Keri Young

Age: 30

Family: mother of son Keric and daughter Kendall

Employer: Southeast Missouri State University

Position: Experiential Learning Coordinator in the Career Linkages Department

Community Involvement: Vice Chair of the University Relations Committee and member of the Cape Girardeau Chamber of Commerce Internship Sub-Committee

Deciding which career to pursue is hard enough, much less getting started.

Every day Keri Young helps students at Southeast Missouri State through this process.

"A lot of these students just need someone to listen to them about what they want out of life or just help them set some goals," she says. "I strongly believe that students should be proactive in their own career development, but everyone needs help along the way."

Meeting with students and employers, Young tries to arrange opportunities that will benefit both. In the process she gets to do what she enjoys most, interact with people from many different backgrounds. She says "I come to work every day because I know that what I do really does make a difference in helping these students begin their career."