Alumna Andrea Holzwarth says Elliott School decision paid off
Andrea Holzwarth isn't your average 21-year-old. She's a college graduate, an Alpha Phi sorority alumnus,
and the engineering recruitment coordinator at Wichita State University.
Holzwarth grew up in St. Francis, Kan., where she graduated from Saint Francis Community High School. Deciding where to attend college was an easy decision for her, because she knew she wanted a degree that would prepare her for anything the working world would throw at her. WSU's Cooperative Education program helped prepare her for a career in integrated marketing communications.
"I knew that if I wanted a career — not just a job post-graduation — then I needed work experience before I was handed my diploma," Holzwarth said.
Not only did WSU have a second-to-none co-op program, it seemed to be a great fit for what she wanted to pursue. While working toward her degree, she was employed as a marketing intern for the Kansas Credit Union Association — a job she found through WSU's co-op office. While there, she said she gained valuable real-world experience; enough to help her get a new job in the Office of Admissions at WSU.
Shortly after graduation, Holzwarth's supervisor suggested she look into higher education. "She could see the passion I had for recruiting students to the university," Holzwarth said. So, after a bit of searching, she found the opening for the Engineering Recruitment Coordinator position at WSU.
Holzwarth is most thankful for the classroom experience and the outstanding faculty at the Elliott School. "The faculty cares about you," Holzwarth explained. "You are not a number. When I graduated, almost every one of the faculty members knew my name, my major, and my new job. You wouldn't get that at a school like KU or K-State."