Schoolcraft transfer student takes business skills to Spain
New grad Vanessa Agrusa says she never imagined making the Mike Ilitch School of Business' 25 Under 25 list. But thanks to her demonstrated efforts in academics, leadership, professionalism and community involvement, that's exactly where she finds herself. A transfer from Schoolcraft College, Agrusa's interest in WSU came from the connection between Schoolcraft's honors program and Wayne State's Irvin D. Reid Honors College. Her interest in Honors comes from the community involvement and working with "like-minded individuals" who are "willing to go the extra mile."
"I came to Wayne because of the transfer scholarship and because I got a peek into their honors program," said Agrusa. "I fell in love with the program and the people advocating for it. From there I just decided that Wayne was the move and that it would be a good decision."
A supply chain management major and Spanish minor, Agrusa interns at adult community education non-profit La Casa Guadalupana and has a co-op position at Meritor, Inc., a leading global supplier of drivetrain, mobility, braking and aftermarket solutions for commercial vehicle and industrial markets.
She recently spent six weeks in Costa Rica as part of a study abroad program during which she took two classes and stayed with a host family while immersing herself in the language and culture of the South American nation.
"It was the best experience educationally and culturally of my life," said Agursa. "The immersion was full-on, I was speaking Spanish every day. I worked for a grocery chain kind of like Whole Foods but in South America, it's a supply chain and I was able to learn the job completely in Spanish. It was the perfect capstone to everything, it was incredible."
Agrusa says that her courses at Wayne were challenging, but motivating, and kept up to date with current trends in the business market. "Our career centers are very pushing for students to get internships," said Agrusa. "I've got a lot of help from professors just trying to help find the right job or connections, they're always willing to go out of their way."
By Jacob Stocking, Educational Outreach communications associate
The Transfer Student Success Center is part of the Office of Educational Outreach, which leads initiatives for all off-campus programs and courses. Follow us @WSUTSSC.