Marliz Valles is a senior Liberal Arts and Sciences major at Wichita State minoring in communication science and disorders. She is currently interning as a Family Service Coordinator at The Opportunity Project, also known as TOP.

With the help of her advisor, Valles found an internship that fulfilled her desire to learn more about active participation and hands-on learning. TOP offers full-day learning opportunities for children ages 1-5 living in poverty.

"I always had deep interest in this type of educational interaction," Valles stated. "This process is the kind of dynamic I envision in a program."

This experience has helped Valles develop professionally and discover exactly what she would like to do with her degree after graduation. "Family Services will allow me to be a better Speech and Language Pathologist," she stated. "It helped me to become more assertive, empowered to deal with the general public and confirmed my passion to serve those in need."

Her position at TOP may not be exactly what Valles hopes to do in the future, but it has helped her pave a clear path towards her career, led by gaining experience in a related field. "Be open to new learning styles and ways of doing things," counsels Valles. "There are many right ways to do things."

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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.