Featuring Maddy Price of Rockville, Neb., who is majoring in Business Administration (Management) at Wayne State College.
Thanks to Wayne State College’s Career Scholars Program, Maddy Price is graduating debt-free Saturday, May 9, and she has a job waiting for her. Price, a native of Rockville, Neb., who is majoring in Business Administration (Management) at Wayne State, is the final subject of the spring semester’s Student Spotlight Series.
“I chose Wayne State because of the Career Scholars Program,” said Price, a 2023 graduate of Wood River Rural High School. “When I found out I could complete the program in three years and have an internship close to home, I was sold! I knew securing that internship would put me ahead of other graduates, and Wayne was the only place I found that provided me that kind of opportunity.”
“Knowing that I was going to be in the Grand Island cohort for the Career Scholars Program, I had my eye on Chief Buildings for an internship from the very beginning of my freshman year,” continued Price. “At every career fair, I would go and talk to Tarryn Fulton, who goes to a lot of career affairs for Chief. They created an HR internship position at the manufacturing plant just to test the waters, and now I’m going to start my career there as an HR assistant. My grandpa also retired from there.”
Cooperative education is a method of combining classroom education with real work experience for college credit. At its core, the Wayne State Career Scholars Program supports workforce and economic development in Nebraska. The program offers students an opportunity to afford their four-year degree while also providing them with career experience.
The Career Scholars Program combines classroom education with real-world internship experience, so students graduate ready to succeed in their career. During their first three years at Wayne State, they engage with participating employers through site visits, job shadowing, and mentorships; reside in a living-learning community during their freshman year, reside in any residence hall on campus during their sophomore year, and reside on or off campus during their junior year.
In their senior year, Career Scholars find a paid professional working experience in Norfolk or Grand Island; earn up to 18 credit hours by working for a business for approximately 30-40 hours a week over a nine-month period; reside in one of the designated apartments in Grand Island or Norfolk where they connect with the community, participate in social and cultural activities, and engage with individuals in their profession of interest.
“Knowing that the Wayne State teachers care about their students is what truly made my college experience amazing,” said Price. “They were always there when you needed them.”
Fun Fact: “I lived in both the Grand Island and Norfolk Career Scholars apartments!"