Bronco Spotlight: Alexis Lenderman
Bachelor of Business Administration in entrepreneurship; Bachelor of Arts in global and international studies, 2020
Outreach and Engagement Intern at The College Promise Campaign
I am focusing on student and foster youth voices in the movement of making the first two years of college universal, free, and accessible. Because we are a small but mighty team, I get to take on responsibilities that I may not have in other organizations/companies.
What is the most rewarding and the most challenging part of your job?
I have the most autonomy and responsibility that I have ever had in my professional life. By my third day I was a lead on three projects. By my third week, I was put lead on the annual report. I learned more in my first week in this position than any of my other jobs before because I am not afraid to say yes to taking on new projects but also because I am resourceful in finding solutions. The most challenging part is working on several different projects at the same time with different expectations, due dates, project plans, etc. Also, priorities and projects can and will change every single day, so being flexible is key. The most rewarding part is that I absolutely love what I do: I get to help make college more accessible for students across the nation. With that, I am making sure that foster youth are a part of the conversation and are included as we develop new strategies. Being able to work so closely with the Vice President every day and being told yes to almost every idea that I pitch has been incredibly empowering. WMU was by far the best choice for me for undergrad and I want other students to have the same experiences as I was blessed with in college.
What experiences impacted the choice of your career path?
The fact that I was so involved throughout college taught me how to balance so many different tasks and expectations at one time. By and large, it was my time in foster care that taught me how to be flexible, resilient and resourceful that prepared me for this role. WMU has been a phenomenal support network that helped me dream beyond my expectations, while the Seita Scholars Program pushed me to have big and bold dreams. I never realized how important networking and relationships are until I started applying for positions for post-graduation and when I started this position.
What advice do you have for students looking for their career after college?
The best advice that I could have for students is to find a mentor as soon as possible. You will probably have different mentors in different seasons of your life depending on whether you're in college, you've graduated or you’re in your career. I probably have between four and eight mentors that I can go to for anything - for my letter of recommendation or for general life advice.