Graduation Year: 2016

Majors/Minors/Certificates: BBA Finance, Spanish Minor, FPC Certificate

Current City: Iowa City

Current Position & Organization: Associate Director Of Development, Tippie College of Business, University of Iowa Center for Advancement

How did your FPC certificate help you get to where you are today?

I had worked as a student employee in the finance department of the UI Center for Advancement in college, which exposed me to the Student Advancement Network and a few interactions with major gift fundraisers. While those experiences piqued my interest in exploring major gift fundraising as a career, the FPC helped solidify my career path. The connections I made during the FPC helped me in pursuit of a summer internship with the UICA and later full-time employment. I’ve been on the Tippie fundraising team since 2016 and could not be more happy with the choice.

What career advise do you have for current NLP students?

Fundraising isn’t a career option you about in high school (or even much in college). You are getting a grand head start over other development officer candidates by having this certificate on your resume and illustrating that you are taking targeted courses studying fundraising—not just for entry level jobs at Iowa, but across the nation. There aren’t many schools offering certificates like this and I’ve found Iowa’s to be particularly well-respected while at industry conferences. If you’re interested in a career in development, be sure to spotlight this certificate and the industry knowledge you learned.