Career Development Center Team

Ja-Rhonda Staples
Career Counselor
222C Turley Student Services Center
Phone: (304) 333-3665
JaRhonda.Staples@fairmontstate.edu

“What excites me most in my role is being able to greet students with a warm smile and welcome them with the assurance that they matter and belong.  How amazing it is to behold when a student encounters a kind and friendly spirit.  Priceless!  When I am away from the workplace, I enjoy spending time observing my favorite earthly creatures, birds, squirrels and bunnies while hanging out in their habitat; Reading inspirational passages, mastering word search puzzles, exploring different languages especially in French, traveling with my family and friends, playing basketball with my husband and twins, sampling unique foods and creating new dishes, sharing and learning about different cultural experiences particularly in dance and folklore and enjoying the peacefulness in taking evening walks with my "Bestie" (Husband).  As a student development practitioner along with over 20+ years of serving in various capacities of student services, I have discovered that I am most knowledgeable in the holistic approach to helping students reach their fullest potential and promoting student success. As a Career Coach, what is most rewarding is sharing in the success of when a student completes their first resume, masters that mock interview through overcoming their fear and then lands their very first internship or job.  How awesome to know that I shared in their success!  I attribute a great portion of this to my educational preparation in which I hold an M.Ed. in Counseling and College Student Personnel from the University of Louisville in Louisville, Kentucky, and a B. A. in Speech Communication and Theatre from Tennessee State University, Nashville, Tennessee. What students have said about me: "nurturing, relational, supportive, insightful, encouraging, helpful, kind, creative, humorous, and spirited.”  Now, this is inspiring!