By Neal Kirmer
Staff Writer
Several times throughout the school year the office of Student Support Services holds informative workshops which are designed to help students both during and after their time at Cameron.
One such workshop was held on Jan. 26 in the Wichita Room located in the Shepler Center. Tina Burch-Lee, a Business Development Officer with Arvest Bank, spoke to those in attendance about identity theft.
“People are doing things every day that they should not be doing, there are things that they should be doing that they are not. From coming to one of these workshops you can learn the ways to prevent it from happening to you. ” Burch-Lee said of the workshops.
Burch-Lee spoke to the crowd about ways that individuals can protect their identities from those with malicious intent. The workshop lasted for nearly an hour and ended with participants questions for the speaker.
Many of the workshops offered by the Student Support Services are centered on helping students navigate the world around them. The workshops presented cover a wide range of topics from the aforementioned identity theft to others concerning tax preparation and estate planning.
Cathleen Dutton, Freshman Guidance Specialist, believes that these workshops can prepare students, not only during their time at Cameron, but also for their future lives outside of academia.
“I believe the identity theft workshop is important. That is happening more so now than ever. People need to know how to overcome that if it happens to them. You need to know how to be vigilant about it.” said Dutton. “Estate planning is another good one for people to go to.”
Many students benefit from these workshops. Destiny Hall, a senior at Cameron, recently attended a seminar preparing students for job interviews.
“I found the workshops can help you in the future. They (Student Support Services) helped me step by step. I recommend that students join Student Support Services. ” said ….
The workshops are not always as serious as identity theft or tax preparation. Several events on the schedule are designed to help students relax and perhaps discover a new hobby, like the seminar scheduled for Feb. 1 which will teach participants how to play chess.
There is also a workshop scheduled for Apr. 10 in which local wildlife rehabilitator Wally Breadon will bring animals to campus and teach the crowd about local wildlife species.
The wildlife workshop, like several others is open to all students and faculty. Others however require that students be a member of Student Support Services. To become member, students should meet one of three requirements, be a first generation college student, have a documented disability or meet a financial threshold. If the student meets one of these requirements they may apply with the Student Support Services and gain access to the workshops as well as other benefits gained from being a member.
Cameron University offers many ways for students to prepare for life outside of their academic careers. Those wishing to attend should be aware of workshops that are offered to Student Support Services members only. For more information on how to become a member, visit the Student Support Services section, or the events section of the Cameron University webpage.