Empathy, appreciation and paying it forward
Jonathan Gipson
When Jonathan Gipson thinks back on his four years at WMU, he feels proud of what he has been able to accomplish and grateful for the resources and people who have helped him on his journey as a business professional.
The Business Externship program was the first of many career readiness activities in the college and was instrumental to Gipson’s major selection process. The program matches students with companies where they have a short immersion experience in a career they are interested in. Students get a true sense of what potential career trajectories look like at a variety of different types of organizations. Through that process, Gipson found that he was a better fit with a sales career during a visit to Quicken Loans, rather than other options he was considering. Now, Gipson mentors other students as they get ready for their externship experiences.
Recently, Gipson attended the sales career fair where he got the chance to demonstrate his qualifications for a variety of positions. This was a high point for him, as his confidence and preparation kicked in. “This was an exciting event. I received internship and full-time job offers simply from knowing how to connect and go into detail about why I am the perfect fit for available positions.”
That opportunity to network with employers during his senior year was one that Gipson worried would not be possible at one point. “If I had to choose a professor who made a big impact on my college career, it would be Greg Gerfen. He taught Marketing Principles, which I took during my sophomore year. This was a very rough time in my life, especially financially. In the class, we had to buy a specific online book, MyMarketingLab. I told Greg about my situation, and he showed empathy for me, helping me with resources so that I did not have to pay a dime to get the materials and information needed to be successful in the course. That act of kindness is one of the only reasons that I have made it this far.”
And Gipson is quick to point out that he feels a strong connection with the Haworth College of Business faculty and staff in general. “The Haworth College of Business has helped me immensely in regard to professional goals and understanding business strategies. I am grateful for the professors that have reached out a helping hand at times where I felt like the load was too much to carry. I look forward to thanking each of them, as I am greatly appreciative.”
Appreciation and community. These are concepts that Gipson values. “Community service is huge to me, as I look to help others in their times of need and give back wherever and whenever I can,” he says. “I am a frequent volunteer at the Kalamazoo Salvation Army, Kalamazoo Loaves and Fishes, and the Kalamazoo Gospel Mission.”
Gipson is also a part of Alpha Kappa Psi, a co-ed professional business fraternity, and a brother of Phi Beta Sigma Fraternity, Inc., where he currently serves as the secretary and public relations chair.
Over the summer of 2019, Gipson held an internship as an analyst with Penske Logistics, where he worked on the Chrysler account, with cost savings initiatives that helped save the company $100,000 and gave Gipson skills in customer service and data analysis.
After graduation, he looks forward to finding a rewarding career. “My main goal in life was to make it out of my circumstances and beat the statistics,” he says. “I am fortunate to be have had the opportunity to continue my education after high school, as so many of my friends and family back home could not. I am honored to have an amazing support system from family, to college of business faculty, and I look forward to earning a position in sales or marketing soon.”
Gipson has some advice for incoming students, based on his experiences in the past four years. “Explore all of your resources. Look into everything that your tuition pays for and use it. Stay in constant communication with your professors, because they can help you more than you know.”