Making your dreams a reality

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - When you were young, how many times did your teachers ask you, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” It seems like there is a period of time when that particular question comes up fairly regularly. Have you been asked that question recently? Have you ever asked YOURSELF that question? Personally, I still haven’t quite figured out what I want to be when I grow up, and I know many professionals who are in the same boat.

Ferris State University doesn’t believe that question ever becomes irrelevant. Because part of our mission is to help our community and our world imagine more, Ferris State University jumped at the chance to offer a group of individuals the opportunity to explore where their skills and passions might lead them if given the chance.

Starting in January 2013, Ferris State University began a pilot career exploration course - CARE 102 - for parents of Harrison Park Elementary School students. The course has been structured to utilize a mixed delivery model in a classroom setting with the intent to provide a meaningful college experience in a welcoming atmosphere. An online career course that is currently offered at Ferris State University was adapted to be better suited for the needs of the non-traditional student. Study sessions in the computer labs at Harrison Park are offered in order to ensure students have the assistance they need to be successful. After school childcare is also available for parents who wish to take advantage of that service.

In addition to the knowledge gained about their own passions and goals, it is our hope that offering a college experience to parents will increase dialog about college and careers between parents and their children, thus creating a college-going culture in the home. The potential confidence and character gain is immeasurable for both the parents and their children. When conversations begin to explore what it takes to get into college, what college is right for your child, and the vast number of options there are when determining what career your child could have, college is suddenly a realistic goal worth pursuing. The sooner that vision becomes a reality, the sooner students begin seriously contemplating and preparing for what they want to be when they grow up.

I invite you to ask yourself what and who you would become if you had the opportunity. If your answer is something other than what you’re currently doing and who you currently are, it is not too late to pursue that dream. Ferris State University considers it a privilege to be an uplifting partner in these amazing endeavors in our community, allowing us to be a supportive pillar for all those who strive to be more, do more and imagine more.

C ourse Description :

CARE 102 is a career exploration course that guides students through the career decision-making process.  It offers students opportunities to explore career development as a lifelong process through the use of self-assessment inventories, online web resources about various careers, individual projects, and an opportunity to develop guided decision-making skills. Using the book, “Bring Your A Game to Work”, by Eric Chester, students will also discover the seven principles that employer’s value; Attitude, Attendance, Appearance, Ambition, Accountability, Acceptance, and Appreciation. The second book used will be “Follow Your True Colors to the Work You Love”, by Carolyn Kalil. This book will be a guide to discovering and interpreting what color represents their personality while helping them explore how to make their natural tendencies and talents work for them professionally.

For more information about CARE 102 contact Ferris State University Grand Rapids:

151 Fountain Street NE
Grand Rapids MI 49503
(616) 451-4777
(800) 998-3425
fsugr@ferris.edu