What inspires you? - University of South Carolina Upstate

““Maybe it’s the small class sizes and professors who actually know youby name. Perhaps it’s because USC Upstate offers the best of bothworlds—big opportunities, as well as a small, close-knit communitywhere you can actually take advantage of those opportunities. Whateverit is, this school has a distinctively warm, welcoming and inspiringpersonality that makes it a great place to prepare for the kind of careerand life you have imagined for yourself.”Margarita Rodriguez/ Information Management & Systems/ Health Information Management/ Greenville, South Carolina““I originally chose USC Upstatebecause it had the best nursingprogram among all the universitiesI had visited, and because the Deanof Nursing, other faculty membersand the students I met duringmy visit were incredibly friendlyand helpful,” says MargaritaRodriguez who was born inNew Jersey but later moved toGreenville, South Carolina, alongwith her family. “But shortlyafterwards, I decided to change mymajor to Information Management& Systems/ Health InformationManagement (IMS/HIM)—first,because it’s the only degreeprogram of its kind in SouthCarolina and second becauseI already had a CMA (CertifiedManagement Accountant) degree,so a major designed to equip me forhealth-related management careersmade perfect sense.”“I am really happy with thedecision,” continues Margarita.“I’ve found the same level of supportfrom professors that I had as anursing major. I have had as manyhands-on experiences and as muchaccess to advanced technologiesand facilities. But what really struckme about the whole experiencewas how painless and easy it wasto change course and choose adifferent road. For me, it kind ofsums up what I like most aboutUSC Upstate.”More than 85 percent of ourgraduates go on to find successwithin the Upstate, servingtheir communities as dentists,nurses, teachers, businessand IT professionals, artists,graphic designers, sociologists,scientists, and ethical leaders inalmost any field you can imagine.Nothing inspires a success story morethan other stories of success.Currently, there are more than 19,600successful USC Upstate graduatesliving, working, leading and servingwithin communities across the regionand around the globe.100 percent of USC Upstate nursinggraduates begin successful careerswithin three months of graduation.In recent years, our businessgraduates have scored at the 75thpercentile nationally in the MajorField Test in Business exit exam,provided by the Educational TestingService in Princeton, New Jersey, andlaunched successful careers at suchcompanies as Michelin, BMW, IBMand Lockheed Martin.Thanks to our close partnershipswith local school districts, almostall of our education majors gaincritical real-world experience, skillsand connections even before theygraduate.Stuck in the middle of your story?Not for long. In addition to theguidance you’ll receive from the429 accomplished teachers wholead courses here, you will findextra support at every stage ofyour USC Upstate story.Anxious about making thetransition to college? We offertwo pre-college programs foradmitted freshmen.Need help with a paper that’sdue? Head to the AcademicSupport Center or the WritingCenter.Need some fresh insight onpreparing for your dreamcareer? Visit the Career Centerlocated within the StudentSuccess Center.