Sarah Yeaple ’08 hands over the reins of the MC Career Center to Dr. Niklas Trzaskowski in new leadership change
July 24, 2023
The Maryville College Career Center is undergoing a leadership transition, as Director Sarah Taylor Yeaple ’08 returns to the private sector and a familiar face assumes the helm: Dr. Niklas Trzaskowski has been named as the center’s new leader.
Yeaple came to her alma mater in 2016 as a career consultant and was named assistant director of the Career Center in 2017, a post that, until his new appointment, Trzaskowski held. He joined the Career Center’s staff in 2021 as the research and career development coordinator, having earned a bachelor’s degree in history from Tennessee Technological University in 2011, a master’s in history from East Tennessee State University in 2013, and a Ph.D. in history from Mississippi State University in 2019.
“I’m excited to get the opportunity to continue the excellent work set in motion by the previous directors of the Career Center, including Christy McDonald Slavick (currently the interim general manager of the Clayton Center for the Arts),” Trzaskowski said. “Sarah has worked tirelessly to fine-tune the career preparation that our students receive, and she was able to build strong bonds with employer partners to discover opportunities for our students. I look forward to continuing collaboration with faculty, staff and partners so that we can help our students attain meaningful post-graduation outcomes.”
For Yeaple, the decision to step away from higher education was a bittersweet one, but she plans to continue her involvement with the Maryville College Alumni Association.
“I am excited about my next adventure and look forward to supporting the College from an alumni lens,” she said. “I have loved my almost eight years with the College and have been given the opportunity to grow both personally and professionally as an employee. As soon as I am comfortable in my new position, I will be investigating ways to stay plugged into Maryville College as an alumna.”
Designed to provide support to MC students in areas of career exploration, professional development, and access to competitive part-time jobs, internships, fellowships, and full-time roles after graduation, the Maryville College Career Center provides resources, one-on-one career coaching, networking opportunities and more. Originally known as the Center for Calling and Career, Yeaple inherited a rebranded department located in MC’s Bartlett Hall, and the COVID-19 pandemic meant that many Career Center options were virtual ones.
“We grew into and grew out of our virtual-only lives well and were able to take several valuable lessons with us after that challenging time,” she said. “We created tons of video content and resources during the pandemic, which we learned was a really effective way to ensure equitable access to resources and information while providing information that is available 24/7, even when our office was closed. We also learned so much about ways to leverage our social media presence to stay connected with students.
“This past year, we piloted ‘Make Your Move Monday’ where we went live on Instagram to discuss career topics. We also launched our #GoOutWithaGong campaign to celebrate graduating seniors. The biggest lesson in my directorship is that you always have to be agile, adaptable and evolving. We must innovate, be creative, pivot quickly and remain resilient to best meet the needs of students.”
At the same time, the Career Center has continued to nurture community partnerships with area businesses and organizations. Some, like the one with 21st Mortgage, have led to unparalleled collaboration between the College and a private business, with 21st employees engaging in a Mentorship program with current students and graduates that also included collaborative input by faculty member Dr. Gabie Kerr, assistant professor of management. It’s a legacy Trzaskowski wants to capitalize and build upon, he added.
“We will dedicate our efforts to continue to educate students about the resources available to them and to convey to them the importance of career development,” he said. “Going forward, we plan to increase access to one-on-one appointments with Career Center staff and continue to offer a variety of opportunities to interact with employers and continuing education programs. Finally, we will encourage students to dream big about their professional goals and will help them discover opportunities where they can apply their knowledge, skills and interests.”
Doing so as part of a campuswide community effort to give students a plan to go along with their dreams is one of the unique aspects of working at a small, private college, he added. The Career Center’s annual “Prepare Fair” — a precursor to the annual Career and Internship Fair that gives students a better understanding of it and helps them sharpen the skills necessary to succeed at it —is a prime example, said, Trzaskowski, who as the assistant director has coordinated efforts to help students access graduate programs and better track post-graduate outcomes of MC graduates.
“We always need volunteers to help us out, but we know that we can count on our colleagues to take time out of their days to help students get prepared for the upcoming fair,” he said. “This is one example of an event that would not be possible without the support that we receive from our colleagues. Overall, everyone here realizes that we must all work together so that students have an excellent experience while they are here and receive the education that they need to succeed after they graduate.”
A liberal arts education, he pointed out, makes the jobs of Career Center staff members easier in some respects. By exploring issues, ideas and methods across a variety of disciplines in addition to specific education in individual programs of study, MC students are employable in fields far beyond those in which they major, he said.
“Because of the education that our students receive here, they are really good problem solvers and critical thinkers,” he said. “They excel at communicating their strengths and can discuss their skills. I believe that all of this helps them in their pursuit of professional and educational opportunities. One of the things that we do well as a Career Center is that we always try to help our partners understand the strengths of our students. Moreover, we have and will continue to provide employers with many opportunities to speak to our students.
“Our partners really enjoy coming to campus for our fairs and events. Because our faculty is very committed to seeing our students succeed, they support the Career Center’s efforts in a variety of ways, from inviting our staff into their classrooms for guest lectures to encouraging students to attend the events that we organize on campus. It’s the support that the Career Center receives from the College’s faculty, staff, and administration that makes our job easier and makes our employer and continuing education partners want to attend as many events on our campus as possible.”
