We start right away. During Summer Orientation and Welcome Week you will become a part of your mentor group. These groups consist of about entering ten students. They are led by a trained faculty or staff member and one or two upper division student mentors who take a personal interest in you throughout the first year. By the time the semester has started, mentors know you well and you have several friendly faces to whom you can turn.

As the fall semester opens, you will meet in your mentor groups in weekly seminars called COR 100. COR 100 has been carefully designed to assist you in making the transition to college and to instill the academic and personal skills needed for success. You’ll also acquire the skills needed to assume increasing responsibility for course selection, plotting your program of study, and beginning a career. On the personal side, the student mentors will assist you in becoming a part of the Lyon teaching and learning community.

Early in the first semester, the Director of Career Development will meet with all mentor groups to explain the services and resources of the Career Development Office. This is your invitation to visit individually with the Director and begin a relationship that will continue to graduation and beyond.

Initially, our Career Development Center (CDC) staff will assist you in identifying your interests and abilities and developing strategies for academic and career planning. You can explore these interests in our classrooms; during the summer, you can test your abilities in an internship or shadowing experience. As your sophomore year draws to a close, you will have a background of knowledge and experience on which draw as you select your major program of study (or design your own).

As you progress through your junior year, the professional staff of the CDC as well as your faculty advisor will assist you in honing your resume, preparing for graduate and professional school entry exams, and building networks of Lyon alumni and others who will facilitate your career search. You will also have opportunities for workshops in life skills such as personal finance, etiquette, and interviewing. So, when your senior year arrives, you are ready for the job fairs and graduate school expos and that next step after graduation.