A Message From Dr. Maria Markham, ADHE Director
By Dr. Maria Markham on Monday, October 25, 2021
Congratulations for being invested in your future! I can appreciate the efforts you will make and have already made to prepare yourself for this adventure.
College is for you!
You can find your purpose, find your independence, find your future and find your people all at college. I encourage you to think beyond a traditional bachelor’s degree as the only meaningful education. Technology and certificate-based programs produce graduates who are in high demand for lucrative jobs.
Students today have so many options for inspiring careers. Our country, not to mention our state, is in need of more engineers, fabricators and scientists. There aren’t enough students majoring in these areas to satisfy the demand. Let me be the encouragement you need to strive for a fulfilling career in these areas.
Arkansas has an excellent record of “putting our money where our mouth is” by making scholarships and grants available to students in high-demand areas. Check out this magazine for those opportunities.
Show up and engage in your future — you are worth it.
Be well and do good.
Dr. Maria Markham
Director, Arkansas Division of Higher Education
Q: What are the coolest new tech degrees in Arkansas?
A: “There are some really cool data science and nanotech programs popping up around the state.”
Q: Why should students consider a career in tech?
A: “I saw a fun fact when I was in college: The average shelf life of a piece of technology was seven minutes. That is seven minutes before someone created a better, faster, smaller version of a gadget. Unless there really is a zombie apocalypse, technology is our future and we’ll always be moving forward — talk about job security!”
Dr. Maria Markham is a graduate of Arkansas’ own Dierks High School and Henderson State University, where she received both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business administration. In 2016, she was named by Gov. Asa Hutchinson to lead what is now the Arkansas Division of Higher Education.
