For many college students, the pursuit of a degree serves mostly as a springboard for the realization of career goals. Many recent graduates used SMU to fulfill those dreams at the Hilltop through a variety of majors and campus activities.

Udodirim Ewelike, a December 2001 graduate, used her education at SMU in economics with financial applications to make herself more appealing on the job market.

“My years at SMU did a substantially good job of preparing me academically for the real world,” Ewelike said.

Ewelike also minored in international relations, which she says was an easy process for undergraduates looking to add more depth to a resume.

Waleed Abughazaleh, an electrical engineering/math major, who graduated in May 2002, said that extracurricular activities helped him develop other skills for his resume.

“There are a lot of opportunities that allow you to experiment and overlap,” Abughazaleh said. “It is easier for you to integrate and be a part of SMU.”

Most students agree that SMU played a positive role in what they have become today and what they hope to accomplish in the future.

College is not just about the books: It also encompasses what kind of employees these students become in the future.

Ehimen Isidahomen, a May 2002 graduate-level software engineering student, said classes at SMU catered to real life situations, helping him understand what to expect in the real world.

“SMU’s classes introduced standards in the way I do things,” Isidahomen said. “It gave me the opportunity to be exposed, [and] to develop my skills and my ability.”

Other students used their experience at SMU to pursue graduate school in the wake of a struggling economy.

Tanya Holloway, a May 2001 graduate from the School of Engineering, is currently studying medicine at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center.

Holloway said that although SMU aids students with real life applications, there are limits to what a college experience can provide.

“No amount of education is going to prepare you for the real world” she said. “[But now] I am studying what really pertains to my field of work.”

As much as SMU has prepared these students professionally and academically, most will agree that they also benefited on a personal level.

“[An SMU education] keeps doors open, and I like having my options open … because I like to be a well rounded person,” Abughazaleh said.

Ewelike agreed, but she stopped short of endorsing the SMU experience entirely.

“There is a missing bridge somewhere … there is a school spirit that lacks on this campus,” Ewelike said. “It is hard for people to experience university life in its fullness [at SMU].”