~Contributed by Sheila Mason
Introducing Sheila Mason, Pamplin School of Business P4 Director ~
I am excited to be part of the University of Portland as the next Director of the Pamplin Professional Preparation Program (P4). I have lived in the immediate neighborhood for the last 7 years and I was connected with Gwynn Klobes during the pandemic while looking for ways to engage with students in the areas of internship/career preparation.
I was thrilled to learn of the existence of the P4 program as something that all students in the Pamplin School of Business (PSOB) get to experience as part of their college journeys. I have been able to volunteer with the program and engage with students over the last couple of years through Mock Interviewing, Networking, and Resume events.
My path started in Engineering, graduating with a degree in Electrical Engineering from Colorado State University. From there, I joined Intel, first as an intern, and then moved to Oregon after graduation to work for Intel full time. I’ve held a variety of roles from process engineering, manufacturing technology development, business operations, and technical program management, with the opportunity to grow and manage teams along the way.
I’ve been passionate about career readiness and professional development since I was in college while arranging Mock Interviewing and Resume Workshops for my student peers. In parallel to my formal job roles, I’ve volunteered extensively with Dress for Success Oregon and a variety of Intel’s Career and Retention programming as a career mentor and advisor, as well as developing and leading workshops to build leadership, people management, and soft skills.
Outside of work, I love living in North Portland with my partner and best friend, Lane, and our two silly 9-month-old kittens (Dio and Ozzy). I enjoy traveling, biking, entertaining our friends, working on home improvement projects, and scouring the local used record shops to build our vinyl collection. I’m also an amateur sewist/quilter and am passionate about supporting housing and shelter solutions in our communities.
What will you be doing as P4 Director?
As the P4 Director, I will be overseeing all facets of the program for undergraduate students, including implementing programs, teaching P4 courses (BUS202/302), and serving as the connector between PSOB students, alumni, friends, and prospective employers to facilitate opportunities for students to explore career options through internships and post-graduation employment. I will be doing a deep dive into the current program course materials, flows, and activities and evolving them to ensure students are equipped for today’s competitive hiring and workplace landscape, in alignment with the Career Education Center, and using the feedback from students, peer instructors, alumni, and employers.
I’m excited to help prepare PSOB students with the tools and tactics to start a career journey where they can discover and cultivate their best selves and thrive!
What are your goals for this year?
Along with getting familiar with navigating the various systems, data collection/tracking, and processes at UP, a big focus for the 2023-24 school year will be in meeting and growing relationships with the UP Community, including students, faculty/staff, alumni, and our many supportive employers. I plan to start instructing in Fall 2024 and use this school year to learn from our current, amazing instructors and how to operate the various learning tools. In parallel, I’ll be working on establishing a plan and implementation for evolving the course flow, content, and activities that help PSOB students grow critical professional skills and connect with alumni and the extended business community from diverse backgrounds and work experiences. I am also engaging with the leaders of the PSOB Student Organizations to explore how we can collaborate to provide more and different opportunities and experiences for students as part of their major and career exploration that include both cross-discipline and discipline-specific options.
How can alums/UP community help?
As I look to engage with Alumni and the extended community, I am targeting connecting with folks who have previously helped with a variety of P4 events and activities, as well as grow the network to reach more alumni and friends. If you’re interested, or have colleagues, professional connections, or friends who might be interested in helping with things like professional development topics/activities, supporting faculty as guest speakers in classes (either P4 or discipline-specific), hosting a site visit, hiring interns/entry-level employees, mentor students, and more, I would love to hear from you. I am planning to explore different on-campus and virtual activities and events to provide multiple paths for students and professionals to engage. I also aim to organize and communicate a calendar of opportunities in the coming weeks and utilize tools like Eventbrite to coordinate volunteer sign-ups where it makes sense.
If you are interested in helping in some way, I would appreciate your support with filling out this brief Fall 2023 survey that will help me get to know you, your areas of expertise, availability, and interests, https://forms.office.com/r/RgPqPPUZFi .
Feel free to share within your trusted networks!
I would like to extend a heartfelt thank you to Montana Hisel-Cochran for all that she has done over the last year running the P4 program and for her support and training as I come up to speed. And thank you to Dr. DeVaughn, Dr. Reed, and all the faculty and staff who have been so welcoming and supportive. I’m excited to collaborate with this amazing team!
Questions or Connect?
If you have questions or want to get in touch, contact me at masons@up.edu , or through LinkedIn, https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheilamason1/
