Ralph Mehitang (SEED MD '16, Salisbury University '20) Credits SEED for Building His Drive for Success
Landing a job—even for the most experienced worker—is tough right now. But for recent college graduates looking to launch a new career, it is even more overwhelming. In fact, according to Federal Reserve Economic Data, the unemployment rate for college graduates aged 20-24 was nearly 17.2%.
Despite these bleak numbers, there are some outliers who are beating the odds. We recently spoke with Ralph Mehitang, a graduate of Salisbury University. After a successful internship with Trinity Logistics, Ralph was offered a full-time position and has already begun his career. “I’m so thankful to already have a job. Working for Trinity Logistics as a technology developer is the best first step—career wise—for me.” Read more about Ralph and how SEED helped him to uncover some of his goals.
What college or university did you attend?
I attended Salisbury University. This spring, I received my bachelor’s degree in computer science and information systems.
How was your transition from SEED to college?
I actually didn’t initially commit to going to Salisbury. I was planning to go to a school in Pennsylvania, but after I sat down and saw how much I would owe after financial aid and scholarships were applied, I realized Salisbury was the better option for me. I worked with my College Transition and Success advisor,
Mr. Frazier and he helped me get registered at Salisbury. This decision made a big difference—all my expenses were covered. Once I got settled at Salisbury, my transition to college was smooth. Because I went to SEED, I was accustomed to being away from home. I did have to work a bit on balancing a heavier course load with my social life, but I quickly got used to my new environment.
Did you stay connected to SEED while in college?
When I was at Salisbury, I helped with a few SEED events. My sophomore year I served as host for the SEED Summit—a two-day professional conference for SEED staff. I also served as co-host for SEED Maryland’s Senior Dinner and as the DJ for our students’ move-in day.
My freshman and sophomore year, I also attended the SEED Graduate Institute to help with building my resume and to develop other professional skills.
Are you planning to further your education?
In a year after I’ve gotten a bit of work experience, I would like to go back to school to get a Master of Business Administration and a Master of Computer Science.
How did your experience at SEED impact you?
SEED definitely helped me build my drive for success. They constantly exposed us to successful people of color—that looked like me—and it made me want to achieve success also. I remember traveling to New York City with SEED to meet with Kevin Liles. He was serving as the key-note speaker for a SEED event and I was the host. This was my first experience being in New York and at that moment, I told myself that I would live in a big city one day. I’m happy to share I stuck with my goal—I’m moving to Chicago in a few weeks! I’m certainly a bit nervous, but I’m looking forward to this next step in my life—it’ll be an exciting journey.
