In December 2023, Timothy “Tim” Cao earned his bachelor’s degree in business administration with multiple emphases in economics, finance and real estate, with a minor in business analytics from Wichita State University. Cao continued his education at the Barton School of Business and in December 2024 he earned his master’s degree in economics and quantitative analysis with a data analytics concentration. Now at POET, Cao is a business support analyst, where his expertise in data analysis is vital in POET’s operations. A year after becoming an alumnus, Cao reflects on his academic and career journey with Wichita State’s support. 

As a business support analyst at POET, his extensive academic background equips him to analyze and project data. Cao also gathers requirements for projects, builds dashboards, automates processes, accumulates structured data across various sources and creates safety nets by version controlling. Each task supports POET’s daily operations and future. 

Cao’s journey to POET first began with extensive education, experiences and encouragement from Wichita State. 

Before joining POET, Cao was formerly a second company member for the Kansas City Ballet, a summer apprentice for T&T Heating and Air and a truck scheduler for the Ohio Valley Region. Experiences he continues to reflect till this day.  

“My previous experiences include the arts, HVAC and truck scheduling,” Cao said. “My time in the HVAC field helped me learn grit and perseverance. As a truck scheduler, the unpredictable is the norm. What I learned most there was mercy for myself and the strength of communication.” 

Throughout his academic and career journey, Cao had a wide, encouraging support system that led him to where he is today. At Wichita State, he continued exploring education opportunities, too, with its supportive environment. As an undergraduate student, he initially had no plans for a master’s degree, but with some encouragement from former Department of Economics associate professor Jen-Chi Cheng, Cao was convinced. 
 
“I wouldn’t have pursued my master’s if not for that professor and Dr. Siyu Wang,” Cao said. “It seemed out of this world as a first-generation college graduate. However, my professor enabled me to see that I was more than capable. It enabled me to scratch the surface of my passion.” 

From academic support to career development, Wichita State offered Cao its resources and support. In his career navigation, Cao became more confident after visiting the Shocker Career Accelerator. He utilized its services, including resume and cover letter building and review, as well as job search preparation. 

“I went from being nervous and questioning my experiences to having the confidence to share everything I had and what I could become,” Cao said. “Shocker Career Accelerator gave me the vision I had not dared to think or even see within myself.” 
 
Now at POET, Cao has secured not only his education from Wichita State, but also professional experiences and sincere encouragement. 
 
“Working in a real-world environment showed me that my career is beyond my job title,” Cao said. “It changed my perspective and showed me that my career is also the little interactions and efforts that make others feel seen and appreciated. That I can be a person who reaches people in meaningful ways, and my career goals aren’t entirely milestones, but freedoms and privileges that allow me to connect with people.” 

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Wichita State's applied learning program gives students hands-on, paid experience with industry partners, helping them build careers before graduation.

For more information, contact the Shocker Career Accelerator at (316) 978-3688, SCA@wichita.edu, or visit wichita.edu/Career. You can also stop by in person at the Marcus Welcome Center, Suite 139, on the Wichita State campus.