Getting to know Pam Doerter

When Pam Doerter, career coordinator for the College of Liberal Arts, isn't helping USI students prepare for future careers and setting up internships, she's harmonizing in the Evansville Philharmonic Chorus, sitting on the board for the Evansville Association for the Blind or serving as an elder on the session (church board) at East Minster Presbyterian. She also squeezes in time for hugs from her two grandchildren, Dalton and Daxton, ages 1 and 5.

Doerter has been a loyal employee at USI since 1997 when Career Services and Internships was called Career Services and Placement. Her love for and pride in the University is apparent, and her positive demeanor is contagious. Let's take the time to get to know her.

Give a brief summary of what you do.

There is no brief summary of what we do. Basically it's anything to help prepare students for when they graduate; to be in the best situation they can be for their job search. That includes helping them create a resume, write cover letters and know who can be good a reference. We try to give them the etiquette lessons they might need and do mock interviews.

Networking is the number one way people get a job, so we emphasize the importance of internships. It gives them experience, so when they enter the job market they have that knowledge. Sometimes when there is a job opening, a student intern has already been there, has been trained and is familiar with the office. Employers already know the student's qualifications and skills set, so they are in a good setting.

Do you reach out to the community for potential internship opportunities?

All the time. When I first started at USI, it was me going out into the community. But as USI has grown, it's been exciting because now our graduates are out there and they're reaching back to us for interns. It feels good to know that USI has grown, and that people are proud of their school and the talent it has and that they want to come back and work with our students.

What do you enjoy most about your job?

Working with students of course; that's probably the biggest joy of working here and feeling I'm really helping them, giving them the ability to tie the skills and knowledge they received at USI to make them a productive employee. They keep me young.

What do you like most about being at USI?

Being a part of an institution is still growing, and seeing and being a part of that growth. Even though we're not a small school, it still has a small community feel.

Do you still sing with the Evansville Philharmonic Chorus?

I do. I've been singing with them for almost 22 years. My first trip out of the country was to Europe with the Philharmonic. We went to Italy on a singing tour and then I went on my own to meet a friend in Switzerland. That's when my hunger for travel started. I've also traveled with the Philharmonic to London and went on to Ireland afterwards.

The Philharmonic's been a big part of my life. It's a passion. I sing alto and I'm afraid if my voice gets any lower, they'll kick me down to bass someday.

If your peers wanted to see you perform, how would they do that?

They can go to the Evansville Philharmonic Chorus website and check the calendar for upcoming performances. We have two big shows coming up, Britain's War Requiem on November 15 and then the Peppermint Pops, which is always such a treat, on December 6 and 7.

If there was a holiday held in your honor, what would it be called?

That was a hard one, so I texted a number of my friends and family and asked them what it would be. My favorite response was Pammaw Day, because that's what my grandchildren call me. One of them just turned a year old and the other one is 5. I love them dearly.

What song best represents your personal philosophy?

I have to say my favorite song right now is Happy by Pharrell Williams. It makes me smile and makes me want to dance. I'm an optimist who sees the glass half full. In the face of adversity, I try to find the positive side. If I'm having a day that's not so great, I'll pull that song up on my computer.

What is one thing about you that people would be surprised to learn?

The one thing that surprises people the most is I'm blind in one eye. Everyone says "I never knew that. I can't tell." Then they'll look and try to figure it out.  I had a disease called histoplasmosis when I was a teenager and it took the vision in my left eye.

Another one is when The Beatles came to the Indiana State Fair in 1964, it was the day after my 13th birthday and my friends and I baked them a seven-layer cake. We labeled it with "The Beatles" around the top and placed American and British flags around it. My friend's dad worked at a television station so we were in the newspaper, on the radio and on TV. The Beatles mentioned us in their press conference, something like "We appreciate all the gifts. We were even given a cake but we couldn't keep it. We had to donate it to an orphanage," or something like that. But they mentioned us and that's all I needed. I was in love with Paul.