As an intern, he saved a company $1 million with his innovative engineering. Md Marsad Zoardar is one of many Western students gaining meaningful, resume-worthy experience in his chosen field of study.
Learn how Broncos are impacting industries before graduation
As the summer draws to a close, numerous Bronco students just concluded or are soon to complete productive summer internships, co-ops and other experiential-learning activities. Other students are gearing up to engage in this kind of in-the-field applied learning while taking classes during the fall or later this academic year.
Our most recent survey of graduates showed that 93% had a job or were continuing their education, and alumni who completed internships were three times as likely to have a job related to their degree compared to peers who did not.
At Western, we’re proud that better than 90% of our students will have taken part in at least one experiential-learning activity and many will have completed several of them by the time they graduate. These opportunities provide valuable hands-on learning, connections to mentors and often represent steppingstones to begin a career.
We take pride in our students’ experiential-learning productivity because tying excellent classroom instruction to applied experiences gives our students an incredible advantage. Experiential education effectively works in concert with formal classroom instruction to deepen learning, boost students’ confidence in their skills and abilities, confirm a chosen career path or even provide fruitful redirection to a new professional realm to explore.
And because our students don’t wait until after graduation to make a measurable mark outside the classroom, they leave Western career ready and understanding how to pursue their purpose in life. It’s no coincidence that our experiential-learning statistic is like our post-graduate success rate. Our most recent survey of graduates showed that 93% had a job or were continuing their education. Moreover, alumni who completed an internship were “three times as likely to have a job related to their degree and two times as likely to be satisfied with their job compared with peers who did not have an internship.”
That’s why I’m so pleased and grateful that we will be able to expand the experiential-learning opportunities for students thanks to the Empowering Futures Gift. As you will read on the following pages, part of that incredible $550 million contribution has been earmarked to help fund a new Paid Internship Program to support a variety of on-the-job experiences for our students.
As a result, many more students will be able to demonstrate to themselves—and future employers—their drive to seize and leverage opportunities to benefit a world that needs their talents. That’s the Bronco advantage.
Sincerely,
Edward Montgomery, Ph.D.
President
A passion for politics drove her interest in Western's Capital Internship Program, where she worked as a legislative aide to Michigan Sen. Sean McCann.
He's witnessing the birth of his career on the labor and delivery floor as an nurse extern at Bronson Methodist Hospital.
The Kalamazoo Promise helped him cover the costs of college. Now he's paying it forward as a copywriting intern for the organization.
She's getting a jump-start on her dream of one day building her own aircraft with an internship at Duncan Aviation, expanding her skills on aviation electrical systems.
From packaging to presentation, they are getting an inside look at marketing a successful business with internships at Dom's Kitchen and Market.
She's using the innovative skills she's learning at Western to develop the toys of tomorrow at Melissa & Doug.
Her work at the Naval Research Laboratory will be used in upcoming NASA missions, propelling deep space exploration.
He's flexing his sports management knowledge as a communications intern for the NFL's New York Giants.
Companies around the globe are evolving for a greener future, relying on the expertise and a new compostability testing facility at Western. Leading the installation and development of the lab, Ph.D. candidate Jason Wang is now one of the few North American experts in this area.
Topping the leaderboard throughout the entire tournament, head golf coach Kim Moore is the first-ever winner of the U.S. Adaptive Open. She finished with a 54-hole total of 232 (+16) at the legendary No. 6 Golf Course at Pinehurst.
Like most people, alumnus Jerry Selbee enjoys relaxing on his porch swing. Unlike most, he's shared the swing with Hollywood heavyweight Bryan Cranston, who just played Selbee in a movie about how he exposed a lottery loophole and won millions.
Paying bills, saving money and learning how to stick to a budget are just a few of the skills that everyone needs to be financially responsible. However, those skills have not typically been taught in school. This will change in Michigan in coming years.
There are many things to love about WMU, starting with my relationships with administrators, faculty, staff, students, former students and lifelong friends. I believe I received a wonderful education and am very proud of my University as well as the faculty and graduates who continue to enhance my degree through their accomplishments.
Bill Thompson, BBA '65
Darren Johnston, BA '09, gets to work in his new office at the storied Paramount Building in New York City. The theatre performance graduate turned Broadway producer has received three prestigious Tony Awards for his work with production company No Guarantees on "The Lehman Trilogy" (2022 Best Play), "Company" (2022 Best Revival of a Musical) and "Hadestown" (2019 Best Musical).
Diane Seuss, BA '81, MSW '83, was awarded a 2022 Pulitzer Prize in Poetry—among other recognitions—for "frank: sonnets," a collection of poems she describes as a memoir in sonnets.
