“The ’Canes community is real, and I’m happy to be a part of it,” said Kamilah Rodriguez, recent UM graduate and vice president of communications for the Houston ’Canes.
Rodriguez graduated in 2022 with degrees in public relations and sports administration, as well as minors in Spanish and sports medicine. Born and raised in Houston, she came back to Texas after graduating to figure out her next steps. She ended up taking a job doing PR for technology companies.
Rodriguez was one of the many UM alums who attended a Houston ’Canes Alumni event on Tuesday, July 29. The event took place at The Kid in the Houston Heights and was designed to give alumni, UM Engagement staff and ’Canes parents time to connect with one another and meet new people.
Five of the attendees were kind enough to share their unique experiences at UM and provide advice and insight for current students.
Why did you choose to attend the University of Miami?
Hashim Abdullah, current president of the Houston ’Canes, always knew he wanted to be a ’Cane. His late father, a “trailblazer” at UM, was one of the first Black American students to graduate from UM in 1973 with his bachelor in business administration.
Abdullah received an undergraduate degree in computer science from Barry University in 2001, and graduated with his masters in business administration from the University of Miami in 2017.
Determined to escape the chaos of Houston, Johnathan Channavong-Riley also followed a non-traditional path to UM. Before applying to a university, he moved to Florida and enrolled in a community college in Palm Beach for a year. UM was the first school he applied to and the first school to accept him. The rest is history, and Channavong-Riley graduated this past May with a degree in journalism and a minor in public relations.
Alternatively, Jessica Roach Shogren chose to attend UM for many reasons, including the accredited biomedical engineering program, the diverse culture of Miami and the school itself. She graduated in 2018 with a degree in biomedical engineering and currently does quality engineering and post-quality assurances for a medical device company.
“UM had one of the only accredited biomedical engineering programs at the time,” said Roach Shogren. “It also had the draw of the campus, the sports teams, the academics, the international students and the students attending from across the U.S. It was as close to an abroad experience as I felt I was going to get without being able to go abroad because of my major.”
What skills did you take from UM that helped you with your career?
Chris Paschke graduated from UM in 1993 with majors in geology and marine science. Paschke currently works as a geologist for an oil and gas company, but he feels that UM’s marine science program and working as a lab assistant at the Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science helped him stand out from other candidates.
“UM has a renowned marine science program and it set me apart from other geology students,” said Paschke. “I was able to get a laboratory assistant job, a work study, out at Rosenstiel. That was something on my résumé and applications that was relatively unique because it was employment, and it gave me experience in the field. It’s not every day that an undergraduate gets to work in his or her field.”
In terms of people skills, Kamilah Rodriguez shared that the social environment at UM taught her how to hold conversations, a skill that has helped her with interviews and developing relationships.
“Miami is such a social school in general, even outside of your classes,” said Rodriguez. “Everyone wants to be friends and get to know you, so that helps me in the business side of my life and makes networking easier for me. What makes the school special are the people and who you interact with.”
Rodriguez highlighted a public speaking class she took while at UM, recalling the time she had to give an impromptu presentation about Rhianna’s cultural impacts. The class taught her to think on her feet and communicate effectively, skills she believes have helped elevate her career-wise, especially with so much remote work.
How has networking impacted you?
“The job market today is completely different even than what it was back in 2001 when I got my first job,” said Abdullah. “However, the one thing that got me a job back in 2001 was networking, and I think that’s still important now.”
As an active alum, Abdullah noted that alumni tend to hire from their alma maters and look to help students currently attending their schools.
“Leveraging your connections is important,” said Abdullah. “What I’ve noticed is that one of the ways alumni give back, especially when they get higher up in their companies, is by setting up recruiting to their alma maters.”
Abdullah encouraged students to form relationships with alumni and keep in touch with them. City-based alumni networks are a great place to start and the Toppell Career Center, as well as other on-campus alumni events, can help students make connections.
Paschke agreed that networking is crucial to learning and incredibly helpful when it comes time to find a job. UM didn’t always offer the specific geology classes that Paschke needed to graduate, so he attended a geoscience field camp over the summer at another university and met geology undergrads from all across the country.
For Roach Shogren, moving to Houston from Miami meant she had to form new relationships. She leaned on local ’Canes communities and messaged former classmates on LinkedIn. She found that adding a short message and bonding over attending UM was usually enough to spark a conversation.
“When I moved to Houston, I didn’t have a lot of friends or family down here, so I connected with people who I didn’t have classes with or really know while I was at UM, but now we’re super-close,” said Roach Shogren.
Is there anything you would do differently?
Reflecting on her time at UM, Rodriguez wished she had taken her professors’ advice to talk with guest speakers and establish those relationships.
“I vividly remember, and it replays in my head sometimes, when we would have guest speakers in class and I didn’t stay after to introduce myself,” said Rodriguez. “Now I’m realizing that this extra step or interaction could have opened another door for me, so that’s something I wish I had listened to my professors about.”
Channavong-Riley said he would also focus more on developing his connections and skills through internships.
“I wish I had gotten more involved in internships. I was working a lot, trying to pay my way through school, and I didn’t grasp what the internships could do for me in the future,” said Channavong-Riley. “For up-and-coming Canes, get the internships, man. It makes a big difference in applying for jobs and looking at your resume.”
Abdullah’s masters program was mostly online so he may not have had the same in-class opportunities, but he also regretted not focusing on forming many in-person relationships. While he spent time on UM’s campus throughout high school, he thought he should have prioritized spending time on campus while getting his masters.
What advice would you give current ’Canes?
Reflecting on her freshman year, Rodriguez wished she had participated more actively in some of the less serious clubs she signed up for. She said that she signed up for the salsa club and hardly went, but now regrets not taking advantage of the time she had in college to learn something that was simply for fun.
For the rising seniors, Rodriguez suggested you start thinking about your future and that it is never too early to plan. However, while she believes that having a plan to build off on is super important, she also emphasized that it’s totally okay to change your plans. It’s all about learning and growing.
Planning was similarly important to Channavong-Riley, who recommended that current students lean on their academic advisors for more than just class registration.
“Listen to your advisors, they are also there for you. They’ll tell you how it is and what you need to do,” said Channavong-Riley. “They’re there for you when you have a hurdle because not everything in life can be structured.”
Additionally, Channavong-Riley said the relationships and rapport he built with his professors has been incredibly important in the job search.
“I can name all of my professors, and I could have a letter of recommendation in a day if I need one because of the relationships I built with them,” he said.
He encouraged students to converse with the professors professionally as well as casually, since these conversations allow the professor to really get to know you and help support you.
As the evening wound down, it was clear that these five alums shared completely different backgrounds, degrees and perspectives yet still came together to talk, reflect and enjoy a meal.
“If you find yourself back in Houston after you graduate, you will always have a home here. Anyone who is coming to Houston and looking to make connections, feel free to reach out to Houston ’Canes,” said Abdullah. “We will welcome you with open arms.”
It doesn’t matter whether you graduated 30 years ago or this past spring, you will always have a home with your ’Canes.