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McPherson College Welcomes New Executive Director of Career and Experiential Learning

Kevin Mokhtarian, executive director Office of Career and Experiential LearningMcPherson College announces Kevin Mokhtarian will lead the Office of Career and Experiential Learning as executive director. The new position will focus on ensuring McPherson College graduates are placed in their field while broadening the level of student engagement across campus.

“McPherson College’s career placement and graduate school acceptance rates are some of the highest in the country,” President Michael Schneider said. “By elevating the scope and visibility of our career service efforts, our students will have even greater opportunities to explore, experience, and engage in career development.”

Among the McPherson College 2018 graduates, two-thirds reported having a job or graduate school placement before crossing the stage at commencement, which is three times the national average. Additionally, 100 percent of those who applied were accepted to graduate school programs.

Since 2017, McPherson College has been integrating a new way to council students on their career journey. The “Enterprising MC Student” model applies a process where students explore options in their field through research and conversations with industry professionals; experience the actual work through practicums, clinicals, and job shadowing; and engage in internships, projects, and jobs. In addition, areas like service learning, global travel, and entrepreneurship are being included to expand the scope of career development on campus.

“We want to engage more students in career preparation—from those who know specifically what they want to do after they graduate to those who have no idea,” said Schneider.

The new model is not a linear checklist of what you should accomplish given your classification, rather it is a cycle of discernment that refines a student’s career path. Student’s at McPherson College will spend their academic career cycling through the different elements of the model until they have a clear direction.

“It’s a privilege to help guide students as they explore their career interests and to offer resources that will assist them in achieving their objectives,” Mokhtarian said. “Obviously the college years are critical to personal and professional development. I believe we can expand the employer engagement opportunities and create even more options for career choices.”

Mokhtarian comes to McPherson College with excellent experience in career services as associate director of the career center at Kansas State University, and associate director for institutional effectiveness at MidAmerica Nazarene College where he led the career services department. In addition, he has 23 years of industry experience. His new role at McPherson College will begin on September 13.