Student athlete earns accolades in the classroom and on the dance floor
KALAMAZOO, Mich.—After winning the prestigious Stand Out Award in her final semester as an undergraduate, MBA student Natily Cripe accepted a position at HexAmor in Grand Rapids and started earlier this year. Since earning her B.B.A. in 2025, she’s now expecting to complete her MBA from WMU Haworth in the spring of 2027.
“I truly don’t think I would have had this career opportunity without the support of the professors and the hands-on experience provided through the Haworth College of Business.”
Stand Out Awards are given to students in the Customer Relationship Management course where they propose and present a partnership between the WMU sales and business marketing program and HexArmor. Cripe and others in her group were selected to receive this award by four HexArmor executives for their outstanding work, and then also received a chance to interview for a position with the company.
While completing her B.B.A., Cripe was part of the WMU dance team that won two national championships and represented Western on national stages and locally in Kalamazoo. WMU's score was the highest across all categories and 23 teams at the Division 1 Large Jazz National Championship at The College Classic in Orlando, Florida in April 2026.
Faculty and staff at WMU Haworth have been consistently flexible and understanding of schedules and practices, crucial for Cripe’s busy schedule as a student athlete. “Their support has made it much easier to succeed. I’ve always felt comfortable communicating with them as they are willing to work with me to make sure I stay on track academically.” Balancing courses and commitments helped Cripe thrive in ways she didn’t expect.
“It took a lot of discipline, strong time management and commitment to my goals, especially when it came to staying on top of all my academics while also meeting the responsibilities of being part of the team.”
Her MBA coursework directly applies to her current role as an account executive, allowing her to develop a deeper understanding of her clients and provide personalized solutions. One of the most memorable courses for Cripe was Leadership for Managers, which teaches students how to communicate, make practical decisions and approach challenges with self-awareness. This course helps engage and relate the material in a way that applies to theories and academic lessons in both the classroom and in future professional settings, giving Cripe skills that she uses in her role today.
After finishing her graduate degree, Cripe hopes to advance in her career and take on additional responsibility as she becomes more confident in her skills while staying open to future opportunities to keep learning.
“My experience at WMU has been incredibly memorable, and more importantly, it has played a major role in shaping both my personality and professional growth.”
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