Mission and Philosophy

Our Mission: The Career Education and Vocational Reflection Office educates Hampden-Sydney men in all aspects of their career and professional development process in order to achieve success in life after College.This educational process includes on-going self-assessment and vocational reflection to identify their passions, purpose, and calling; exploring various career paths; developing job search skills; seeking experiential learning opportunities; learning to network; and pursuing employment and graduate school opportunities.

Our Motto: "You can do anything with a degree from Hampden-Sydney College"

Our Philosophy: We fully subscribe to our motto, "You can do anything with a degree from Hampden-Sydney College", based on the performance of our students since 1775.  The Hampden-Sydney education prepares them for a life of success "as good men and good citizens" in a wide variety of endeavors. 

We want to continue to build on that tradition of success with our current Hampden-Sydney men, as well as alumni. Career education is an integral part of the broader Hampden-Sydney educational experience. Life is a journey, and career and professional development is a lifelong process. We feel that it is vital for students to begin their quest for a fulfilling life during their first year as a student, and continue the process throughout their college years and beyond. Thus, we provide comprehensive career education to students during their years at Hampden-Sydney, and to alumni throughout their lifetime.

We encourage the H-SC man to take full advantage of and explore the wide variety of academic and other opportunities available during his years here on campus, so that he can open his mind and find his passion, purpose, and calling through vocational reflection. A critical component of their search is experiential learning, where our students will have the opportunity to put the theory of the classroom into practice, while gaining practical work-related experience and exploring career directions. Our goal is to assist him in developing pathways and options for his senior year, so that he has choices in which directions to go in life after graduation. Ultimately, though, it is up to each Hampden-Sydney man to take the initiative, make choices, and take responsibility for his decisions in order to prepare him for a successful life in the 21st century, knowledge-based economy.