Memphis’ own Amy Howell, CEO of Howell Marketing Strategies, has co-written a valuable book that’s required reading for high school seniors looking to go to college, parents wanting to guide the wisest decision, a graduate confronting the interview process, and or a professor wanting to teach employable skills: The Future Belongs to Students in High Gear: A Guide for Students and Aspiring Game Changers in Transition from College to Career.
Co-author with Ms. Howell is Anne Deeter Gallaher, CEO of Deeter Gallaher Group LLC, and it’s the second volume for the duo. Their first was Women in High Gear: A Guide for Entrepreneurs, On-Rampers, and Aspiring Executives.
In addition to student voices from The University of Memphis, Penn State, Belmont University, Mississippi State, Texas Christian University, Messiah College, and Rhodes College, several University presidents contributed: Dr. Eric Barron, president of Penn State University; Dr. Bob Fisher, president of Belmont University; Dr. M. David Rudd, president of The University of Memphis; Dr. Karen Scolforo, president of Central Penn College; and Dr. John “Ski” Sygielski, president of Harrisburg Area Community College.
Some of the chapter headings for The Future Belongs to Students in High Gear reflect its highly practical approach to its subject:
* Your Digital Footprint Starts Early
* The Road to College
* High Gear High School
* Your Father’s Resume Is Dead
* DNA, Drive, and Your Potential
* The Importance of Debt Control and Understanding Financials
* Curriculum and Careers Are Different
* Dot-Connecting and Why You Must Master It
* High Gear Professors and How to Connect with Them
* Advice from 35 Years of Business Ownership
* Workbook: Your Goal-Setting Guide
In its positive review of the book, Forbes wrote:
“With astronomically high college costs, Millennials and their parents want to ensure that the financial and time investment they make realizes its full potential. Forbes, TIME, The Economist, Gallup, and others regularly ask the question, ‘Is college worth it?’ Amy Howell and Anne Deeter Gallaher are entrepreneurs and mothers of college-age kids who wrote ‘Students in High Gear: A Guide for Aspiring Game Changers in Transition’ to ensure that today’s 21 million U.S. college students get the most from this pivotal investment.”
PR Web wrote:
“‘Students in High Gear’ is packed with powerful insights from every stakeholder in the skills gap and college life conversation. If a college education is the great equalizer, then preparing higher education students to shorten their learning curve from college to career is paramount for U.S. economic competitiveness. ‘Economically active and in high gear are where ‘changing your stars takes place,’ said Deeter Gallaher and Howell, both business owners of public relations firms.
“‘Students in High Gear’ is also an antidote to the alarming rate of college loan delinquencies. With The Wall Street Journal reporting nearly 7 million people have defaulted on their federal student loans, this presents a crushing debt problem for graduates with severe consequences on the U.S. economy, borrowers’ credit, and earning potential. Chapter 7 highlights ‘The Importance of Debt Control and Understanding Financials’ which helps prepare students to make intelligent borrowing and spending decisions.”
“There is much to love about this book. It is so practical and useful for a generation of students who are subject to cataclysmic changes in both the workforce and the nature of work life,” says Mark W. Schaefer, professor at Rutgers University, author, consultant, and social media marketing speaker. “As an educator myself, I am relieved to see the authors take a serious, entertaining, and inspirational look at these dynamics.”
“This 13-chapter, 178-page resource complete with goal-setting guide is a call to arms for big ideas, passionate workers, and an energized economy,’ said Deeter Gallaher and Howell. ‘And it demonstrates the unbridled capabilities of collaboration between students, colleges, and the business community.’”
Thank you for sharing this! We are hoping this book can be a guide for all millennials as they go from classroom to career. Our economy and our city needs students in high gear!