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University of Pikeville Office of Career & Professional Development CareerCounseling@upike.edu
Darwin V. Kysor Director DarwinKysor@upike.edu (606) 218-4467 Learn More about Darwin
Sonia Smith Campus Employment Specialist SoniaSmith@upike.edu (606) 218-5223 Learn more about Sonia
The UPIKE Career and Professional Development Center is committed to providing comprehensive career and professional development opportunities to students in their pursuit of lifelong career success and satisfaction. We will help you plan for your career beginning with your very first semester throughout your lifetime. You’ll have the opportunity to explore interests, sharpen skills and gain experience as you transition into graduate/professional school and the workforce after graduation.
Handshake is a one-stop shop for students and alumni to find and secure jobs and internships and for employers of all sizes to connect with UPIKE students and recent graduates.
An online career assessment that assesses your interests, leisure interests, skills, personality and values as you seek to “focus” your self-discovery career path. Access Code: pikey
A comprehensive career resource, Vault enables you to research employers and industries, gain career advice, and apply to jobs and internships.
Held annually each Spring on campus.
Health Professions Education Building, 7th Floor
This is a free event to attend
UPIKE job search website connecting students with college work-study positions.
The University of Pikeville Career & Professional Development Office is committed to providing comprehensive career and professional development opportunities and experiential learning to students in their pursuit of lifelong career success and satisfaction in a global marketplace.
BELIEFS:
Development and management.
interests, values, skills and passions.
service in a welcoming and respectful environment.
WE WILL FULFILL OUR MISSION THROUGH:
A dedication to providing students an engaging, personalized career and professional development experience including:
a.) Career Choice – Identifying interests, skills and values, exploring career and post-graduate options.
b.) Experiential Education – Obtaining, reflecting upon and articulating learning in relation to Student Employment, Internships, Student Research, Community Service and Service Learning.
c.) Networking – Developing an elevator pitch, utilizing resources (Networking Events, UPIKE Alumni, LinkedIn), facilitating alumni connections.
d.) Career Preparation/Job Search – Cover Letters, Resumes, Interview Skills, Identifying potential employers.
e.) Graduate/Professional School – School/Program identification, application assistance, personal statements and essays.
f.) Professional Development – Enhancing career readiness skills and ethical practices, providing relevant programs and services.
Darwin V. Kysor, Ph.D., LPC, NCC
Darwin Kysor has over 30 years of experience in higher education and has been a member of the professional staff at the University of Pikeville since 2020, serving as Director of Career & Professional Development. Previously, he was the Director of Career Services and Internships at Juniata College in Huntingdon, PA, Coordinator of Job Placement & Cooperative Education at Harford Community College in Bel Air, MD and the Cooperative Education Coordinator/Career Counselor at Georgia Southern University in Statesboro, GA.
Darwin graduated with a B.A. in Criminal Justice and M.A. in Counselor Education from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania and a Ph.D. in College Student Services Administration from Oregon State University where he wrote his dissertation on the career benefits of cooperative education/internship experiences. He has been a National Certified Counselor since 1998 and in 2007 was selected as a Fulbright Scholar in the U.S. – Germany International Education Administrators Program.
Professionally, Darwin is a member of the National Association of Colleges and Employers, National Career Development Association, Kentucky Association of College and Employers, Kentucky Career Development Association and the American Counseling Association. He is a Program Reviewer for both NACE and the Middle States Commission on Higher Education.
Darwin’s family includes spouse Patricia, daughters Riley and Summer and sons Roman, Connor and Pierce.
Sonia Smith, M.A
Sonia has more than 10 years’ experience in higher education, providing career guidance to students on their journey as they explore how they want to live and craft a meaningful life. Utilizing reflection, listening, curiosity, questioning, experiential learning, and holistic exploration she has developed opportunities and created and managed programs for students to connect their studies, major, interest, responsibilities, work and what they are curious about doing in the world in order to better design their life. Sonia integrates and utilizes her background and experience in ministry, human resources, work with non-profits, internship and job development, volunteer services, and student employment to engage students, connecting their desire for work with interests in studies and life.
Guided by a professional interest and emphasis on “How Do I Do What I Say I Believe in the World,” Sonia enthusiastically works with students to design a life with purpose and meaning. Sonia has certifications to work with and interpret the Myers Briggs Type Indicator and the Strong Interest Inventory in addition to grant writing. Her educational background includes psychology, understanding human development and counseling as well as teaching and administration along with curriculum development. She holds a M.A.C.E. from Union Seminary and B.A in Psychology from Meredith College. Professionally she has taught college classes and presented at conferences for organizations including the national conference for the Network for Vocation in Undergraduate Education (NetVUE) “Fostering Student Vocational Discernment through Clearness Committees” (also awarded a grant for this) and Career Development Professionals of Indiana, state conference, on a marketing case study.
At the University of Pikeville, Sonia enjoys helping students find where they are supposed to be as they connect their education with employment. She served as a mentor for the national NASPA Undergraduate Fellow Program (NUFP) and oversees the university’s participation in the “Student of the Year” national award including winning the KY state award two years in a row. For fun, Sonia appreciates cooking, reading, traveling (in person and virtually) domestically and internationally, spending time with friends and family, and keeping up with her nieces, ages 6 and 21.
To contact Sonia: soniasmith@upike.edu or 606-218-5223