Welcome to the first installment of EGC’s new Client Spotlight Series. Get to know our clients through a series of in-depth and engaging interviews. For our premiere interview, meet Dr. Sharon B. DeVivo of Vaughn College. Can you briefly introduce yourself and your role within the College? Hi, I’m Dr. Sharon DeVivo and I have served as president and chief executive officer of Vaughn College for the last ten years. Vaughn College, located in Queens—adjacent to LaGuardia Airport—enrolls more than 1,100 students who pursue master’s, bachelor’s and associate degrees in engineering, technology, management and aviation. My goal is to help our students—many of whom are not only first-generation Americans but first-generation college students—understand how to fund their education, guarantee their employment in careers that are in demand and provide them with a transformational education that will change the trajectory of their lives and those of their families. This goal gets every faculty and staff member excited to be at Vaughn. Could you provide a brief overview of the College, its mission and what you offer students? Vaughn’s mission is to provide a dynamic learning environment built on the foundations of experiential learning, industry engagement and a commitment to diversity. It aims to prepare students for professional success in the fields of engineering, technology, management and aviation through innovative education and hands-on experience. Graduates pursue a variety of industries, including airlines, aerospace and space manufacturers, automated cars, cargo, public utilities, all forms of transportation and emerging fields such as drones and advanced air mobility. Vaughn offers a truly unique, rich student experience that includes career support, industry connections/partnerships, a range of clubs/organizations, student chapters of industry organizations, participation in off-site conferences/events and hands-on learning. Affordability is a top priority and Vaughn offers scholarships and support with obtaining financial aid, loans and grants. What sets your College apart from others in the education sector? Vaughn College has strong connections with industry leaders and offers students valuable networking opportunities, internships and job placement. In fact, 98 percent of Vaughn students are employed or continue their education within one year of graduation—with 78 percent in their chosen field. These partnerships not only serve as career pathways for Vaughn students, but they also help us align our curriculum with current industry standards and needs. How has your institution made a positive impact on your students or community? Vaughn’s mission is to change the world, one student at a time, with a transformative education that leads to a lifetime of opportunity. Eighty percent of Vaughn students are from under-resourced communities, so Vaughn is truly changing their lives for the better. That result is why we’ve see the following outcomes: Ranked #1 in upward mobility nationwide by The New York Times. Recognized by US News & World Report as a “Best College for Social Mobility.” Ranked in the top 4 percent of colleges with the highest return on investment for students from under-resourced communities. It’s best to learn about career success from our alumni themselves. You can check out student/alumni success stories at vaughn.edu/ROI or on our blog. What are some upcoming projects or initiatives you are excited about? Vaughn recently applied with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to become an Enhanced Air Traffic Collegiate Training Initiative (AT-CTI) school, which means that our air traffic control students will be able to complete their three-month FAA Academy training at Vaughn instead of Oklahoma City as currently required. This is in an effort to assist in the acceleration of air traffic controller hiring and training to reduce the nationwide shortage. We continue to be extremely excited about the industry partnerships we’ve maintained for years and the new ones that we are forming. These relationships—which serve the College as well as companies—are the gateway for our students to learn about a variety of industries and careers, obtain internships and exciting and fruitful careers. For example, this past spring, we launched a mentorship program with Atlas Air, a cargo airline. Students were paired with an Atlas professional who was able to provide career support, site visits and expose them to aspects of the airline—such as law and finance—that they might not have otherwise knew about or understood firsthand. This institution is dedicated to ensuring that our graduates are well-prepared to meet the demands of the aerospace, transportation and related industries to address the critical shortage of skilled professionals. We are focused on providing the education and training necessary to fuel the workforce pipeline with highly qualified individuals. Overall, how would you summarize your experience working with our agency? EGC has been an outstanding partner in raising awareness about the institution, our students and our outcomes. The key is the staff members at the Agency and their willingness to listen, test out a hypothesis and respond with strategic ideas and tactics that can truly help move the needle for us. During our decade-long relationship, EGC is always working closely to tweak our plan, respond to what the data is telling them about the needs of our markets and making changes that produce results. Can you share a recent success story or milestone achieved by EGC for your company? Like so many places in higher education right now, we are seeing declines in enrollment based on the post-pandemic changing landscape and the demographic declines. EGC jumped right in and helped us with market research and what we learned was instantly used to amplify aspects of Vaughn that resonated with our students and their families. Part of the reason we have stayed with EGC is because of the level of commitment they provide to helping us achieve results. For example, to make sure our messaging was right, the EGC team attended both fall and spring Open Houses to fully understand what families needed to make a decision about the institution. The result is that we are up in applications—about 17 percent—over this time last year! Thank you, Dr. DeVivo, for your time and insights. EGC is proud to have been your full-service agency for the last 10 years and we look forward to remaining your marketing partner well into the future!
