Kathy Kassissieh

I started as an Assistant Director in Career Services in 2006, and I am currently the Associate Director.  I lead the Student Success Team, which coach students both individually and in group presentations on career-related topics.  I also manage the placement data which is use by many entities on campus, as well as externally – such as U.S. News and World Report and the Princeton Review. I have served on the Employee Relations Committee, the Behavioral Intervention Team, and lead programs to assist students through the office of Student Accessibility Services. 

I graduated from Indiana University with a degree in Journalism and spent 12 years working for an NBC affiliate as a broadcast news reporter and anchor. When I decided to leave television, I had become the state’s youngest female to ever serve as a News Director and was also president of the Indiana Associated Press Broadcasters Association. So how is any of that relevant? During my actual job interview here, I was asked that exact question. Tom Miller, the former Associate VP of Student Affairs answered it for me: I have an umbrella of skills that have been developed over time, all of which a student could benefit from – especially my communication skills. So now I use my past experiences to help students open up and become more comfortable talking about themselves.

Kathy Kassissieh puts her past experience as a television news anchor to work in this video highlighting Rose-Hulman's Office of Career Services and Employer Relations.

When I had my first child, I knew it was time for a career change. I was on-call (working in television news) 24/7 including holidays, and was expected be in the office 11 hours a day, five days a week. I still wanted to use my communication and public speaking skills, but I had to find some balance.  Knowing I wanted to stay in Terre Haute, I sat down and ranked what I considered to be the best place to work for a new mom. My past interactions with staff and faculty at Rose-Hulman made it an easy choice. Rose-Hulman is one of the most family friendly employers in this community.

I love Homecoming. I love when alumni take the time to seek me out, give me a huge hug, and tell me all about what they’ve been doing since they graduated. Knowing that I had some small part in their success is more rewarding than words can express. But everyday I am fulfilled knowing that when a student leaves my office, they leave with something they didn’t have when they walked in – whether that is a sense of hope, a set of goals, or maybe even just a realization that they are better then they thought they were. I am able to use my skills to help students grow into better human beings. What better reward is there?

In STEM fields, women are considered part of a company’s diversity initiatives. Only 13 percent of engineers in the U.S. are women. Companies want more females and are putting programs in place to make themselves more attractive to new hires. I have had companies requesting resumes from our office, seeking only female candidates. STEM is also one of the only fields where female salaries equal, and in some cases surpass the salaries of men.

STEM schools want and need female students. Admissions teams will work extra hard to find a way to get a female admitted if they show a genuine interest in STEM. In 2019, only 20 percent of bachelor’s degrees awarded in engineering were to women. Colleges want female engineering students and companies want female engineers. All of the top 10 highest-paying careers for new college grads can be obtained right here at Rose-Hulman.    

Balancing a full-time job with being a full-time parent isn’t easy. Don’t believe anyone who says it is! Moms make huge sacrifices to try “having it all,” and sometimes we just need someone to say, “no one expects you to be perfect.” Every day is a new adventure with new challenges, but I can’t imagine my life any other way.