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The Wabash Valley Collegiate Chapter of ISU and SMWC for the Society of HRD

Fall Newsletter

November 2011

Inside this issue:

Meet our New Faculty Advisor	1
SHRM and your Career Path	1
Meet the SHRM President	2
SHRM Bucks	2
Upcoming Events	2
Meet the SHRM Secretary	3
My Experience with the WVHRA	3
Meet the SHRM PR Officer	4
Meet the SHRM Historian	4
Meet the SHRM / Vice President / Vi	5
Welcome New SHRM Members	5
A personal experience with SHRM	6
WVHRA Scholarship Winners	6
Our Fall Event Gallery	7

MEET OUR NEW FACULTY ADVISOR

Dear SHRM Members,
As the newly appointed faculty advisor for the Student SHRM Association, I am very excited to work with the student chapter. While working on my master’s degree in Human Resource Development at Indiana State University from 2005-2007, I was a student SHRM member. While being a student SHRM member, I was able to meet professionals working in the field of Human Resources at the Wabash Valley Human Resource Association meetings. For me, SHRM means gaining information, education, networking and advocacy.
The Wabash Valley Collegiate SHRM Chapter has gotten off to a great start with the newly elected officers. The officers and I started off the semester by identify this year’s meeting topics they though were relevant to HRD students, community projects to get involved in, and professional development opportunities.
We have had new student orientation, and two successful Wabash Valley Collegiate SHRM Meetings. Eight student members of our student chapter made a presentation at the Wabash Valley Human Resources Association November meeting.
I encourage students to take advantage of these meetings for networking opportunities. The Student SHRM holiday party will be December 12th at 5:30p.m. located at the Grand Traverse Pie Company.
Be sure to look for announcements in the spring semester about upcoming meetings, volunteer opportunities, and industry tours. I am honored to be the newly appointed faculty advisor for the collegiate SHRM Chapter at Indiana State University. The officers and I are committed to aiding in your professional advancement.
Sincerely,
Amber Gilman

SHRM and your Career Path: What it means to be a SHRM member

Being a member allows you to serve the profession with resources and tools and advance the HR profession through awareness and visibility. Companies are looking for HR professionals who are up-to-date on the latest issues affecting their bottom line. Keeping your HR Skills and Knowledge up-to-date may be the key to landing a new job or holding on to the one you have — SHRM can give you a competitive edge. Being indispensable when your company is downsizing is easier with SHRM’s resources at your fingertips. Getting involved in the student and professional association will give you the connections you need to maintain your network; many volunteer opportunities exist (SHRM, 2010).

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Meet the SHRM President

“ Being involved in this great organization so early on in my college career has helped me gain confidence to talk to professionals and gain insight on real experience”

Dear SHRM members
I am Alexa Davis, the 2011- 2012 SHRM President! I am an energetic sophomore who is passionate about making a difference and helping others. SHRM is a great way to meet and network with HR professionals. Being involved in this great organization so early on in my college career has helped me gain confidence to talk to professionals and gain insight on real experience. This opportunity of being president has enabled me to meet so many people and plan beneficial events. I have learned more about responsibility and communication. Our SHRM chapter has been doing great things this semester! I am pleased to say that we were able to participate again in the annual Tech Extravaganza that the College of Technology hosts every year and a total of $ 364.27 was raised. We worked with other great organizations and raised $14.75 for our SHRM account. We participated in “Trick- or- Treat” for UNICEF on Halloween day and raised $100 to donate to the great charity that helps children in need. As president, I planned the Fall Industry Tour where we were able to travel to Bemis, a local packaging company. We got a tour of the plant and were able to ask questions with HR professionals who work there. I also have the responsibility of leading each chapter meeting. My wonderful team of officers is dedicated and responsible. We are always welcoming new members, so I encourage you to come to one of our meetings where you can experience how it will benefit you as well! I am looking forward to our future meetings and service projects!
Alexa Davis

SHRM Bucks

SHRM Bucks are our form of currency rewarded when you come to meetings or engage in other beneficial HR- related activities. At the end of each semester, SHRM Bucks are traded in for cool prizes.
Here is the amount of Bucks you will get:

$1 for each monthly meeting attended
$3 for attending the leadership conference
$3 for attending the student conference
$1 for each professional meeting attended of the WVHRA

$1 for attending orientation meetings
$1 for job shadowing
$1 for having a mentor
$ 2 for attending WVHRA mini- seminars

Upcoming Events

If you are part of the HRD program and haven’t been to student SHRM meeting, it’s not too late. Join us for our holiday party on December 12, 2011. The holiday blast gives the members an opportunity to give back to the community through the Toys-for-Tots program; each member brings an unwrapped $10 toy to be donated. In addition we have the opportunity to socialize with other members and faculty, play games, spend our SHRM Bucks and have a great time. Last December was my first opportunity to experience the extravaganza and I can’t wait for this year’s holiday party.
In January, the student SHRM chapter welcomes the New Year with our first meeting on January 18, 2012 at 4:30p.m. in room TC303. Join us to learn more about how the student SHRM chapter can help your educational journey. List of upcoming meetings include:

December 12, 2011 Traverse Pie
Company @ 5:30 p.m
January 18, 2012 @ 4:30pm

February 15, 2012 @ 4:30pm
March 21, 2012 @ 4:30pm
April 18, 2012 @ 4:30pm

Fall Newsletter

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Meet the SHRM Secretary

Dear SHRM Members,
My name is Rachel Williams and I am a graduate student in the Human Resources Development program. I love interacting with others and being a positive influence on my friends, family, and associates. As an undergraduate, majoring in business management here at ISU, I was unsure of the career path I wanted to take. I took a few human resource management courses and a course in the HRD program as well. This is where I found my passion for this area of study. I realized I did not want a career that works directly with customers; instead I wanted to focus on the employees who make up an organization. I have truly been enjoying my continued educational path in the HRD department; the classes are all interesting and I appreciate the information I am learning from our knowledgeable and skilled professors. The fact that I am the secretary for the Student SHRM Chapter this year is just icing on the cake. I enjoy working with the other officers and members of the chapter in the many events we offer. I also enjoy attending our monthly SHRM meetings, the WVHRA meetings, industry tours, and community service activities. These are all great ways to network with HR and HRD professionals and altogether have a great time! I look forward to serving as the secretary for the remainder of the year!
Rachel Williams

My Experience at the WVHRA November Meeting

On Wednesday, November 9, 2011 I was honored to be part of a student panel discussion at the monthly meeting of the Wabash Valley Human Resources Association at Clabber Girl here in Terre Haute. This proved to be a very rewarding experience as I, along with my fellow Wabash Valley Collegiate SHRM officers and members, got the chance to discuss our views to numerous questions from local employers. In addition to myself, the presenters at this meeting were Chapter President, Alexa Davis; Vice President, Michael Freeman; Secretary, Rachel Williams; Publicity Chair, Siham Lekchiri; and Collegiate SHRM members Clarissa Jones, Csilla Stewart, and Qi Yan.
Through this experience, we were given the opportunity to practice our presentation skills directly in front of the top HR professionals in the region. In addition, we had the chance to meet potential employers from the area in a professional setting. Finally, I am pleased to announce that I was also honored as the graduate student to receive the WVHRA Graduate Student Scholarship at this meeting. This was an experience that I will remember fondly, and I encourage everyone who is a member of the Collegiate SHRM chapter to take part in future meetings of the WVHRA.
Jason Dean

“This was an experience that I will remember fondly “

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Meet the SHRM PR Officer

“Having the opportunity to attend the SHRM meetings was a great opportunity for me to discover and become aware of the different issues in the HR profession ”

Dear SHRM members,
My name is Siham Lekchiri and I am the Public Relations Officer of the Wabash Valley Collegiate SHRM Chapter. I am also a graduate teaching assistant at our Human Resources Development and Performance Technologies Department and pursuing my master’s degree in HRD at ISU. I am originally from Morocco and I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Al Akhawayn University in Ifrane, Morocco. I have also held a position of an HR Consultant for 2 years in a leading consulting firm in Morocco called Capital Consulting, and this is where I discovered my passion for HR and decided to pursue my dream studies. In my leisure time, I love to spend time with family and friends, go to movies and do shopping, I also love singing in choir and solos.
Coming to ISU, Dr. Cindy Crowder introduced me to the SHRM professional and collegiate chapters and told me about the various benefits of this organization; and I have, with no hesitation, joined both chapters immediately. Having the opportunity to attend the SHRM meetings was a great opportunity for me to discover and become aware of the different issues in the HR profession, learn more about employers’ expectations from their employees, which therefore gave me a better idea of what aspects I need to improve in myself to be ready when I graduate. These meetings have also been a great opportunity for me to build networking with HR professionals, and in fact, I have been able to find my internship at the HR Department of Union Hospital thanks to these meetings. I am happy to be part of such a great organization!!
Siham Lekchiri

The Historian

Hello everyone,
My name is Jason Dean and I am the Historian for the Wabash Valley Collegiate SHRM chapter. In addition to holding this office, I am a teaching assistant and second year graduate student in the M.S. program in Human Resource Development at Indiana State University. I have previously worked for a number of years in logistics, specifically warehousing, and after that in sales. I was born in, and still live in Terre Haute, IN, and when I have any free time I like to play bass guitar, or watch football. Being a member of the student SHRM chapter has given me numerous opportunities to meet potential employers, and develop myself professionally such as improving my resume, and my interviewing skills. Because of this, I feel that membership in the Wabash Valley Collegiate SHRM chapter is essential for anyone wanting to connect to employers and develop themselves professionally while they are still in school.
Jason Dean
Jason Dean

The Vice President

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Hello all,
My name is Michael Freeman. I transferred from Ivy Tech Community College Lafayette, with an Associate of Applied Science degree in web management. I am currently a senior in the Human Resource Development program here at ISU; graduating in December 2011. In January 2012, I begin pursuit of a Masters degree in the HRD program; I will also be looking for an available graduate assistantship. During my educational journey, I have been involved with several different organizations, in many different roles. Last semester I was voted in as the Wabash Valley Student SHRM Vice President. In this role I have taken on new responsibilities, such as the new member orientation, which has allowed me the opportunity to grow personally and professionally. This past week I was honored with one of the Wabash Valley SHRM scholarships, another amazing opportunity I’ve been given as part of the education experience. In addition, several of my cohort and I had an amazing opportunity to present at the Wabash Valley Human Resource professional meeting; to give our perception of what new graduates are looking for in a future employer. This has opened another door leading to a possible internship; going to show, it really is all about networking.
Michael Freeman

Welcome New SHRM Members !

New Members This Fall:
Cherith Douglas , JoEllen Ornduff, Erika M. Robles, Jeanette Youngblood Robles, Leonora Dalipi, Holly Gilbert, Alexis Allen, Isaac French, AlWaleed Al-Duhayan, Desiree Edwards, Thamer Al Saadoun, Areij Alnusoiess, Qi Yan, Erica McCarter, Rachel Stewart, Ali Al Zibarah, Krissy Hockel, Michelle Martin, Csilla Stewart, Jordan Bellamey, Naif Alghurayri, Thamer Al Turki, Michael Archer
It is a great privilege to welcome you to the Student SHRM Organization. This professional organization offers many opportunities for you as a student to gain knowledge and experience and to help you excel as a Human Resource Professional. By attending the monthly meetings you will be introduced to a number of different HR and HRD professionals. They will each talk about a specific topic that will be beneficial for you and your future career. Also, it is encouraged for you to not only attend the meetings but become an active chapter member as well. You can help out with annual events, participate in opportunities such as speaking at the WVHRA meetings, join us in the industry tours, become a SHRM officer, and volunteer in community service activities. There are a number of ways to stay involved in the organization and get the most out of your membership! SHRM also offers you the opportunity to network with HR and HRD professionals around the Wabash Valley and this is a great way to earn an internship or even a full time position! You never know what opportunities are possible and as a chapter member, it is wise to use your membership to your fullest advantage and reap all the benefits! We are so excited you have decided to become a member of our SHRM team and look forward to getting to know you as the year continues!

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My personal experience with SHRM

“This is a perfect place to network and find that internship that we ALL must have to graduate”

After hearing about the opportunity to attend the WVHRA professional chapter’s meeting at Clabber Girl, I decided that it sounded like a great opportunity to network with professionals in my field. I was told that many different HR representatives would be attending the meeting from numerous organizations around the area. I decided to print off my resume so that I could be ready in case of any opportunities. At the start of the meeting, students and HR professionals mingled and sat to eat their lunches. To begin the meeting, students and first time visitors went around and introduced themselves. Because this was my first time, I was able to introduce myself, say something about myself, and let everyone know that I was currently looking for a spring internship. After the meeting had finished, the HR supervisor of Staple’s Distribution approached me. She told me that they were currently looking for interns for the fall and spring so I was able to give her my resume to look over. Within a week, I received a call from her asking if I would like to come in and discuss internship opportunities at the Staples Distribution Center. I am now currently working as the Human Resource intern at Staples Distribution. So far it has been an amazing experience and I am learning more than I ever imagined. I encourage everyone to attend the WVHRA meetings each month. This is a perfect place to network and find that internship that we ALL must have to graduate!
Kaitlyn Schultz

2011 WVHRA Scholarship Winners

Michael Freeman and Jason Dean winners of the 2011 WVHRA Scholarship

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Trick or Treat SHRM Edition

Bemis Tour

SHRM Student Panel

Our Team