While high school is about participating in extra-curricular activities to get into the right college and land the best scholarships, college takes a different approach.

“When you’re in college, you’re here,” said Sara Muzzy, the associate director of the Cooperative Education and Work-Based Learning program at Wichita State. “You’re looking to get into those activities that are more focused in what you want to be doing and eventually, the internship you want to be in and the job you’re going to school for.”

Muzzy has been with the Co-op program for four years and has seen many students she advises forget they have to keep working when they get out of high school. Additionally, grades sometimes don’t stand for themselves.

“Academics are important for employers to look at,” Muzzy said, “but they also want to see that you can do other things as well.”

Muzzy emphasizes continued involvement in school and community, even after students get into college. Working a part-time job, being involved in a student-led organization and doing community service work are all activities that can draw employers’ attention.

“I think all those things contribute to a well-rounded student that employers like to look at. They all contribute in some way. It’s the little things that count,” Muzzy said.

Accounting major Austin Coyan learned this after he started applying for jobs around Wichita. Although he was turned down by a handful of places, Coyan is starting his second semester as an intern with the Susan G. Komen foundation for the Cure Mid-Kansas Affiliate.

“Being in Co-op was one of the best choices I have made in my college career,” he said.

Coyan started his journey with the Co-op program when he became an executive board member for an organization led by one of his fraternity brothers. The adviser happened to be Muzzy.

“She noticed how hard I worked for the organization we were in together and with my job at Sonic,” Coyan said. “Once I was enrolled with Co-op, Sara immediately started to send out my resume to employers all over.”

Through the interviewing process, Coyan realized how grateful he was for the work he’s done, not just through high school, but also in college.

“One thing that I did learn from Co-op is that anything you did in high school doesn’t really matter anymore,” he said. “The companies all want to know about what you are currently doing. They noticed that I was working full time and keeping a high GPA.”

Coyan is among the 935 other students that were placed in a cooperative education or internship program through WSU. Now, Coyan will start an internship with a public accounting firm called Adams, Brown, Beran and Ball in January.

“These jobs have really confirmed that accounting is my passion and that there are a lot of opportunities out there for me,” Coyan said.