Madison Greathouse is working toward crossing the stage at Miller Auditorium to get her diploma in 2022 and starting her career, but in the meantime, she’s staying busy working in the WMU Alumni Association Call Center, where she gets to chat one-on-one with alumni and friends about all-things WMU, and help her fellow students make the most of their academic journeys.
If her name sounds familiar, it may be because you’ve received a phone call from her in the call center, or it may be because you received a letter signed by her, asking for a donation to Western.
Here’s more about Madison, who is double majoring in Leadership & Business Strategy and Sales & Business Marketing, with a double minor in Communication and General Business.
“My sister was in her senior year here and I came for the admitted student event. I stepped foot on campus and absolutely fell in love,” Madison said. “I committed right then and there. I felt like WMU was my home from the very beginning.”
After arriving on campus as a student, Madison hit the ground running, quickly finding a job and the perfect fit for a course of study. As a first-year student taking a required business course, Madison was assigned a project in which she needed to create a cover letter and resume on Handshake, which helps connect students with employment, for a job. She found the opening for jobs in the call center and began her task.
“As I was completing this assignment,” Madison said, “I was like why not just apply for the job since I already did all the work for it? And now, here I am two years later and couldn't be happier.”
After starting her job in the call center during her first year on campus, taking a few classes, and meeting with her advisor, Madison realized her calling as a salesperson and that she had a knack for public speaking. Her combination of majors and minors came together easily, and she feels her job in the call center fits perfectly.
“I just genuinely love talking to alumni and building and maintaining those relationships,” Madison said of her job. “Also, this job comes with the perks of being able to participate in events that students normally don’t have access to. For example, I got to pass out the awards at the Distinguished Alumni Award Reception last fall.”
She’s good at her job, too—and that helps WMU. For seven consecutive months, Madison’s competitive edge came to play, and she was named Caller of the Month, raising over $18,000 for WMU during the time frame-- her streak only to be interrupted by the pandemic. Her job is important to WMU, because the funds she raises from WMU alumni and friends help to provide opportunities that may otherwise be out of reach for students. Aside from providing scholarships, gifts to WMU help to connect WMU students with a variety of opportunities and experiences that will help them gain the skills and knowledge they need to compete as qualified job applicants. As students graduate and land the jobs they love, it helps to keep WMU a top ranked University, and our alumni get to use the expertise they gained as students to make a difference.
As for Madison, that expertise may help her stay right here at WMU to do what she loves; connecting with alumni while hitting fundraising goals. She hopes to stick around the WMU Alumni Association after graduation, and work her way up to a position securing major gifts.
Madison is just one of many students working in the WMU Alumni Association Call Center, talking with alumni and friends to build and maintain relationships with WMU. The call center is active throughout most of the year, employing students with the important task of bringing in funding for various projects and scholarships at WMU. It’s also great experience for students, and the call center works to not just provide a paycheck, but to help prepare students for careers.
“We hold monthly professional development trainings for our students,” explains Anthony Munoz, Telemarking Coordinator in the call center. “We help build soft skills such as communication, time management, and teamwork. It gives students real world experience in customer service, overcoming objections, and building professional relationships.”
The next time you get a call from WMU, it could be one of these super Broncos, eager to talk to you about what’s new at WMU, so take a moment to say hello!
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