Career Archives

Posted On: September 30, 2026
By: MC Admin

The Student Debt Project, McPherson College’s program that helps students graduate with little to no college debt, is making a difference for hundreds of students who participate each year. Now, a new community partnership offering resources beyond financial support is providing additional help for students in the program as they prepare for success after graduation.

The college recently partnered with STEPMC to offer its Getting Ahead program to a select group of seniors participating in the Student Debt Project as a pilot during the 2026 fall semester. Amy Beckman, executive director of career and experiential learning, hopes the program will continue and eventually expand to include more students who can benefit from the class.

“After analyzing the more than 500 students that participated in the Student Debt Project last year, we discovered that 20% were eligible for full Pell Grants, and a significant number were first-generation college students,” Beckman said. “The number caught our attention, and we started to explore ways to better support our under-resourced students.”

The Student Debt Project combines a wage match, financial planning education, and mentorship to support participants as they balance work, classes, and college life while developing financial skills that carry on after graduation. Through her work with students in the program, Beckman sees the positive effect mentorship has on participants. She decided to look to the McPherson community to help offer that kind of support.

The partnership with STEPMC fulfills the college’s desire to find additional support for under-resourced students while helping STEPMC reach a younger demographic.

“The typical age of our program averages between 30 and 40 years old,” said Angela Brunk, STEPMC executive director. “If we can get our resources to under-resourced people early on, they have a better trajectory navigating the middle class, and chances for more success throughout their life.”

Steps to End Poverty in McPherson County was founded in 2010 and is connected with Circles USA, a national nonprofit that partners with local organizations to end poverty. STEPMC uses an innovative, community-driven framework to address poverty by mobilizing volunteers, community leaders, and organizations to partner with families in poverty.

In the sessions with students, facilitators emphasize the factors beyond financial that keep people in poverty. Brunk said topics can range from resources that address emotional and health factors to role models and community conditions.

“This is a good way for our institution to support these students,” Beckman said. “It allows us to connect resources on an individual basis. Students develop life skills that set them up for success well beyond their time with us.”

The partnership also allows the college to add a second tier of matching funds for the students who complete the course. Students who complete the Getting Ahead course will be eligible to increase their wage match from 25 cents to 50 cents.

“As we hear more about the participants in the program and listen to their situations, we see that they need more support,” Beckman said. “Our community offers an amazing number of resources that we can connect to our students. For the years they are here, we want them to feel like this is home.”

College and community members also assist by providing a meal for the students and facilitators at each class session.

This year, 430 McPherson College students are participating in the Student Debt Project after new acceptance guidelines were put in place to make the program more accessible to the students most in need.

The first match for the academic year was made in September and totaled more than $190,000, nearly $20,000 more than the match made at this time last year. Last year’s total match was $385,000.

Of the Student Debt Project seniors who graduated last year, 36% graduated without college loan debt. Overall, the McPherson College Class of 2026 lowered its average debt at graduation to $13,477.

Posted On: July 1, 2026
By: MC Admin

Kenya McCain, career and financial wellness coordinator

Kenya McCain, a 2026 McPherson College graduate, first realized the impact of the Student Debt Project during visits home to Texas.

“I was so much more ahead of other friends my age,” McCain said. “I was already preparing for life after college. I had savings. I was practicing budgeting – all things I learned by participating in the Student Debt Project.”

She hopes her recent experiences as a student and Student Debt Project participant will help her support current students and families in her new role as career and financial wellness coordinator. McCain will work with Amy Beckman, executive director of Career and Experiential Learning, with a primary focus on the Student Debt Project.

“I have walked in their shoes not that long ago,” McCain said. “I know exactly what they are experiencing, and I know how I overcame many of the challenges I faced as a college student. I can also give them advice on life after college because I’m living it now.”

With an emphasis on the Student Debt Project, McCain will support students’ financial well-being by promoting financial literacy and connecting students and families with resources that prepare them for life after college.

Last year, more than 500 students participated in the Student Debt Project, and nearly $400,000 in matching funds was awarded. The most recent results, from the 2025 graduating class, show that nearly 25% of students who participated in the program graduated debt-free.

“I learned how to pay for college before I graduated,” McCain said. “On top of that, I also learned the importance of networking with faculty, staff and alumni. My experiences with the Student Debt Project, my leadership roles on campus, and my coursework gave me the skills and confidence I needed. I think those experiences will help me guide others as they find success and grow.”

While a student, McCain also participated on the women’s basketball team and was a team captain. She was president of the Student Government Association, served as lead resident assistant on the Residence Life Team, and served as a student ambassador and participated in several campus honor societies.

McCain is already developing new programming for Student Debt Project’s monthly seminars. The seminars will begin with a kick-off event in September focused on career and financial success. Future seminars will cover budgeting, insurance for college students, how-to sessions about taxes, job opportunities, and investing. Many sessions will feature guest speakers.

The registration deadline for the Student Debt Project is July 15. On-campus student jobs will also be posted on Handshake that day.

Other career service initiatives for the upcoming academic year include a partnership with The Career Closet to make professional attire more accessible to students who need it. Additional details about the program will be announced later.

When classes begin this fall, students can also attend the Backpack to Briefcase workshop series hosted by the Career and Experiential Learning office. The series will culminate with a new Fall Career Fair on October 2 during Homecoming weekend. The event will feature job and internship opportunities connected to McPherson College alumni.

Posted On: October 16, 2023
By: MC Admin

McPherson College’s career service program was recently featured in an article published by the National Association of Colleges and Employers (NACE). The article noted that 80% to 85% of McPherson College students work at any given point in the year, including academic year and breaks. The article acknowledged an initiative led by Amy Beckman, executive director of career and experiential learning, that incorporated NACE career readiness competencies into student job descriptions and supervision.

“It was a great opportunity for us to put some intentional purpose behind what we are coaching and mentoring our student employees in and finding out what our students are learning on the job,” Beckman said regarding the work done in her office to ensure students are career ready.

NACE is a professional association that connects nearly 17,000 college career services professionals, university relations, and recruiting professionals. It serves as the leading source of information on the employment of college students and forecasts hiring and trends in the job market.

The McPherson College career initiative has allowed Beckman to target mentorship programming for supervisors and training for student employees to connect the competencies to their work. She plans to add more training for supervisors about how to have high-impact practices within the work they assign to students and how to engage in reflective conversations with students about what they are learning and how they can apply that to their current work, other jobs, and schoolwork.

“We are leveling up our experiences, so we feel more confident when sending our students out into the community to do internships and to work, and we want our employers to be confident that our students are well-prepared,” Beckman said.

Last year, 80% of McPherson College’s graduates had at least one internship or field experience before graduation. Three-quarters of the class had secured a job or graduate school placement before graduating, and after six months, 99% reported having a job or working toward furthering their education.

Posted On: January 21, 2021
By: MC Admin

In a year that stretched health care resources to their limits, McPherson College graduate Stefan Krsmanovic gained valuable job experience on the front lines as an intern with the McPherson County Health Department during his senior year. It is what eventually helped him secure a position with the Sedgwick County Health Department after graduation.

Krsmanovic is just one of many success stories from the McPherson College graduating class of 2020, according to Amy Beckman, executive director of career services. Since commencement in May, 95 percent of the class has secured employment or further education. Additionally, of those graduates with jobs or graduate school placements, 82 percent had at least one internship while at McPherson College.

“Despite an uncertain job market because of the pandemic, our students remained successful in securing their first job,” Beckman said. “Our placement numbers are very similar to previous years, which I think is remarkable considering all of the challenges this class faced. I think their success illustrates the value of a liberal arts education that produces graduates who can adapt to the job market.”

While many colleges report placement rates similar to McPherson College, President Michael Schneider says the college’s placement numbers are a true reflection of its graduates.

“We can account for nearly every graduate when we track our outcomes,” he said. “Most colleges can account for only 10 to 20 percent of any graduating class. When we report 95 percent of a class has secured employment or further education, we are talking about the entire class not just a portion of the class. When you add our strong placement rate to our efforts at reducing student debt through The Student Debt Project, McPherson College graduates are getting a head start at a successful future.”

The Student Debt Project, now in its second full year with nearly 200 students participating, combines financial literacy, mentorship, and matching funds to show students how they can reduce their college debt before graduation.

Kylee Martin, another 2020 graduate, was in the pilot group of the Student Debt Project. Although she was not able to participate in the project for her entire time at the college, by paying on her college account while in school, she has been able to graduate with a reduced amount of student debt allowing her to focus on starting a career as a marketing coordinator for Motion Products, Inc. in Neenah, Wisconsin.

“Participating in the Student Debt Project at McPherson College allowed me to focus on gaining real-life experience through internships and secure a full-time job before I graduated,” Martin said. “Knowing that I have paid a significant portion of my college debt has given me confidence in my financial situation. This wouldn’t have been possible for me without the Student Debt Project. The program gave me the opportunity to pay off as much debt as possible while in college and taught me financial knowledge that I will use throughout my entire life.”

Like Martin, many McPherson College students were able to secure employment or graduate school placements prior to their commencement. According to Beckman, half of the recent graduating class had outcomes prior to commencement.

“I am very proud of our students for accomplishing so much during this pandemic,” Beckman said. “Our graduates entered a variety of different job markets across the United States this year, and they were able to successfully find jobs or further their education. It is a significant feat in our current environment.”

Posted On: September 6, 2019
By: MC Admin

McPherson College announces Amy Beckman will lead the Office of Career and Experiential Learning as its new executive director. Beckman brings a great deal of local experience to her role, which focuses on ensuring McPherson College graduates are placed in their field while broadening the level of student engagement across campus.

“McPherson College’s career placement and graduate school acceptance rates are some of the highest in the country,” President Michael Schneider said. “We continue elevating the scope and visibility of our career service efforts, giving our students opportunities to explore, experience, and engage in career development.”

Results from the college’s focus on career development are encouraging; 98 percent of McPherson College graduates are employed in their field within six months after graduating, and two-thirds of its graduates report having a job before graduation. The Career Services Office integrates a model for student engagement that encourages students to explore options in their field through research and conversations with industry professionals; experience the actual work through practicums, clinicals, and job shadowing; and engage in internships, projects, and jobs.

“There is a great energy around the career service efforts here,” Beckman said. “Everybody on campus, from faculty and staff to the students, are engaging and curious how to get involved in learning about becoming part of the working community. There is also great support from our community reaching out to the college about how we can partner and offer job opportunities and learning experiences for our students.”

Last year, the college added an online resource tool for student job search that connects students with job opportunities on campus, locally, and across the country. The online tool currently lists more than 400 jobs and has 400 more pending approval.

“It is significant that we have that kind of interest in hiring our students,” Beckman said.

Beckman explained there are many ways local employers can partner with the college, including giving company tours, offering mentorships, job shadowing, or internships. She encourages local employers to contact her at [email protected].

Prior to her new role at McPherson College, Beckman worked for 12 years at CHS Refinery in McPherson where she recruited and hired for various positions along with coordinating the internship program and assisting with performance management. For the past two years, she has been working in human resource management.

Posted On: April 26, 2019
By: MC Admin

Taylor Ellison

Last year, two-thirds of McPherson College graduates had jobs waiting for them before they graduated. This year’s graduating class is already starting to receive job offers including two students who will join the management training program at Equity Bank.

Taylor Ellison of Tulsa, Oklahoma and Jesse Freeman of Castle Rock, Colorado will graduate on Sunday, May 19 at McPherson College and will begin work with Equity Bank in June. Both are students in the business program at the college. They were selected by faculty to interview with the bank in March. Both were contacted for a second round of interviews that include Equity Bank CEO Brad Elliott, a 1989 graduate of McPherson College. The two students will join several other alumni who work for Equity Bank and who are on its leadership team.

Ellison will graduate with degree in business administration with emphasis in finance and marketing. He was an executive member in the business club and played basketball for the Bulldogs for four years serving as senior captain. He also was a 2019 KCAC champion of character recipient. Freeman will also graduate with a degree in business administration with emphasis in accounting and finance. He was a member of the cross country and track teams and was a national qualifier in both in 2018.

Jesse Freeman

Equity Bank is headquartered in Wichita and has branches throughout Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, and Oklahoma.

“McPherson College’s career placement rates are some of the highest in the country and we continue to elevate the scope and visibility of our career services efforts,” President Michael Schneider said. “So it is very exciting for us to have a strong partner like Equity Bank who can offer experiential and as well career opportunities for our students.”

McPherson College graduates are employed before graduation at a rate that is three times higher than the national average and six months out 98 percent of all graduates are employed.

Posted On: March 13, 2019
By: MC Admin

Cali Godwin selected as one of only six students who will serve as interns and multimedia journalists for the Broadcast Education Association’s (BEA) Annual Conference.

McPherson College student Cali Godwin has been selected as one of only six students who will serve as interns and multimedia journalists for the Broadcast Education Association’s (BEA) Annual Conference. More than 50 students from across the country, from both undergraduate and graduate programs, applied for the six internships positions. Godwin, of Wichita, is a communications major with an English minor.

“This is a very big deal,” said Julia Largent, assistant professor of communications at McPherson College. “Cali’s application competed against students from much larger universities. Some of the other interns are from schools like Washington State University and the University of Alabama.”

According to BEA, Godwin was selected based on her well-rounded skill sets, innovative ideas, and letter of recommendation. BEA is the premier conference for broadcast education and partners with the National Association of Broadcasters each April for its event in Las Vegas. Along with assisting with on-site conference logistics, Godwin will also be producing daily news stories about the conference for various web and digital platforms.

Posted On: September 10, 2018
By: MC Admin

McPherson College announces Kevin Mokhtarian will lead the Office of Career and Experiential Learning as executive director. The new position will focus on ensuring McPherson College graduates are placed in their field while broadening the level of student engagement across campus.

“McPherson College’s career placement and graduate school acceptance rates are some of the highest in the country,” President Michael Schneider said. “By elevating the scope and visibility of our career service efforts, our students will have even greater opportunities to explore, experience, and engage in career development.”

Among the McPherson College 2018 graduates, two-thirds reported having a job or graduate school placement before crossing the stage at commencement, which is three times the national average. Additionally, 100 percent of those who applied were accepted to graduate school programs.

Since 2017, McPherson College has been integrating a new way to council students on their career journey. The “Enterprising MC Student” model applies a process where students explore options in their field through research and conversations with industry professionals; experience the actual work through practicums, clinicals, and job shadowing; and engage in internships, projects, and jobs. In addition, areas like service learning, global travel, and entrepreneurship are being included to expand the scope of career development on campus.

“We want to engage more students in career preparation—from those who know specifically what they want to do after they graduate to those who have no idea,” said Schneider.

The new model is not a linear checklist of what you should accomplish given your classification, rather it is a cycle of discernment that refines a student’s career path. Student’s at McPherson College will spend their academic career cycling through the different elements of the model until they have a clear direction.

“It’s a privilege to help guide students as they explore their career interests and to offer resources that will assist them in achieving their objectives,” Mokhtarian said. “Obviously the college years are critical to personal and professional development. I believe we can expand the employer engagement opportunities and create even more options for career choices.”

Mokhtarian comes to McPherson College with excellent experience in career services as associate director of the career center at Kansas State University, and associate director for institutional effectiveness at MidAmerica Nazarene College where he led the career services department. In addition, he has 23 years of industry experience. His new role at McPherson College will begin on September 13.

Posted On: July 12, 2018
By: MC Admin

A key question for most students and families when looking for a college is: Are graduates finding jobs? At McPherson College, the answer to that question is definitely, yes.

Tim Kortebein ’18, was hired by Mercedes Benz after completing an internship there as a junior.

Not only are McPherson College students finding jobs, but they are finding jobs with leaders in industry. Tim Kortebein, a 2018 graduate, is working for Mercedes Benz, where he is part of the team that actively restores projects to preserve and maintain the integrity of the brand and offers support to dealers, individuals, and clubs around the world. He was hired as the company’s first regular full-time upholstery technician after completing an internship there as a junior.

“I was never too worried about finding job after graduation,” Kortebein said. “By the time I had decided to transfer to McPherson College, I had confidence that I would be able to find a position doing what I loved.”

Kortebein said that the school’s reputation and knowing that its graduates were working in their field helped him make his decision to leave the engineering program he was enrolled in at the University of Michigan.

“The liberal arts aspect of my education makes a big difference too,” he said. “Having the skills in writing and communicating opens other possibilities for me. It shows my boss that I am well-rounded and capable of more.”

Prior to commencement, the McPherson College career services office surveyed the class of 2018 and found some remarkable results. In the automotive restoration program, 96 percent of the students had jobs in their field before receiving a diploma. Additionally, two-thirds of the entire graduating class reported that they had jobs or graduate school placement before graduating.

“What is impressive is these numbers are not six months out after graduation. These are real jobs before graduation.” Michael Schneider, McPherson College president said. “When our students are securing jobs or graduate school placements at a rate three times better than the national average, that is proof McPherson College is a sound investment.”

Students are taking notice of McPherson College’s reputation for finding a job or entering graduate school. Parkes Wolters of Osborne, Kansas was recruited to McPherson College to play basketball, but decided to come because of the reputation the college’s natural science department had in getting students accepted into medical school programs.

Biochemistry major Parkes Wolters ’19 has been accepted into KU School of Medicine.

“I’m more academically focused than athletically focused,” he said. “I picked McPherson College because of the strong science faculty here and because of the strong natural sciences program.”

Wolters, who will begin his senior year in the fall as a biochemistry major, was among an elite group of college students accepted into the Scholars in Rural Health program at the University of Kansas at the end of his sophomore year. Acceptance in the program assures him admission to the KU School of Medicine.

Others like incoming freshman Chloe Jones, who graduated from McPherson High School, are also recognizing that McPherson College graduates are getting ahead in the work force and looking at the college’s strong programs like communications. Jones plans to major in communications and will play in the band.

“I looked at other schools, but liked McPherson College,” Jones said. “I knew that I would be able to find a job in the major I was choosing.”

Posted On: August 1, 2017
By: MC Admin

McPherson College has been ranked among the “Best Colleges for Your Money” by Money Magazine. The college was the top-ranked small college in Kansas on the 2017 list and recognized by Money Magazine for its initiative that “helps liberal arts majors learn entrepreneurial skills that will help them post-graduation.”

Money Magazine evaluated nearly 2,500 colleges to come up with its list of 711 colleges that were ranked based on three categories:

Quality of education, which included factors such as graduation rates, and instructor quality;
Affordability, which included factors such as net prices, average student debt, loan repayment, and affordability for low-income students; and
Outcomes, which included factors such as graduate earnings, and job meaning that evaluates whether a student’s work makes a difference in the world.

“This is great news for the college and for our community to be recognized nationally,” President Michael Schneider said. “The ranking also supports one of the areas we will focus on this year as part of our strategic plan to help students reduce college debt.”

McPherson College recently implemented a new strategic plan called Community by Design. It is a new approach to planning that puts the entire campus community at the heart of the process taking aim at some of higher education’s largest challenges. One of the initiatives the plan will take on in 2017 is a debt-reduction pilot project to guarantee students leave McPherson College with half the national average of debt. The pilot project will focus on employment, mentorship, and financial planning to help students reduce the amount of college debt at graduation.

According to Money Magazine, “College is now the second-largest financial expenditure for many families, exceeded only by the purchase of a home. So it isn’t surprising that parents and students are taking a hard look at the costs and payoffs of any college they consider.”

“Our Community by Design plan has given us momentum to ensure our continued place as one of America’s great small colleges,” President Schneider said. “This ranking and other recent recognitions validate the work being done by our faculty and staff to ensure a quality education and excellent student experience.”

McPherson College was recognized again this year by the Chronicle of Higher Education on its “2017 Great Colleges to For.” It’s the second year in a row the college has been included on the list’s honor roll, an elite group of colleges that are outstanding within their enrollment size, and the third year overall that the college has been named to the list. Additionally, the college was one of only five institutions that earned top honors in 11 or more of the report’s 12 categories.

Quicklinks

Category: Career

Community Partnership Helps Student Debt Project Participants Focus On Success After Graduation

Student Debt Project Graduate Returns To Help Students Build Financial Futures

McPherson College Career Services, Amy Beckman Featured By NACE

McPherson College Reports 95 Percent Placement for Class of 2020

McPherson College Announces New Director for Career Services

Two MC Students Selected for Equity Bank Management Program

McPherson College Student Selected For National Convention Internship

McPherson College Welcomes New Executive Director of Career and Experiential Learning

McPherson College Graduates Find Jobs With Industry Leaders

McPherson College Recognized by Money Magazine