by Hanna Roberts | Mar 2, 2018 | Alumni Spotlight, Outcomes, Uncategorized
Allison (left) in Norway with her college roommate.
Allison Phillips graduated from the College of Business in 2015 with a marketing degree. She is currently working for Deloitte Consulting as a Data Scientist for clients and lives in Denver, Colorado. She is also passionate about traveling and her job allows her to pursue that.
Q: How have your foundations at ACU and in COBA helped you in life post-graduation?
A: During my time in COBA, I had the chance to lead student organizations, conduct research with faculty, and launch a student-run analytics consultancy through Wildcat Ventures. These experiences gave me the chance to gain experience as a researcher and consultant really early in life, which made my transition from school to work much easier. Professional skills aside, COBA gave me a lengthy list of mentors who guided and supported me as I tried to figure out the career direction I wanted to pursue. Having adults in my life who listened and gave me honest opinions about the decisions I was making has had a huge impact on the way I make decisions in my personal and professional life.
Q: Can you describe your work in data analytics and the experiences you’ve had with your company?
A: I’m currently a Data Scientist in Deloitte’s Consulting practice, which allows me to work with different clients to understand what has happened, predict what will happen in the future, and make more effective decisions with that information. I’ve gotten to work with companies as well as federal agencies, and I enjoy the challenge of learning about new industries and continuing to develop my technical skills while solving a wide variety of business challenges. In a given week, I work with teammates from all across the country to write code, conduct statistical analysis, design experiments, build slides, and brief clients. I’ve met some really incredible people at Deloitte, and it’s been fun to work with teammates whose backgrounds are very different than mine.
Allison with friends hiking Machu Picchu in Peru.
Q: What should students who are interested in data analytics be doing while they are in school to prepare for that after graduation?
A: Students interested in analytics should take data mining and programming classes to understand if they enjoy the kind of work they would be doing as a data scientist. Outside of class, students should look for relevant internships, opportunities to conduct research with faculty or job openings at ARG (the analytics piece of Wildcat Ventures). A lot of different paths lead to analytics careers so I would recommend learning some basic technical skills and looking for opportunities to apply those in ways that interest you.
Q: Would you share some of your favorite memories or experiences of traveling? How do you balance that with work?
A: I love traveling and definitely take advantage of all my time off! One of my goals is to visit all 59 National Parks, so I spend a lot of weekends hiking and camping with friends. Last year I also hiked to Machu Picchu with a big group of friends, road tripped through Norway with my college roommate (where we tried to break into a house that turned out not to be our AirBnB), and traveled through Southeast Asia with my family, where we ziplined to the tallest treehouses in the world. Learning about different cultures and experiencing ways of life that are different than mine is really important to me, and I’ve been lucky to have colleagues who are supportive of that. Plus it’s super fun!
by M. C. Jennings | Sep 6, 2017 | Academics, Careers In..., COBA Staff, Current Students, MAcc, Outcomes, Placement stories, Uncategorized
Aimee Agee is COBA’s Professional Development Manager for Business and Technology students. She works continuously with students to equip them with the skills and knowledge to successfully launch into the professional world. This includes meeting one-on-one with students to discuss their job and internship opportunities and outcomes, connecting them with employers who fit their skills and needs, and analyzing data on each student graduating while remaining in contact with them in their post-grad life. Aimee also conducts class insertions where she discusses specific careers with employers as well as more general information about interviews, resumes, networking, and more. Agee supplied the coaching and leadership needed to help COBA’s business and technology students improve their outcomes this year. Her hard work and excellence in developing and communicating with students has impacted COBA graduates’ academic and professional careers positively.
Aimee Agee
We are pleased to announce that the B.B.A. programs’ overall outcomes have moved beyond our stated goal of 90%. 93% of our May graduating class received either a job offer or an acceptance into a graduate program within ninety days of graduation. Achieving this rate gives us a past-four-year average of 90.18 %. The average starting salary for our B.B.A. students was $41,497. The School of Information and Technology had a very strong bump in employment, especially from Digital Entertainment Technology graduates. SITC had a 100% outcome rate of students with a job offer or acceptance to a graduate program. This includes their international students and again exceeds the target of 90%. The average starting salary for SITC graduates was $57,600. COBA saw 100% of the students in the Master of Accountancy program employed within ninety days of graduation. The average starting salary for MAcc graduates was $55,000.
Learn more about COBA’s Professional Development Program for current students and alumni at the links listed or by going to www.acu.edu/coba.
by M. C. Jennings | Aug 31, 2016 | Academics, Careers In..., COBA Staff, College Decisions, Current Students, Outcomes, Uncategorized
Meet Aimee (pronounced I-may) Agee, COBA’s newest staff member. Aimee serves as COBA’s Student and Professional Development Manager, working with students to help them via class insertions, job and internship coaching sessions, resume help and much more. COBA students, we hope you’ll come in to the Dean’s Suite and meet Aimee!
Aimee Agee
What is your educational background?
I completed two A.A. degrees with the Community College of the Air Force, one in Aircraft Maintenance Systems and the other in Instructional Science. I completed my undergraduate degree in Adult and Career Education at Indiana State University. I am projected to graduate with my M.Ed from ACU in December.
What is your work background?
I spent 11 years in the Air Force, 7 years as an aircraft mechanic and 4 years as an instructor under the Community College of the Air Force. After separating from the Air Force I was an assistant campus director for Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and then a community readiness specialist, specializing in employment.
Aimee and her husband, First Lieutenant, Alfred B. Agee Jr.
What do you do at ACU/COBA?
At COBA I am the Professional and Student Development Manager. I focus on helping our students be prepared for the work force and find internship and employment opportunities.
What drew you to work at ACU? Why did you want to work with students?
What drew me to ACU was being able to combine my passion for higher education, students, and Christ.
What’s the best part of working with students?
The best part of working with students is knowing that you can help them through such an important transition period in life.
Outside of ACU, what passions and hobbies do you have?
My passion is education. I love reading, taking classes, and learning new things. My two young girls take up a lot of time but I love being a mom and learning.
Aimee and her daughters
What is a good, early story about your first job or when you were in college?
Being petite in size made my first job very challenging! I quickly realized being an aircraft mechanic was not for me. I trusted God and He led me to my second job and my passion for higher education.
Who is your role model and why?
My role model is my mother-in-law. Her faith is her guide in life. When I need to speak to someone she always guides me back to the best resource available, the Bible.
Who was your most inspirational professor and why?
My most inspirational professor was Dr. Morris. He facilitated a few of my graduate courses and I was so impressed at his ability to be engaged and involved with students holistically in an online setting.
The Agee Family
If you could have a superpower, what would it be and why?
Time travel! I would love to go back in time and meet so many historical figures.
What is something that students might be surprised to find out about you?
English is my second language. I was born and raised in Puerto Rico with Spanish as my first and primary language.
