The Westwood College PATH to Success Scholarship program rewards enrolled students who are taking control of their futures through dedicated career planning and action.
Meet two of the 2013 Gold winners, Jermal Sewell and De’Shaun Moon — a pair of extraordinary students from our Virginia campuses who are kicking their career plans into high gear. (Read about our PATH Platinum Scholarship winner Rachel Gora.)
Jermal Sewell
Jermal Sewell
Campus: Virginia Arlington Ballston
Studying: Business Administration: Major in Management
Expected Graduation Year: 2015
Jermal Sewell knew what her dream was when she was just 13: to open her own salon. Now, with a business administration degree and business plan in the works, Jermal is going after that dream, but with a unique twist: she plans to open a salon with beauty and wellness services for men and women — plus their dogs.
She has gone above and beyond in taking steps to put her career plan into action, closely aligning herself with the Career Services team by participating in mock interviews, resume preparation workshops and mixers. She is very active on LinkedIn, joining groups and broadening her network, and is a member of the National Beauty Culturist League, Professional Beauty Association and the National Cosmetology Association. She was a past member on the board of the National Accrediting Commission of Career Arts and Sciences (NACCAS), a commission that accredits cosmetology schools. Jermal also makes wigs for the Look Good Feel Better program in Washington D.C., which supports cancer patients who have lost their hair.
She says, “I am over 40 and blessed to have the opportunity to continue my education, and I do not take it for granted. I know full well that to whom much is given, much is required.”
While in school, Jermal works part-time as an administrative clerk for a financial services firm and is a single mom with a six-year-old son. “It is difficult to balance life and work, but my son and I do homework together. I read while I wait for him at aftercare, soccer practice … anywhere. There is no down time,” she says.
Still, Jermal manages to also be active at her church, sing with two community choirs and be a member of several community organizations. Of her hobbies, she says, “I love to sing; it is my calm. I love to write; it is an outlet for my mind. I love doing hair; nothing gives me greater joy than the smile on the face of a satisfied client.”
Her words of advice: “Stick with it. Take advantage of the resources the college offers and speak up if you don’t understand. Go to class. Ten weeks goes by so fast that missing a day is like missing a week. Lastly, follow your syllabus. It is the contract between you and the professor that encompasses what they are required to teach and what you should ultimately learn.”
De’Shaun Moon
De’Shaun Moon
Campus: Virginia Annandale
Studying: Medical Assisting
Expected Graduation Year: 2013
De’Shaun Moon’s commitment to her medical assisting degree program at Westwood is the result of a strong inner calling. She says, “I always knew that I wanted to help people in some type of way. I want to be remembered in someone’s mind for something that I did to make them feel appreciated.”
Though De’Shaun is already employed in the healthcare field — she has worked on a nursing unit in cardiac telemetry for seven years — she is actively researching jobs that will take her career to the next level. She has been working closely with Career Services to complete mock interviews, which she says have been “intimidating and thrilling at the same time,” and attending job fairs.
She also completed an externship at an urgent care facility where she received hands-on experience interacting with patients, checking vital signs, doing blood draws, lab work, assisting with physicals and procedures, and helping in the front office.
De’Shaun is leveraging her experience and actively seek positions at hospitals, specialty practices and urgent care facilities.
Newly married with two boys, ages 2 years and just one month, De’Shaun balances her responsibilities by staying organized. “I keep a planner and a to-do list to help manage my life. Seeing what I have to do at a glance and then prioritizing makes things easier,” she says.
Her words of advice: “Pursue a career that you’ll love — something you are passionate about, not what is going to make you the most money. Also, shadow someone in a career that interests you to see if that is something you would like to do.”
The PATH to Success Scholarship program awards nearly $70,000 in total annually and has an application deadline in May of each year. If you have a career plan and are taking action on it to ensure you get meaningful work when you graduate, you are encouraged to apply next spring.