Kaye Woodke | 2016 Administrative Professional
At Southwest Tech our vision is to be a preferred provider of education, source of talent, and place of employment in the region. We feel very fortunate when we can then hire graduates whose talents are a perfect match for their position at Southwest Tech. Kaye Woodke is a 2016 graduate who has just a little less than a year under her belt as an assistant recruiter. Here’s her Southwest Tech story:
I never realized how large of an impact choosing Southwest Tech would have on my life. When I first decided to go to Southwest Tech, it was because I wanted to be close to home, it was affordable, and it had a program in which I was interested. In my time at Southwest Tech as a student, I graduated from the Administrative Professional program as well as took classes in Graphic and Web Design and Early Childhood Education; however, I was also involved in just about everything I could on campus. I was a student ambassador, a leader in student senate, and a work study for different areas on campus. It was these jobs and experiences that helped lay the foundation for my professional career.
One of my biggest recommendations to students is to get involved, and if able, work on campus; join clubs, participate in events, and find a job on campus. You not only get to meet new friends and make connections that way, but you also gain valuable skills and training that you may not receive otherwise. You are also given so many opportunities to network, lead, travel, and learn. While I gained valuable knowledge and skills in the classroom, I was also able to practice those skills and develop new ones outside of the classroom that prepared me for the job I have today. Being so active on campus allowed me to grow a love and appreciation for Southwest Tech and all that it offers its students, staff, and community. I enjoyed telling others about the great opportunities we provided as a college and helping students think about their career and educational goals. It was so hard for me to leave Southwest Tech as a student because I truly loved what I did.
Because I was so active on campus, I was able to work with, and meet, a lot of the staff and faculty I now work with at Southwest Tech. I was able to learn from them and develop professional connections that I would not have had if I hadn’t been working as a student. These were the people that provided opportunities for me to discover what I wanted to do in my future. They supported me through some of the hardest times in my life and never stopped telling me to chase my dreams because they saw the potential in me that I didn’t see in myself. They became my mentors, my advocates, and now, I am blessed to be able to call them my friends.
When I left Southwest Tech as a student, I worked in long-term care as an administrative assistant for a short amount of time. While I loved the connections I was making and how I was helping others, I still felt as though something was missing, and that something was Southwest Tech. I now serve Southwest Tech as an assistant recruiter, and it is the most rewarding job. I not only get to tell others about how amazing Southwest Tech is, but I get to help them make decisions about their education and career goals as well as support them when they need it – just as I was supported as a student. I love what I do, and I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.
If I had never decided to go to Southwest Tech, or never decided to get involved at Southwest Tech, I have to believe that my life would be very different. While I have faced many struggles in my life, the connections I made at Southwest Tech helped me to realize the potential in myself and allowed me to grow as a person not just professionally, but personally. When I say that choosing Southwest Tech was the best decision I could have ever made, I truly mean it, because that choice has changed my life for the better.
Outside of work you can find me spending time with my family and friends, cooking, going on adventures, and serving my community. #swtcproud