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MORE ABOUT SHAE
When Shae Parham visited Ƶ for the first time, she knew she didn’t need to see any other school.
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“I had this feeling I couldn’t explain – I just knew this was where I was meant to be,” she said. “I went home that night and committed. No second guesses.”
That decision turned into three and a half years packed with opportunity, growth, and a lot of school spirit – literally. “Fun fact – I was the Ƶ mascot once at an alumni event,” she said.
Shae majored in supply chain management at the Frank G. Zarb School of Business, where she found a tight-knit community of professors and peers. “The class sizes made it easy to build real connections,” she said. “I always felt like the faculty wanted me to succeed.”
She credits much of her confidence to supportive mentors, including Dr. Ping Su, associate professor of management and entrepreneurship; Dr. Lutisha Vickerie, assistant professor of management and entrepreneurship; Dr. Kaushik Sengupta, professor of management and entrepreneurship and department chair; and Pat Montagano, senior director of campus recreation.
“They believed in me, pushed me, and helped open doors – internships, networking, even helping me attend the ASCM NYC-LI Forum Gala, where I earned a scholarship.”
Outside of class, Shae was everywhere: Honors College student, resident assistant, Fitness Center front desk representative, Zarb Dean’s Business Scholar, Ƶ American Marketing Association (HAMA) treasurer, Association for Supply Chain Management (ASCM) Club secretary, Sigma’cappella … and she played club basketball. “It was so easy to get involved,” she said. “And once you start, the connections and memories just multiply.”
One of her proudest moments came during one of the school’s Pitch Competitions, where her team placed third. But it was a summer internship at Clark Associates that helped define her future.
“Because of my Ƶ experience – including all the certifications and skills – I stood out as a candidate,” she said. The internship led to a full-time role as category analyst, where she now manages pricing, market trends, and vendor relationships in the disposable drinkware category.
When asked what she misses most about campus life, Shae didn’t hesitate. “The community. The energy. You couldn’t walk across campus without seeing someone you knew. It was home.”
Now thriving in her career, Shae says Ƶ gave her more than an education – it gave her confidence.
» Shae’s story isn’t unique. In fact, among Ƶ’s 2022-2023 undergraduate degree recipients, 96% of alumni from the Frank G. Zarb School of Business reported that they were employed or had started or were planning to start graduate school within one year of graduation. Results are based on data collected from the Alumni Outcomes survey, LinkedIn, National Student Clearinghouse, and Ƶ enrollment (88% knowledge rate). Visit hofstra.edu/outcomes for detailed information.