Thomas Conte, Master’s Student
MASTER’S SPOTLIGHT — THOMAS CONTE
Thomas S. Conte remembers wanting to be a history teacher when he first entered college. “I always had an affinity for educators and what they did and I thought that it was something I could do,” he says. When he entered college, however, Thomas began to question the choice he made. His grades had dipped down so severely that he was almost dismissed from college and he didn’t know what to do. Thomas felt alone on campus even though he had a group of friends, but did not want to go seek academic help because he was afraid of being stigmatized.
Junior year was his cut off for whether or not he was going to stay in college and it was then he decided to make a change. “If it was my last semester there, I might as well take advantage of the work study opportunity and work on campus. The more I worked, the more I noticed my grades increasing and my self-esteem improving,” he adds. He realized that time management was one of his biggest issues as a student and his busy schedule forced him to better manage his time. By the time Thomas graduated, he was a member of two clubs, working for the athletics department as an intramural ref and office assistant, and had a 3.2 GPA. Thomas notes, “I realized that higher education and student engagement was a career path that made sense and that I was passionate about. Once I found out that I could go for my master’s in higher education, I made the decision to switch professional career goals from primary and secondary education to higher education and work with students who struggled the same as I did.”
The coursework in the master’s program has definitely helped Thomas in his Graduate Assistant position in the ELMP department. “I feel that the program has done a great job preparing me for my position now and has helped me be more proficient in finding and presenting information,” he says. Thomas has had to outline his own topics and papers and look at where he can streamline information to make it easier to understand, while keeping it relevant to his topic. The program has also helped him keep more up-to-date on the current events of higher education both globally and nationally.
As the capstone of the program, Thomas would like to fulfill the internship requirement in Freshman Studies, Admissions, or Residence Life. “I want more time communicating with students and seeing the professional landscape for myself. I hope to learn more about the challenges of dealing with students on a daily basis and the ways that administrators deal with them,” he adds. Thomas believes this experience would also give him an idea as to where he wants to start his professional career.
When thinking of his favorite moment in classes this semester, Thomas reflects on the self-evaluation in Leadership Institute that really opened his eyes to some of the behaviors that have impacted his work and the way he look at himself. “It also taught me I needed to make more time to occasionally do self-reflections and see where my own head is at as well as influenced my attitude to help me be better and want to achieve more for myself,” Thomas notes.
Sharing some advice for current master’s students in the program Thomas suggests finding ways to get involved and to make contacts in higher education to get additional experience – a great addition to any resume. Thomas notes, “Look for opportunities to volunteer with student groups, offices, and departments. Talk with classmates about where they work and some information about their departments. Go visit the career advisor if you don’t know how to move forward with your career. I did it and it helped me secure volunteer positions and pointed me in the right direction to secure my GA position.” Lastly, Thomas believes students should always keep the conversation open when it comes to opportunities presented to you; adding “the worst thing you can do is say not to later regret not taking someone up on an offer. Have a conversation just to get more information and see what options are available for participation.”
Thomas plans to graduate following Fall 2016, and he wishes to relocate from New Jersey. He would like to experience different parts of the country and some of the different school environments that American higher education fosters. For his first job following the program he would love to be working with students in a residence life setting.
Thomas can be reached at thomas.conte@student.shu.edu