Niki K. Wilson ’02, ’10 chose ĻӰ because the small classes gave her more opportunity for teacher-student interaction and it was close to home. Wilson returned to Shenandoah to pursue her Master of Business Administration degree (MBA) for similar reasons, as it allowed her to work full-time and gain a quality education from an accredited university.
The university was able to help Wilson build her leadership skills and knowledge base, which has propelled her forward in her career. She also built lifelong relationships with friends and mentors that she considers priceless. “Shenandoah is a hidden gem that has so much to offer to students in a variety of fields,” explained Wilson.
Once graduating from Shenandoah, Wilson dove right into a development role as director of marketing and development at the in Winchester, Virginia. She is now the the foundation director for the Shenandoah Valley Westminster-Canterbury in Winchester, Virginia. Before her current position, Wilson was the regional director of development at in Winchester, Virginia. As the regional director of development, Wilson solicited leadership and major gift charitable donations throughout her assigned functional and/or service areas. She also executed giving programs to include volunteer management, direct solicitations, memorial and direct mail appeals, and directly led capital campaigns and endowment efforts at the regional hospitals.
Wilson’s most rewarding experience in her position is helping the communities where she lives and works have access to state-of-the-art healthcare close to home.
Wilson’s advice to students is: “Relationships you build will last a lifetime. Take advantage of all the program has to offer. You will only get out what you put in. ”