- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

Students say goodbye to summer, hello to fall semester

��Vlog��ý Little Rock — Thu, 25 Aug 2016 18:25:12 +0000

The first day of school tends to bring a roller coaster of emotions, from excitement and anxiety to anticipation. As ��Vlog��ýLR students said their final goodbyes to summer, they turned their focus to their long-term goals and sought to make their dreams come true. Audrey Kelley, an 18-year-old sophomore from Rogers, Arkansas, is dedicated to helping others.

Audrey Kelley

To turn her passion into a reality, Kelley hopes to obtain her degree in human resources and work in Walmart’s corporate office in Bentonville. While attending ��Vlog��ýLR her freshman year, Kelley joined forces with the campus ministry Chi Alpha and had the opportunity to spend this past summer in Africa on a mission trip. As she settles into the new school year, she plans to put lessons learned this summer into action. “This year, I want to get to know a lot of freshmen, and just love on them the way that God loves me,” she said.

Love what you do; do what you love

Not only does ��Vlog��ýLR have students who enjoy helping one another, but its students also push others to succeed.

Dillon Nash

Dillon Nash is a 22-year-old first-year graduate student from Brinkley, Arkansas, who seeks nothing but the best for incoming students. “I am so thrilled to kick off the new school year and engage with so many freshmen,” he said. Nash is a graduate assistant for the Chancellor’s Leadership Corps working with more than 230 students. Having participated in the corps all four years of his undergraduate career, Nash looks forward to seeing the growth and progression of ��Vlog��ýLR’s future leaders. Today, he has outlined his goals five years into the future. Nash plans to continue inspiring students at universities as he fulfills his goal to work in student affairs.

The road less traveled

The desire to help others is a driving force for many students this semester. However, there are others whose self-motivation pushes them one step further. Twenty-one-year-old Dipesh Patel is a Little Rock native who wants to tear down personal stereotypes.

Sid Patel

Dipesh Patel

“I never liked the stereotypical doctor thing with Indians. I wanted to be different,” he said. Patel is a criminal justice major who is ecstatic about enlisting in the military in spring 2017. He has always been a fan of the television show “Law and Order” and couldn’t wait to get exposed to the real thing. Now that Patel is headed down his chosen path, he hopes to encourage his best friend to live out his own dreams. Sid Patel, a 22-year-old senior moved to Arkansas from India about six years ago. He and Dipesh instantly became friends and are now inseparable. As his friend prepares to leave to start his newest venture, Sid has his thoughts centered on continuing his education. His major in physics and minor in information technology is sure to keep him busy, but for him, there’s no turning back. With plans to pursue an additional degree, Sid sees his first day of the semester as a head start into his future.

There’s a first time for everything

For many upperclassmen, transitioning from fun in the sun to homework and class lectures seems to be a breeze. For first time students, it might take a moment to get the ball rolling.

Princess Bell

Princess Bell is a 17-year-old freshman from Blytheville, Arkansas, with her eyes set on nursing school. Although she is motivated to do her best, adjusting to college life has been a bit of a struggle. Bell spent her first day crying because she missed her parents. As she begins to settle in, she plans on breaking out of her comfort zone and meeting new people. Her primary objective this semester is to make the dean’s list, so she looks forward to staying grounded and focused on her work.

Stairway to success

Breaking in new books and engaging with unfamiliar professors might be the highlight of the day for some, but for this next student, hitting the finish line is all she can think about.

Lottie Richardson

Lottie Richardson, a 20-year-old first year senior from Little Rock, Arkansas, is beginning her senior year with so much on her plate. As a mechanical systems engineering major with a double minor in mathematics and chemistry, time is more precious than it has ever been. With a goal set for a 4.0 grade point average, Richardson is determined to stay focus. After completing her bachelor’s degree, she looks forward to heading to medical school. Along the way, she aims to go on a medical mission trip to Africa to assist those in need. Five years from today, Richardson longs to have her white coat and be in the process of opening a children’s clinic in central Arkansas. Now that the first day jitters have come to an end, students are ready to start the semester off strong.

��Vlog��ýLR student lands Secret Service internship

Ajani Oyindamola — Tue, 26 Apr 2016 15:13:58 +0000

When Micah Parker started at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock, he dreamed of going into state government. After a few semesters of criminal justice courses and two internships with local police, Parker is now pursuing a career in law enforcement. He took a major step in achieving that goal by earning his “dream internship” of working with the United States Secret Service. “Ideally, I would like to go into federal law enforcement because I have never been farther west than Oklahoma,” said Parker, a junior from Sheridan, Arkansas, majoring in criminal justice and minoring in information technology. “I would like to travel and see the world, and also affect the world in a positive way.” As an intern with Arkansas’s only Secret Service office in downtown Little Rock, Parker primarily sorts through evidence for counterfeit money cases and looks for counterfeit bills. “I was thinking I would just answer phones, but they have me sorting through counterfeit notes,” he said. Not everyone knows that the Secret Service has a dual mission. The agency was established in 1865 as a bureau of the Treasury Department to suppress the widespread counterfeiting of U.S. currency. After President William McKinley’s assassination in 1901, the agency was tasked with protecting the president, vice president, their immediate families, foreign heads of states, and others. During his sophomore year, Parker got his first taste of law enforcement work by interning with the ��Vlog��ýLR Police Department, where he went on ride-alongs with police officers and assisted detectives with putting together case reports. In the fall 2015 semester, he interned with the Little Rock Police Department, where he rotated between different divisions every two weeks. His rotations covered the crime scene specialist unit, the northwest, southwest, and downtown patrol divisions, the 911 call center, the 311 call center, and the downtown station, where police personnel pull documents for people appearing in court. “This internship was a lot of fun and very eye opening,” Parker said. “When you imagine a police department, all you imagine are the patrols. You don’t see all the other work that goes on behind the scenes.” In addition to his internships, Parker works as a residential assistant, has served as president and sophomore ambassador of the Chancellor’s Leadership Corps and chief justice of the Student Government Association, and is a member of Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity. In order to work for the Secret Service, an agent conducts a background investigation to determine if the person in question is eligible for top secret security clearance. Having a U.S. Secret Service agent come to the dormitory to talk to the neighbors and the boss might seem like an unusual experience to most college students, but Parker found it somewhat humorous. “The agent traveled around to my previous employers and family members and asked about me. She even asked my neighbors about what they have seen me do, which was a little funny,” Parker said. “It was a long, hard process, but I felt like a huge weight had been lifted off my shoulders when it was finished.” Brian Marr, special agent in charge at the Secret Service, said that the agency is looking for interns who have diverse attributes who can also hold multiple responsibilities. “It’s a competitive process,” Marr said. “We are looking for someone who is doing well in school, has an interest in federal law enforcement, and is an outgoing individual.” “Our agents investigate a wide variety of federal violations regarding our investigative mission, as well as those also associated with our unique and high profile protective responsibilities. We, the Secret Service, want someone who can investigate a criminal violation today, and then stand next to a president or foreign dignitary the next day,” Marr said. Parker plans to continue interning with the Secret Service until he has completed his education and then seek full-time employment with the agency. After he graduates from ��Vlog��ýLR in May 2017, Parker plans to pursue a master’s degree in criminal justice through ��Vlog��ýLR. Any student who is interested in interning with the Secret Service can visit or call 501.324.6241 for job opportunities.

Chancellor’s Leadership Corps makes annual pledge

Gloria King — Tue, 12 May 2015 18:03:51 +0000

As proud parents looked on, the 2015-16 class of ��Vlog��ýLR Chancellor’s Leadership Corps pledged to learn, lead, and serve their university and their peers. The annual Signing Day Ceremony was held Friday, May 8, in the Donaghey Student Center and began with a formal welcome by Vice Chancellor of Enrollment Management Dean Kahler. The students were encouraged to use their smart phones to take a selfie and promote the hashtag #CLCScholar during and after the ceremony. This year’s class included more than 170 students representing high schools from across Arkansas, the region, and even as far away as Russia. The students each pledge to do their best in academic studies, to provide leadership both on and off campus, and to the corps. Averages for the class include ACT scores of 23.5 and grade point averages of 3.65.

“I am looking forward to this outstanding class of scholars for Fall 2015. We had many students commit to CLC and ��Vlog��ýLR this year over top-tier colleges, and we are ecstatic about what the new academic year will bring,” said CLC Coordinator Nick Steele.

- University News Archive - ����Vlog��ý Little Rock

Students say goodbye to summer, hello to fall semester

����Vlog��ýLR student lands Secret Service internship

Chancellor’s Leadership Corps makes annual pledge

- University News Archive - ��Vlog��ý Little Rock

��Vlog��ýLR student lands Secret Service internship