, be the head or organizer of something. These moments and situations are your experience builders that will teach you how the real world works. These are the moments where you learn how to work with other people, you learn how to brainstorm, you learn how to speak up, you learn how to communicate better, and you learn how to apply critical thinking in a real-life scenario. And then later on these are the moments and situations you put on your resume. It all comes full circle, and it starts from using your environment to shape you into who you want to become. Closed mouths don't get fed, and Growth does not happen in your comfort zone. :D
