Abhishek Bajaj

Abhishek Bajaj wasted no time as a student at Wichita State University. While undertaking a full load with a major in finance and a minor in economics, Bajaj worked for seven semesters as a pricing intern at LSI Corp. in Wichita.

The Bangalore, India, native graduated in 2011 and was offered a full-time position at MGP Ingredients Inc. in Atchison, Kan., as a business analyst for the sales and marketing department.

Bajaj credits the opportunities afforded to him by WSU's Cooperative Education and Work-Based Learning program – along with the strong education he received in the classroom – for his success.

"It was the most important and beneficial experience part of my undergraduate studies while at WSU," Bajaj said. "My internship experience made me confident and expanded my overall business knowledge by leaps and bounds." 

Always a Shocker

Bajaj said when looking at colleges, Wichita State seemed to be a good fit because of small class sizes, allowing more valuable one-on-one time with teachers.

He was hoping to break into the financial services industry as an equities research analyst or financial adviser. His classes and co-op experience eventually led him in a different direction, helping clarify exactly the kind of career he wanted.

As business analyst at MGP, Bajaj initially worked with the vice president of the food production and alcohol distillery segments of the company. This past July, Bajaj was promoted and transferred to the finance department in Kansas City, reporting directly to the chief financial officer and the director of supply chain finance.

His new responsibilities include product costing, revenue assurance, auditing and other ad-hoc projects.

Bajaj said he wouldn't be where he is now without his time at WSU.

"I'd like to credit my experience and success to my internship experience, along with my two managers at LSI, because not only did they help me learn and grow along the way, they also gave me career advice and were very supportive, before and after graduation," he said. "Overall, WSU has been a great experience and I will always be a proud Shocker."