Article Author: Jake Fredericks

A Q+A with Leif Norland, Global Design Director for Cooking at Whirlpool Corporation. How do you approach design from your position at Whirlpool? Whirlpool represents many brands around the world, including Maytag, Jenn-Air, Amana, and KitchenAid, just to name a few. I head up the design of all of Whirlpool’s cooking products globally. My team […]

Kit Snyder, President and CEO of Consumers Credit Union, tells us about his journey to leadership. 1956 | Born in Coldwater, MI I have lived my entire life in Michigan. I was raised on a 40-acre farm outside Coldwater. Every evening, my family would sit together at our dining room table, and everything we ate […]

Luis Ruiz puts his classwork to work at Fabri-Kal. Hometown Chicago, IL Education Western Michigan University (WMU) Engineering Technology Major; Mathematics Minor Expected Graduation: Spring 2020 Position Product Design Intern at Fabri-Kal Corporation Becoming a Part of the Team Because Fabri-Kal is one of the nation’s largest providers of food service packaging materials, our engineers […]

Consumers Credit Union knows it can count on Kayla Poole. Name Kayla Poole Hometown Jackson, Michigan Education Western Michigan University (WMU) Accounting and Aviation Management Double Major Expected Graduation: Spring 2018 Position Staff Auditor Intern at Consumers Credit Union The Kickoff When I first started my internship program, all the new hires began in a […]

Andy Cullen is putting his education to work as Junior Software Development Engineer with National Flavors. Name Andy Cullen Education Kalamazoo Valley Community College (KVCC) Web Design and Development (A.A.S.) ’17 Software Development (A.A.S.) ’17 Hometown Bellville, Michigan Employment Junior Software Development Engineer, National Flavors On the Job My job at National Flavors spans both […]

A conversation with Sondra Phillips, owner of SKP Design. What services does SKP Design provide? SKP Design is a boutique interior design company—in fact, we are the only interior design firm in Kalamazoo. We have both residential and commercial clients and can do everything from new construction to remodeling. Clients come to us because they’re […]

Gary Schultz, President and CEO of Edwards Garmet, gives us a glimpse into his journey to leadership. 1952 | Born in Ann Arbor, MI Pioneer High School, where I went to school, sat kitty-corner from the University of Michigan football stadium; we felt very much a part of what went on at the campus. It […]

March for Babies shines light on the health of moms and babies. What makes this event so special to you? I have a personal connection to the mission. I was a premature baby, which for me, also meant that I was born with a congenital heart defect. The March for Babies helps raise money to […]

Tatum Culhane’s internship at AVB is opening doors. Name Tatum Culhane Hometown Kalamazoo, Michigan Education Western Michigan University (WMU) Advertising and Promotion Major, Management Minor Expected Graduation: Spring 2019 Position Sales and Marketing Intern at AVB A Day in the Life I am lucky enough to be a sales and marketing intern at AVB, a […]

Matt Bruinsma is a Western Michigan University grad on the ground at Flowserve Corporation. Education Western Michigan University (WMU) Mechanical Engineering, B.B.S. ‘15 Hometown Wayland, Michigan Employment Research and Development Engineer, Flowserve Corporation Small Town/Big Town My wife and I live in a small town, Schoolcraft. We like living in a small town because we […]

A Designer Blueprint with Tim Cane, Architectural Design Manager at Eckert Wordell. What does an architectural design manager do? I am in charge of the design department for the architects and interior designers; we work together with the engineering team to get the job done. We are an eclectic group. We work on designs of […]

The 2017 Catalyst Education Awards, sponsored by the Michigan Lottery, recognize educational excellence. We sat down with this year’s winners to see their commitment to education firsthand. In these exciting times of astonishing access to technology and information, the traditional model of education has changed. The days of lecturing and rote memorization are over. Today’s […]