News

The Southern Illinois University Edwardsville School of Business’s Alex Kampwerth, of Breese, is building his resume with experience and accolades. The senior business administration student has been recognized by Northwestern Mutual as a Power of 10 intern.

His achievement is significant as he hopes to become a financial advisor upon graduation in May 2017. He is one of many SIUE students who became connected with the internship opportunity during a career fair hosted by SIUE’s Career Development Center.

“I encourage students to take full advantage of career fair opportunities, because if I hadn’t participated, then I would never have this internship,” Kampwerth said. “With this award, I was able to attend summer camp in Atlanta. I was also able to go to Milwaukee to receive the award, where I met awesome people, made new friends and listened to the top representatives of the company.”

“Internships are a great way for students to gain real-world experience, confidence and build their professional network and resume with an experience that will help gain full-time employment,” said Carrie Smolar, assistant director of SIUE’s Career Development Center. “We work closely with many departments on campus to ensure we are providing experiences and resources that align with students’ academic experiences.”

Kampwerth’s high level of success in building business and developing a client base made him worthy of this competitive company recognition, according to Almedina Veletanlic, campus recruiter with Northwestern Mutual-St. Louis/Glen Carbon.

“Alex is a go-getter and has a great attitude,” Veletanlic said. “He enjoys helping people, has a great work ethic and is working hard to continue his successful business with Northwestern Mutual, as graduation nears.”

The company has offered internship opportunities to multiple SIUE students through the years, with much success. Four other students are currently interning with the company, including Ben Throm, Colton Hamel, Kelsi Delgado and Torrence Brown.

“SIUE is one of the major campuses that we like to offer the internship opportunity to the students, because we find them helpful and very qualified to help our company achieve our goals,” Veletanlic added. “Students from SIUE utilize their skills that they have obtained from their courses and their personable characteristics to provide continuous successes, both personally and professionally.”

“Employers tell us that SIUE interns are well-prepared from their academic studies, possess a strong work ethic, and are team players who positively contribute to the company,” Smolar said. “Connecting students with internship and co-op opportunities is just a portion of the comprehensive and individualized career services the Career Development Center offers. We promote lifelong career success and professional excellence.”

The Career Development Center offers many resources and services for students throughout their time at the University and beyond. These range from providing resume development and critiques, career exploration and assessments, a cooperative education program, information on job search strategies, interview preparation and social media assistance, to on campus interviews with employers, workshops and presentations.

For more information, visit siue.edu/careerdevelopmentcenter.

Photo: Northwestern Mutual-St. Louis’s Chief Development Officer Helen Jardine, presents SIUE’s Alex Kampwerth with his Power of 10 Award and Certificate of Recognition.