Vivian Cook

It has been said that throughout our lives, we will change our profession at least 3 times to meet the needs of the economy, family, and/or personal goals. I am now embarking upon my 3rd career in Adult and Career Education(ACE)/Human Resource Development(HRD). As a senior, it is an honor to be apart of the College of Technology here at Indiana State University. Being apart of this program and the wonderful team of professors, staff, and students has given me the energy and encouragement to follow my goals and visions in this field. The professors have been very actively involved in the educational process, internship process, and the career search process. My desires to assist other adults in their endeavors via career and educational pathways has given me more of an internal view of how to meet the needs of this career. I count myself as a young professional that is actively involved in the solution to the issues of today's workforce. I have had the privilege of working in the field of Retail management for 10 years and Education for 18 years. My experience in these fields will provide great value in the field of ACE/HRD.

My philosophy has always focused on creating an atmosphere for continual learning and developing high achievers for 100% of the body as well as encouraging productive people and foster high self-esteem. This will begin the process of creating a well-rounded positive citizen that will give back to their community. I am constantly researching to stay on top of the ever-changing needs of developing citizens. I pride myself in collaborating with like-minded individuals that understands that we don’t have all the answers but together we can accomplish much! My ability to collaborate has reached the political/lobbyist, executive administrative, management, and layman levels in a positive manner. We are in this together! I loved working with school district children that had been mislead to believe that they will not make it in today’s society! My disciplinary skills of 0 tolerance with discretion has helped the staff, parents, students and community understand that I care about the future of our students! This strong skill of encouraging and providing the tools to succeed has been applied to training adults in their prospective areas.

I am actively involved in the College of Technology Leadership Council, ISU Homecoming Committee, College of Technology Internship program, and Zeta Phi Beta Sorority, Inc (both graduate and undergraduate chapters).

Being a mentor to other young ladies is not a choice but an obligation to me. I feel that this is part of grooming those to follow us into young professionals with high expectations. This aspect is so important especially in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) field due to the women being a minority. The first step to overcoming a fear is to confront it; with that said, I strongly suggest for young ladies that are interested in this field to contact us at technology.indstate.edu

For more information on our Females In Technology (FIT) program, visit -https://by2prd0511.outlook.com/owa/redir.aspx?C=lq3WPoozqESYb990juEJVHR7GfUo-c8I0I8wobkSFxosUhcujcqPlEs7IfFAU5FkQ58P-Ed5Pto.&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.youtube.com%2fwatch%3fv%3dlQws_8Oyvas%26feature%3dshare%26list%3dPL2DCBF7A6CB8E4972