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People Profiles
Kelly Hansen
- Hometown: Seattle, WA
- Major: Business Administration, Marketing concentration
- Minors: English; Self-structured Entrepreneurship
Why Western?
I applied to Western as a backup school – I wasn't seriously considering it. I was accepted to all of the universities I applied to, and I had my deposit in at another university. I made a trip to Bellingham to visit a friend who went to Western during my senior year in high school, and I fell in love with WWU. The size, the beautiful campus, the great community, and amazing opportunities: I haven't once regretted my choice to come to Western; I love it!
Influential Professor
Professor Wendy Wilhelm of the Marketing Department has been extremely influential during my time at Western. Although I've had a lot of great professors, she has stood out as a faculty member who goes above and beyond to help students learn. Professor Wilhelm continually pilots new classroom instruction techniques, is open to student input, prepares exciting and engaging material, and her courses are always very challenging! I have immense respect for this woman, and my education experience at WWU has been edified because of her!
On the Leading Edge
I recently presented at the Educause Learning Initiative conference in San Antonio, TX. I was invited to attend and present based on the work I've done with podcasting in higher education. I am a strong proponent of the importance of utilizing alternate ways to reach students, such as podcasting, videocasting, interactive websites, text messaging, supplementary material, and more.
Outside the Classroom
I enjoy a lot of different things, but spend the majority of my time studying, reading, working out, and spending time in the outdoors and with my friends! I also serve as the Vice President for Marketing for a local text messaging company, Network Text (www.networkText.com). All Network Text's employees are 23 or younger, and the company has been launched into the forefront of group communication businesses. We are becoming the gold standard - over 2 million text messages were sent last month.
In Good Company
The time I've spent making lifelong friendships has been one of the most memorable parts of my education experience at Western. WWU attracts bright, motivated, hard working individuals – so the opportunity to network and make friends with these people has been extremely powerful!
Life in Bellingham
I LOVE Bellingham! Moving from Seattle, I was afraid that I would be bored or wouldn't be able to find things to keep myself busy. I was so wrong! Bellingham has a lot of really cool, unique things to do. Some of my favorites are kayaking on Lake Whatcom ($1 – subsidized by Western), going to Bellwether Harbor to watch the boats come in, trying new fun, funky, local restaurants, and studying at Woods Coffee at Boulevard Park.
After Western
I've been interviewing constantly for the past quarter, and I have a couple of amazing offers on the table. A business degree from Western says a lot, and employers are excited to speak to a student who can excel in such a well structured, enriching program! So, I will most likely accept an offer with one of these companies as a Market Research analyst, or in brand management. I've made a lot of great connections here at Western though, so I'm also entertaining the possibility of joining a local startup or traveling. It is a very exciting time!