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About the Career Center

The ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Career Center is located in the Harry M. Lightsey Center | Suite 216. Hours of operation are Monday-Friday from 8:30 a.m. -5:00 p.m. P | 843.953.5692 E | careercenter@cofc.edu

The mission of the Career Center is to educate, develop and assist students to prepare for and successfully meet the challenges of an ever-changing world of work. This mission is accomplished through a centralized and comprehensive Center serving the entire campus and meeting the career and educational needs of all students from entering freshmen through graduate students and recent alumni (within 1-year post-graduation).

Meet the Career Center Operations Team

Responsible for all functions of the Career Center to include Career Education, Employer Relations, Experiential Learning, Financial Wellness, and Student Employment. Supported by our Career Center Assistants (CCAs) who serve as the central point of contact by greeting all students, faculty, staff, and visitors entering the Career Center.

Meet the Career Development Team

Manages the Career Education Program which includes 1:1 career advising appointments with undergraduate and graduate students and alumni within 3 years of graduation, presentation requests from faculty, staff and student organizations, and class assignment requests from faculty and staff members. Onboard and train Peer Career Advisors (PCAs), current ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø students, to assist their peers with resume and cover letter revisions, insight on internship and job searching, and additional career-related advice through our Drop-In Hours Program.
  • Jennifer Wells, M.Ed. | Director for Career Education

    Jen Wells Headshot

    Jennifer (Jen) received her Master of Education in Student Personnel Services at Ohio University and her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology at Muskingum University in Ohio.  Jennifer’s higher education / student affairs background is predominantly in career services, but she has also worked in academic advising, institutional research, and residence life.  She has previously worked at Hanover College (Indiana), Eastern Illinois University, Coker University (South Carolina), Longwood University (Virginia), and locally at The Citadel and Trident Technical College.  At the ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø, she served as the Associate Director for Career Education (March - October 2022), Assistant Director for Career Education (January - February 2022), and a temporary Career Development Assistant (December 2018 - April 2019).  For fun, Jennifer enjoys spending time with her family and Labrador Retriever, as well as biking, traveling and being on or near the water.

     

    E | wellsjs@cofc.edu

    P | 843.953.5694 

  • Kristin Wichmann, M.A. | Associate Director for Experiential Learning
    Kristin Wichmann Headshot

    Kristin received her Master of Arts in Human Sciences from Hood College and her Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Pennsylvania State University. Kristin previously served as the Internship Coordinator for the ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø Department of Political Science and as the Career Center Recruiting Coordinator at Mount St. Mary's University in Maryland.

     

     

    E | wichmannkm@cofc.edu 

    P | 843.953.5845 

  • Maura Woods, M.Ed. | Career Coach

    Maura Woods Headshot

    Maura is a proud first-generation college graduate who earned her Bachelor’s degree in English with a minor in Psychology from the University of Connecticut. After graduating, she moved to Boston to begin mentoring and tutoring high school students, before earning her Masters of Education in Curriculum and Teaching. After working in the special education field for a couple of years, she transitioned to an advising and management position at a non-profit organization. There, she provided programming and support in academic, career, financial aid, and general life services for first-generation college students from low-income backgrounds throughout their college experience. Maura loves traveling, the beach, dancing, and trying any and all new foods!

     

    E | woodsmm@cofc.edu

    P | 843.953.5693 

  • Keisha Gonzalez-Diaz '26 | Peer Career Advisor

    Major: Computer Information Systems

  • Catherine Schappell '26 | Peer Career Advisor

    Major: Commercial Real Estate Finance

  • Emilia Feltner '25 | Peer Career Advisor

    Major: Communication

Meet the Employer Relations Team

Manages recruiting and job search assistance programs for students and alumni including the preparation and execution of our Career Exploration Fairs, and managing our job board platform, Handshake. Oversee and facilitate the Career Center Internship Award Program, W.N. Looper Award, and assist employers in developing internship, co-op, experiential learning, fellowship, and volunteer opportunities for students.
  • Karen Fritchman, M.Ed. | Director of Employer Relations

    Karen Fritchman Headshot

    Karen earned her Bachelor’s degree in Communication and her Master of Education degree in the Art of Teaching from Cedar Crest College in Allentown, PA.  Her previous experience within Higher Education includes alumni engagement, student advising, event planning, recruiting, and fundraising. She and her family love spending time at the beach with their dog, Ivy, a rescued German Shepherd, and at home with her twenty pound cat, Beefy!  

     

    E | fritchmank@cofc.edu

    P | 843.953.6573 

     

  • Lois DiClemente | Assistant Director of Employer Relations

    Lois DiClemente is from Northern New Jersey. She is a first generation college graduate from Montclair State University where she earned her Bachelor's Degree in Recreation and Leisure and Special Event Planning. Lois's prior experience includes, Manager of Front Desk Operations at the Upper Montclair Country Club for 3 years. She also has multiple years of experience working in the Medical Education and Pharmaceutical Field. Lois has also worked in the exciting world of the television industry for both David Letterman and Rush Limbaugh in New York City. She enjoys spending time with her family and friends, kitties, Walter Junior and Pops, traveling, cooking, hosting dinner parties, creative writing and water sports, preferably water skiing! She’s an avid runner and fitness enthusiast. Lois and her family relocated here to South Carolina and now reside in Mount Pleasant. Their boy/girl twins are both students here at The ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø and are enjoying and embracing all that college life has to offer! The DiClemente family are all thrilled to officially be South Carolinians and in love with the sunny weather, palm trees, beach and boat life, downtown, and this fantastic Coastal and Low Country lifestyle.

     

    E | diclementel@cofc.edu

    P | 843.953.3390

  • Sadie Hendrickson '26 | Marketing & Data Specialist

    Sadie Hendrickson Headshot

    Majors: Computer Information Systems and Computing in the Arts

    Minor: Data Science

     

     

  • Emma Noonan '27 | Employer Relations Intern (Database Administration)

    Majors: Data Science

    Minor: Financial Technology

     

     

Meet the Financial Wellness Team

Manages a personal financial literacy and wellbeing education program for students through introduction to financial planning concepts which include repayment plans for student loans and debt, tracking and reviewing income, understanding savings, expenses, credit, budget, analyzing job offers and benefits, and learning how to live independently with their own resources. Promotes the use of the iGrad platform to students and alumni with the assistance of Financial Wellness Student Ambassadors.
  • Liz Cooper, M.Ed. | Associate Director for Financial Wellness

    Liz Cooper Headshot

    Liz is a first-generation college graduate who grew up in the ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø area. She received her Bachelor of Arts in English with a minor in Spanish from Clemson University. After graduating, she worked as a News Producer at a local ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø TV station before going on to graduate school at George Washington University, where she received a Masters in Education with a concentration in English to Speakers of Other Languages. Liz worked as a K-12 ESOL Teacher for over 13 years, most recently in ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø County Schools. Outside of work, Liz enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, cooking, reading, gardening, and being out on the water.

     

    E | cooperlk3@cofc.edu

    P | 843.953.4501

  • Nick Bove '26 | Financial Wellness Ambassador

    Major: Economics

    Minor: Entrepreneurship 

     

  • Elisa Peñaloza '26 | Financial Wellness Ambassador

    Major: Marketing

    Minor: Business Language, Spanish

     

Meet the Student Employment Team

Manages all on-campus student employment functions to include assisting approximately 25% of the student population who work on-campus during their CofC career with hire paperwork, ID Verification, and finding opportunities including Federal Work Study positions, as well as working with the hiring managers in all departments across campus to post positions and submit new hire paperwork. Plan and facilitate the Student Employee of the Year (SEOTY) Award Reception each April during National Student Employment Week.