At Vaughn College, we provide students with the education and opportunity of today so they can be ready for the careers of tomorrow. We think of it as preparing our students to be futureproof and able to withstand anything that’s thrown their way. Our dedication to our students’ success speaks for itself. Did you know 99 percent of Vaughn graduates—89 percent in their field of study*—are either employed or continue their education within one year of graduation? And here’s how we do it:

Career Services                         

We can all use a little guidance once in a while. Think of our office of career services as your career GPS system—guiding you every step of the way through your education and on to your next steps, creating a unique pathway to achieve your goals. Did you know Vaughn students are required to complete a career development course? This course is instrumental as it lays the foundation for landing a job. Students learn vital skills that include résumé and cover letter preparation, interviewing techniques, networking and various job search strategies.

Financial Aid

Don’t let the cost of an education get in the way of pursuing your dreams. Did you know more than 90 percent of our students receive financial aid—with the average package totaling more than $15,000 per year? Easing the overall educational costs and college expenses is another way that Vaughn helps its students prepare for success.

Professional Conferences

Vaughn encourages and provides resources for its students to attend professional conferences where they can position themselves for the right job, meet the right people and even receive interviews from employers for available internships and jobs. Attending and participating in conferences is one more way that students can up their game for a successful future and set themselves apart from the competition. Some meetings and conferences our students have attended include: American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE), American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE), Society of Women Engineers (SWE), American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA) and the Association for Equality and Excellence in Education (AEEE). (Many of these organizations are now hosting virtual conferences.) Here are some of the benefits students receive from attending one or more conferences:

• Priceless job exposure
• Expansive networking opportunities
• Unparalleled learning experience in the field
• Opportunity to present their papers or projects
• Learning about jobs in industries worth pursuing after graduation

Hands-on Coursework

Learning is complex. If you are a student, you know that it’s not always what you learn from books that gives you knowledge but applying that knowledge to real-life experiences that brings a concept to life. At Vaughn, part of our students’ success comes from the hands-on experience they gain in our labs and flight simulator complex. To further that knowledge, our professors teach from experience, bringing years of working in an industry we serve to the classroom. As the COVID-19 pandemic has driven much of Vaughn’s coursework online, its professors have risen to the challenge and kept students engaged through asynchronous and synchronous learning, Zoom conferencing and D2L instruction (which is an online learning platform). They have found innovative ways to maintain the hands-on experience online. As one of our mechatronic engineering graduates, Jefferson Maldonato ’16 said: “The most important thing is to be able to apply what you have learned, stay true to your passion and maintain a solid work ethic. Don’t be afraid to get your hands dirty. It’s not always about what you know but about the skills behind what you know that can make the difference.” Read more about Jefferson’s success story.

Internships

Internships are an asset to learning and gaining hands-on experience in your chosen field. Vaughn has secured relationships with a broad scope of industry partners that include the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA), NASA, major airlines and airports and manufacturing companies with government military contracts, just to name a few. Read about Samantha Vitez ’21, and how Vaughn’ s career services department helped her land an “internship of a lifetime” at NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, California.

Career Fairs

Career fairs are exciting opportunities for students to meet and build professional relationships with employers in industries that Vaughn serves. Bringing today’s industry leaders and businesses to our students through career fairs is another example of how Vaughn prepares its students for success. In light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, Vaughn has started hosting virtual career fairs which have been a huge success. Keep an eye on our events page for updates about the upcoming virtual spring career fair.

Are you ready to pursue your futureproof career? Discover the possibilities with an engineering and technology, management or aviation degree from Vaughn College.

If you are a prospective student, we welcome you to attend our Spring Virtual Open House on April 8 at 6 p.m. Learn more about the event and how you can register.

*Outcomes include data within one year of graduation for graduates who reported via survey. There were a total of 304 graduates in 2019. 168 reported an outcome for a 55% response rate. The 2019 graduate class includes September 2018, December 2018 and May 2019 graduates.