Hey, hey, hey. This is Lisa A. And you're listening to Who's That Star? On LCC Connect at Lansing Community College. Who's that Star Is a behind the scenes show where I sit down and talk with the employees at the college. This is an inside look at LCC where you will have a chance to learn about their passions, projects, what inspires them both at work and in their personal lives. I'm your host, Lisa Alexander. I'm so excited to get a chance to talk to all the people who make LCC great. This show is for you to get to know the people that work at Lansing Community College a little bit more and see what makes them tick. Are you ready? Okay. Let's go see who's today's Star. Today on Who's That Star we have someone who is a native of south side of Lansing and he's a proud product of the Lansing School District. He took part in extracurricular activities such as varsity basketball, track and the Young Men of Excellence program. After graduating from Eastern High School, he attended Alabama State University. He didn't feel like it was a good fit. He chose to return home and attend Lansing Community College to figure out his calling academically. He completed his associate's degree in marketing while also joining a student organization and became chapter president of the Lansing Community College American Marketing association. After graduating from LCC, he transferred to Siena Heights University to complete a 3:1 program where he obtained his bachelor's degree in Professional Communications. Prior to returning to LCC for employment, this star was a career service coordinator with Career Quest Learning Centers. In this role, he helped students develop soft skills with an emphasis on preparing them for career opportunities. He built relationships with organizations within the community for employment opportunities also for these students. In 2018, he returned to LCC as a support staff in the role of enrollment support specialist where he assisted students with a variety of student account related inquiries. This star stated that working in higher education has provided him with a rewarding career by assisting students from all walks of life find pathways to pursue their educational and professional goals. During his personal time, this star enjoys gaining new experiences through travel and dining. He also enjoys grilling, sporting events and music. Last but not least, he likes hanging out with family and friends who consistently keep him grounded and it's something that he cherishes the most. All right everyone, are you ready to learn who's today's star? Drum roll please. Today's star is Dominique Vaughn Success Coach. Welcome Dominique. It's so good to have you here.

I appreciate the invite, Lisa. I'm Glad to be here.

So I'm ready to get started to ask you questions. You ready to go?

Let's go. Let's go. Let's do it.

Okay, so first, I didn't know you graduated from Eastern. I thought you went to Sexton. So you graduated from Eastern High School.

I did. So I was at Sexton my freshman and sophomore year and I transferred my junior and senior year.

Okay.

Fact, my plan was to always go back to actually graduate from Sexton, but I enjoyed it too much.

So at Eastern.

Yeah. That didn't happen.

Yeah. No, but that's cool. I knew I got that from somewhere. So. Okay. Yeah, you did go to Sexton for a minute and then went to Eastern at the best school, which was Everett Vikings. But that's neither here nor there. I just wanted to put that out there. Okay. So let's talk about Dominique. How did you get started here at LCC? We kind of know you came here and got a degree from us.

It goes back a little bit further than that, I would say. It all started I became a student employee at the Hole in the Hall Bookstore. The legendary Hole in the Hall Bookstore.

Yes, that is.

So I worked as a student employee there for about a year, year and a half, and then fields came along. So Phil's Spirit Shop, which is now Career Services, I worked as a student employee there for three months or so before I was done with my associate's degree. And then kinda went out into the world.

Well, it's something that people need to know. Cause if you were at LCC, in the store downstairs in Gannon, there was a hole in the hall. Well, they had the best popcorn in the world. And I don't know where that popcorn machine went.

I don't know.

But that was the best making popcorn we had. And that's where I first met you. Because that where you could see your personality. You were very nice. You knew how to interact with people. And as a student, I was always impressed with you with that because I was like, oh, he's so engaging and he's popping the best popcorn going around.

So best of both worlds.

Exactly how did you get started in this career?

So I am a part of the academic success coaching team here at LCC. So essentially we work with students to help them navigate their experience from start to finish or start to transfer. Right. Kind of understanding and helping them figure out what it is they want to do, get them connected to the plethora of resources LCC offers and kind of just working with them on skills such as time management. Organization, study habits, just to kind of grow and venture out into what it is they want to do. How did I get started in higher education? That's a good question. Of course, I started as a student employee, but at that point in time, I had no idea what it took to work in higher education. Right. So tell people. I had seven careers before I got to LCC. I worked as a student employee for Michigan Department of Transportation with their youth development program. So really, I think that was kind of my first crash course to kind of working with students between 9th grade and actually sophomores in college to kind of help them grow, like, work experience through mdot and then also understand the plethora of resources they had at various colleges, going on tours, but then also at the schools they were at. From there, man, I did a couple different things between financial sector, city government, transportation. Longest, I'm not gonna name the companies I work for, because that's old news. But from there, I got an opportunity to work at CareerQuest. And that was an interesting one because at the time, the job didn't exist. But I interviewed. Their hr, was impressed. So they called me back for a second interview with the career services department, because I initially interviewed to be a financial aid specialist or admissions rep, but they called me back, sat down with the director of career services. The rest is history. I started and. And that's kind of how I got a crash course into higher education and working with students and finding a passion to help people figure out what direction they want to go.

So you knew once you started working at CareerQuest that you wanted to pursue a career in higher ed, or was that kind of like, I like it, but you have a degree in professional communication and then your associates in marketing. So it seems like that might be, like, a little different in some ways, but in some ways it's not. But it just seems like you could be going into the business world with those skill sets.

You know, we don't know what we don't know until we figure it out. Right. So to answer your question, in two different ways, once I start working at Career Quest and interacting with students and kind of the impact it was making with the community and people in the community and kind of helping change the trajectory of families. Right. Their children and opportunities they got. I became passionate about it and doing many other things. I kind of started to figure out early and identify what I liked and what I didn't like. So that's why I say I was lucky enough to experiment and have those seven previous jobs and careers where it Just was like, this isn't it. This doesn't fill my bucket. I'm not connected to it because either I'm selling a product or a service that I'm not really passionate about. And it just didn't feel right. Right. I think when I looked at my career, I knew I wanted to do something that I loved getting out of bed to go do. And I never just wanted to wait till 5 o' clock so I could get home. Right. I wanted to do something that allowed me to engage and interact and build relationships and just have a fun, passionate career. So, yeah, actually it did once. Once I got the opportunity, the light bulb kind of came on.

Tell me about why you work at LCC. Like, what is it that keeps you coming to work?

And so passionate about it, man, LCC means a lot to me because this is kind of. Even though it isn't exactly where I figured it out, it's where I started to figure it out. Right. I mean, I think I had so many individuals and mentors and instructors and staff that poured into me here. Right. I wasn't just a student or I wasn't just a banner ID number. I was a person with potential from what they could see. And at that point in time, I guess I didn't really understand how much potential I had. It helped to being here. So I think that's one thing that always makes me feel so passionate about coming here to help other individuals coming along. Figure that out. Just the impact the LCC offers and provides to the community in the bridges that are built here and the opportunity for individuals from all walks of life to connect and grow and figure it out along the way.

I think you made some great points in regards to getting exposed to things and then having the opportunity to go out and experiment with all these different jobs, careers or whatever. You got an idea? Oh, I don't like that. I don't want to do this. And I think that's so important. And it's nothing wrong with that. And that's not failure, Right. Sometimes people feel like, oh, if I do multiple jobs, I hadn't found what I'm supposed to. But no, you're figuring it out.

Yes, it's lessons in that. And I think as long as you take away something that progresses you, it's growth. Right. So I always took away something. When I left those positions and found something, it wasn't just like I just left and didn't have nothing lined up.

Right.

But it was, I knew based off of the feelings that I had and the work That I was doing this wasn't filling my bucket. So luckily for me, because I had the degrees. Right. In communications and marketing, they're very fluid degrees. So they translate and correlate with a lot of different industries. So I'm kind of fortunate that I did have that educational background to be able to receive those opportunities that I did.

Yeah. I mean, it's a good thing because I think nowadays, unless it's real technical career people can train you to do certain things. It's just certain skills that you need to have to be trainable.

And that's a good point. I think working in career services and having those conversations with a lot of employers and HR representatives, most people are trained when they start a job, but those soft and hard skills that you display in an interview is the determining factor. Can this person actually succeed in this role? And fortunately for me, it kind of worked out that way.

Yeah. Because you are relatable. So I think you work really well with students. Okay. Since we're talking about what keeps you coming, what is your special contribution? Something you feel that you do very well, that you think really makes a difference here at LCC.

I think my willingness to collaborate across the board cross departmentally. Right. I think one of the challenges that being in a nice size institution is that cross departmental collaboration. Right. And I understand in order for me to do my job well and help the students get to where they want to go, I need people who specialize in other areas to be able to collaborate with, to put those students in that position. For me, I think my ability to be a connector and have those conversations, such as many conversations I had with you in your role, but also what you said before, the ability to listen. Right. I think we pick up on so much more information and really get to the root of issues when we listen before we try to solve problems. Right. I think a lot of times people are designed and focused on coming up with a solution. Sometimes you gotta gather the information and hear it all out to make it make sense. So for me, I think my ability to listen and then relate to the students specifically here, because like I tell students all the time, I walked a similar pathway. Right. Maybe we don't come from the same exact upbringing or same exact, you know, life experiences, but at the end of the day, I walk these halls. Right. I'm from the same community as you. We kind of have seen some of the same resources, we've been to the same places. So kind of just letting them finding the commonalities with our students to be able to find inroads to help them get to where they want to go.

I would agree. I think that collaboration with other departments definitely helps the student. It benefits them. You can cut through some red tape. You can find out answers that may be difficult for the student because they don't know how to articulate it. And so I do think that's a special skill. And I do think that you do that very well. You know how to engage with most people and get the information and the answers that you need with all that. What was your first job? Was it working for the state or did you do something before that?

My first job at 19, I worked at rallies. Never forget that. Oh, never forget that experience. It was great, though. Like, I don't want to make it seem all bad, but like, I tell all the time. Right. You can tell when people never had a bad job. And I use that term lightly because it's an experience. Right. A tough job, a job where you're in customer service, there's issues that are out of your control or somebody's having a bad day. I took a lot from that experience working a very non conventional schedule, weekends, dealing with a ton of different age groups of employees and kind of just figuring it out. That was my first job. So I do appreciate that experience. Working in fast food.

Yeah. Because it helps you kind of navigate life. You got to deal with a lot of different type of people. You gonna have things that's not gonna go your way and how do you maneuver that? The environment that you're in in regards to, like, what can you take standing on your feet all day? Different stuff like that. Those are the type of experiences that help you make decisions.

100%.

My first job was at McDonald's on Cedar Street. No one's trying to. Not fast food workers. Because what I found out during the pandemic, I really need y'. All. The way life was without the support in those places.

Yep.

Yeah. I got a whole new respect. So, Dominique, we've talked about what life is like here at LCC. What's life like for you outside of Lansing Community College? Like, what does it look like? What do you like to do? What do you enjoy?

I like new experiences, as I alluded to earlier. I like traveling. I like dining. I like food. I love food.

So you a foodie?

I'm a foodie 100%. All the mom and pop spots in Lansing, across the state. Anytime I go out of town, I want to eat how a local eats.

Okay.

So that's where you find the best food. I enjoy sports, being that I play sports. I love going to sporting events, concerts, comedy shows. But, you know, after the pandemic, I'm very much so a homebody now. Like, I used to, like, be real. I couldn't sit still. Now, I think looking. I don't want to say the other side of the pandemic because we're kind of still navigating through it, but I think it kind of shifted me into more of a homebody because I got used to it. I still like to get out of my comfort zone and do things, but I think. I think I'm much more comfortable being at home watching a documentary or watching one of my favorite series on TV and calling it good. Also, during the pandemic. Right. Picked up cooking. Right. I said before I like to grill, but I think one of the skills that I took away from the pandemic was I challenged myself to cook my favorite dishes, learn how to master them, and trust me, I bombed probably on multiple attempts, but. But really just challenged myself to get in the kitchen and cook. Right. Learn how to cook and cook a variety of different dishes. So that was kind of my biggest takeaway. So I say I really enjoy cooking now, too.

Well, then I got a bone to pick with you, because I feel like someone who enjoys cooking, and we pretty much work in the same office where we run into each other in our kitchen. I have yet to. To get one of these meals, so I really feel like that's something that needs to be coming down the pipeline. Cause I'd like to taste what you do well, and, you know, I could give you good quality feedback. So just keep that in mind.

I would surely keep that in the front of my mind.

Make sure it's in the front.

Yeah, in the front. Not the back.

The front, not the back.

Keep that in mind.

The front. Let me ask you this, and then I'll move on. What's your best meal that you cook?

Best meal that I cook.

To you?

To me, that's a great question.

They must all be good then. And I'm missing out.

They're all. I would say my three. Really my favorite meals are fried chicken and steak, but I would say in some combination of Mac and cheese, mashed potatoes, a vegetable. But on Thanksgiving, I think I made Cornish hens, Mac and cheese, yam stuffing. We did it all, like, on our own and invited our families over. So that was big. So that was probably the best meal I've ever cooked.

Your mama and them came.

Yep. So we did it up, and that was Big. Because I was like, oh, we never cooking Thanksgiving dinner and, like, inviting people over. We normally go bring dish, whatever. But to cook it all for the first time, that was huge. Cause it was like. Like, never thought that would've happened.

Yeah. And it takes a lot.

It does. We did it up. But I would say probably those two things, like some variation of steak. I love steak, but my fried chicken's pretty good.

Okay.

Yeah. I never thought I'd be able to fry chicken. It just looked so hard.

Yeah. Cause it is. Well, I mean, it is difficult in a way. You gotta know temperature.

Yep.

And then how you prep it, as far as the coating, all that makes a difference in how you cook it.

I had this conversation with my best friend because he's similar. We're basically the same person. He got into cooking, too. And we always kind of, like, trade recipes. But I think the biggest thing that we've learned with cooking is controlling the heat. Right. Whether it's grilling or whether it's over the stove, making sure you master temperature and heat really makes the difference. Right. So I think that's the biggest thing.

Okay. Well, I'm glad that we've had this talk because I really learned something good about that. So. Okay. Yep. I got two more questions for you before we wrap it up. What life lessons have you learned the hard way?

I don't know. There's so many. I'm the type of person that looks at everything as a learning experience, so I think you can take something away from everything. So for me, I think the hardest life experience I learned was it's okay to not have it figure it out, as long as I'm trying to figure it out.

Right.

Going back to my bio, when I left Eastern, I went to Alabama State. I had zero clue what I wanted to do. My principal kind of, like, planted the seed, like, oh, you should go. This would be a great opportunity for you. You're getting out of Lansing. You're doing this. And I kind of just went on a whim, and I hated it. Right. And I think hindsight 20 20, if I would have went back for my sophomore year, I would have made it through and have been a different experience. But kind of being away from home for the first time, then also kind of really trying to figure out who I was as a young black man at that point in time. And then being in Montgomery, Alabama, which I tell people all the time, Montgomery, Alabama, is like the Southern version of Lansing, Michigan. Like, it's not a big city. It's, like, small. It's a very local town, and it was a unique experience. So coming back home and still kind of not having it figure it out, but then kind of just making strides along the way and stepping out of my comfort zone and doing different things, I think that kind of has still stuck with me to this day. And some message that I love giving to my students is perfectly fine not knowing what you want to do, as long as you're actively engaging in a process to figure it out and coming up with a blueprint to get to where you want to go. So I think that's probably the biggest life lesson I learned.

Okay, that's a good one. You got some good insight out of that. Well, my last question is, what career advice would you give to your younger self?

Take advantage of the opportunities that you're not comfortable with while you're in school. Right. So going back to the experience of me being the president of the LCC AMA chapter, that was kind of a joke. I never really spoke on the backstory about it, but I remember I did something with membership. So basically help recruiting students to be a part of it. And I remember we were doing the officer elections for the next year, and I built great relationships with everybody. And of course, Bill, I know Bill's not with the college anymore, but great mentor.

Yep.

Great. Bill Motz, who helped me figure it out. One of my really, really great mentors here. But it was a joke in my mind. I was like, oh, yeah, I'll run. I'm not gonna win. So he reading off the names and then he said, I was president. I said, it's a joke, right? What? This is a joke. But that experience helped because it had me grow other skills such as time management, public speaking, relationship building in chapter planning and organization. There are so many different things I took away from that. But then also just participating in internships, job shadowing, taking advantage of all that stuff, because that makes a difference. The toughest year for me, really, when I first graduated, was that six months after I graduated. Because ultimately, I remember I was working at FedEx a little bit after that because I completed my degree, but I couldn't get a job because what was the knock? I didn't have work experience. So. And that was one of the most challenging things I always tell students. You know, make sure you do the little things while you're here. Right. Or when you transfer to your four year university, make sure you participate in student organizations that allow you to get tangible work experiences or build skills that you can put on your resume, because that Stuff matters.

It does.

When you're sitting in an interview and you're having a conversation about the things you did, the projects you worked on, the job shadow and opportunities. Because ultimately, like we said before, I think the big thing is companies are willing to train you. Right. They know you're not gonna come in day one and completely know the job. There's always a learning curve and a gap. But what skills do you have to bring to that role to make you be successful? So I would say that's kind of the biggest thing that I would've told my younger self is take advantage of all those opportunities, wherever it is, whatever stage you're at, to grow those skill sets for your resume. And don't be scared to take on an opportunity that you're uncomfortable with, because that's where you experience the most growth.

Man, these mics didn't cost as much. I drop it because I feel like you gave some really good insight, and that's something that I tell students a lot, to do those things while you got an opportunity to make mistakes. And it's not costly.

100%.

Go and be who you think you want to be.

Experience it here. Right. I think we got a ton of different opportunities to get involved with. I mean, even things in the community too. Right. It's not just this little bubble of LCC, but all things. I think sometimes we get tunnel vision on. I'm starting this degree, I wanna finish this degree, and then I'm just gonna go into my dream job. I don't have a statistic for it, but there's probably less than 15 to 20% of people who graduate college and get their dream job straight out the gate.

Right?

Right. So I think making sure you do the little things with opportunities to build your way to that is the goal. Wherever that may be, however that may come. Just be open and thoughtful about those opportunities to put yourself in a position of. Of setting yourself up for the most success.

I want to thank you, Dominique, for coming on Who's That Star today. I feel like you dropped a lot of good knowledge today, and I think that you can help some students or people in general. I look forward to us having a conversation again. Is there any parting words you'd like to say before we leave?

Man, thank you for having me. Been looking forward to it. I know I gave you a hard time about when I was gonna get. Be able to get on the mic. Appreciate the invite, appreciate the opportunity to sit down and kind of give a little bit more insight about me and my experience here. And why I love this place. And as always, go stars.

That's right. We appreciate you listening to Who's That Star? Please listen to us the next time you've been listening to Who's That Star? Hi, I'm Lisa A. and you can listen to this episode of Who's That Star? And other shows from LCC Connect anytime online at LCCconnect.org thank you for listening. Catch me next time to find out Who's That Star.