Sigrist named Project Strive/TRiO Student of the Month for April

“This awards signifies all the time I’ve spent with Project Strive/TRiO, and it’s nice to receive it. Being involved has helped me form good relationships with the other students in the program,” Sigrist said.

Career-building and academic support services accessed through the program have been of great benefit for Sigrist who will graduate in business administration and communication arts in December 2015.

“Resume writing with Kris Koza was great. I know that her work with me on my resumes has helped me get interviews. Lisa Curtis helped me set up my schedule the past two years, and Jen Schaer and Sonja Dressel have put on some great events,” Sigrist said.

Project Strive/TRiO outings Sigrist has enjoyed over the past three years include a ropes course in Scottsbluff, a “Flashdance” production in Rapid City, South Dakota, and a special session on campus with motivational speaker Maria Pascucci.

Sigrist supplemented her classroom work by traveling with other CSC groups to “Meet the Pros” graphic design, public relations and advertising workshops in Rapid City, South Dakota, Omaha, Nebraska and Minneapolis, Minnesota.

She is also involved in many extracurricular activities. She is the former president of Chi Alpha, current treasurer of the Public Relations Club, and she has been involved in Nights of Country Swing, Eagle Dance Team, Combatives Club and Delta Mu Delta, a business fraternity. She also served as the CSC Elmo mascot for two years.

In addition to coursework and activities, Sigrist is a student worker in the King Library and worked as a lifeguard at the pool in Armstrong Gymnasium for a short time before it was closed.

This summer, she plans to work at the Gering Garden Center with her sister. In August, she will be a New Student Orientation (NSO) leader for the third consecutive year.

Sigrist earned six credit hours for her internship with The Big Event, a traditional CSC day of service, in 2014-15. During the summer of 2014, she earned four credit hours through an internship in event planning for the city of Papillion, Nebraska.

“My co-workers and boss were fantastic. It got me used to handling the stress of event planning. I got to meet some famous people, including Lindsey Sterling and the mayor, David Black, the father of my friend, Mary,”

Both of Sigrist’s parents are Army veterans and have instilled an entrepreneurial spirit within her.

“My parents have given me the tools to succeed. They have inspired me to try as hard as I can. My whole family has inspired me to go and do whatever I want. I know there are lots of possibilities for my future,” Sigrist said.

Sigrist has been accepted into the Disney College Program at Disney World January through August 2016. She plans to backpack across Europe for three months following the job at Disney World. From November 2016 until April 2017, she plans to work at the Stonyridge Vineyardon Waiheke Island, a 90-minute ferry ride from Auckland, New Zealand.

—Tena L. Cook, Marketing Coordinator