Evelyn Filleman
A college student’s path is not always conventional, and each person will follow a different career trajectory as they move forward in their professional lives. This is especially true for 43-year-old non-traditional student Debra McSpadden, who is set to graduate in December.
“I got a late start to attending college because of the poor choices I made in my past,” McSpadden said. “I spent 18 years in a drug addiction before I gave my life to the Lord. I never thought it would be possible to turn my life around, finish college and get a career. I went through a faith-based recovery home called Daughters of the Other Side, located in Higginson, Arkansas, for one full year. When I graduated from that program, I prayerfully made the decision to start college in order to gain some skills so that I could provide for my two daughters, who are now 19 and 16 years old. I was so scared of failure that it was almost crippling, but nothing is impossible with God.”
McSpadden started her academic journey at Arkansas State University-Beebe in a two-year program, and graduated with an associate’s degree in business technology. She then transferred to Harding and majored in integrated marketing communication (IMC). With the help of faculty and friends, McSpadden was led through the program with perseverance and determination. During her time at Harding, McSpadden was involved in organizations on campus, specifically the Integrated Marketing Communication Organization (IMCO), attending events and building relationships with those in her field.
“She has been so involved in a variety of things in the Communication Department, and really all around campus, to grow and figure out where she needs to land at this point in her life,” Lori Sloan, IMC assistant professor and adviser, said. “My personal experience with her has been so pleasant, so encouraging, and for me to see someone work that hard is actually challenging as a professor; I have to make sure that I deliver what she needs. She’s been so active in IMCO, attending all the IMC expos, working part-time — maybe even full time — throughout her career here.”
One of the benefits of being involved in these events was the connections that were made. McSpadden built a relationship with representatives at the EdTech solution company, Apptegy, through various fairs and expos. She then continued the connection through the Center for Professional Excellence (CPE), and it landed her a job offer. The CPE coached her through the interview process, in addition to providing an interview room and professional headshot services.McSpadden felt much more confident and capable because of the prep work done through the organization.
“We had a mock interview with Debra before her interviews with Apptegy,” Anna Yingling, Event and Marketing Coordinator with CPE, said. “She was a unique case because she has working experience already and possesses very good soft skills, and that’s one thing we’re looking for during mock interviews. Since she knew exactly what job she was applying for, we just had to strategize with her. She had questions ready for Apptegy and we just talked through the best ways to ask those questions to see how we could get familiar with their company.”
McSpadden ended up securing the position at Apptegy as a sales development representative. In addition to starting her new career after graduation, she will also be pursuing her Master of Business Administration through Harding’s College of Business Administration.
