Alumni recruit fellow Gorillas at yearly event
Thursday, September 21, 2017 2:00 AM
News, Alumni
Pittsburg, KS
On Tuesday morning, Dustin Doherty knew exactly how students coming to the College of Technology's Company Day were feeling: a bit nervous and overwhelmed.
There were, after all, more than 200 companies filling the Kansas Technology Center for two days. And for many students who attended, it was their first time wearing suits and shaking hands in hopes of landing internships or a first job.
Doherty was one of those students himself before landing a job with Ward Kraft, a nationally-known leader in the design and production of labels, commercial print, mailers and business documents.
This week, Doherty, a 2016 graduate in Graphics & Imaging Technologies, was on the other side of the Company Day booth in a career he loves. He credits Company Day with helping to get him there.
"I started coming to this as a sophomore, and I was unsure if I was good enough, unsure what to say — I was very reserved," he recalled.
So, as students filled the hallways to network, Doherty smiled and did his best to seem approachable.
"I try to reach out to them," said Doherty. "I want to put them at ease."
He was not unique.
At many of the 200-plus booths, company representatives with nametags sporting a red "alumni" designation welcomed fellow Gorillas and shared with them the impact that Company Day had when they were students.
Jayne Moyer, representing Decorating Den Interiors out of Lamar, Missouri, graduated from PSU in 2011 with a degree in interior design and a minor in construction.
"Coming to Company Day helped me and my classmates," she said. "It showed us what was out there. It was a foot in the door. Now, I'm happy to be back telling students how they can get their feet in the door."
Moyer, who was showcasing some of her work that's featured in a coffee table-style book, was sharing with students like Kimberly Stone, a freshman from Pittsburg, opportunities for employment and for ownership within the franchise.
"I was really excited," Stone said of her interactions with Moyer. "I didn't know if this field would be something I could do in Pittsburg without moving, but this showed me there may be a possibility."
PSU alumnus Scott Morris, representing KFSA Insurance and Ag Services, earned a communication degree in 2007 and a master's in human resource development in 2009.
Based out of Hutchinson, Dodge City, and Garden City, Kansas, and Bennett, Colorado, he now represents a company looking for potential hires in environmental safety management.
"I have found some possibilities," he said. "We're looking specifically for a December graduate or a May graduate. Besides me, there are two other Gorillas in our department. We'd love to have more."
He attended Company Day when he was here, and sees now how valuable it was.
"I've been coming as a rep now for four or five years, and it's been cool to get to see some of the same students grow and develop over that time," he said.
At a booth representing Crossland Construction — the company that 20 years ago built the Kansas Technology Center — Devin Flaspohler didn't need to wait for graduation to help the company recruit.
Flaspohler, of Ft. Smith, Arkansas, will graduate this December with a degree in Construction Management and already has a job lined up with Crossland as a field engineer in Rogers, Arkansas.
He came to PSU after serving in the military because he'd heard of the reputation the KTC had. And, at 2015, he stopped at the Crossland table.
"Since then, I've completed two internships with them," he said. "Company Day is what got me connected with people I never would have been otherwise. It's terrific networking. And it helped get me this job."
To learn more about the College of Technology, visit technology.pittstate.edu/