Recent business graduate, Katelynn Winchell, was presented with many opportunities while earning her degree at UT Permian Basin. But by the end of her academic career, she was granted the opportunity of a lifetime. Katelynn was one of the first UT Permian Basin students to earn a Google Certificate in Data Analytics in one of her classes.
“This program has benefited me in more ways than just by earning the certificate. I was able to expand my knowledge, attach something to my resume that makes it look more polished than ever, and apply what I have learned to confidently accept a position at a very prominent company,” said Winchell.
Last December, Katelynn was invited to speak at the Grow with Google event in Austin, TX. At the event, she shared how the Google Certificate program helped set her up for success.
This exciting opportunity comes after a new academic partnership. Google and UT System announced a collaboration that would allow University of Texas institutions students to earn a Google Career Certificate while completing their undergraduate degree at no additional cost. UT Permian Basin was among these participating schools providing students with the chance to be certified in Data Analytics or User Experience (UX) Design certificates.
“It was an incredible honor to be invited to Austin to share my experience not only with the Google creators but Chancellor Milikin from UT Austin and Senator John Cornyn as well,” she said. “The event went very smoothly, and they made me feel extremely comfortable. I was able to communicate my experience the way I wanted to, so I chose to be open and honest about the experience so that they could take the necessary steps to improve the Google Certificate Program.”
By the end of a busy and engaging semester, it was worth it for Katelynn. She says that pursuing the Google Certificate program is very beneficial especially if someone would like to explore adding more credentials to their resume.
“I graduated with my BBA in Marketing, but I took the Data Analytics certificate program. These are two very different fields of study which allowed me to ultimately diversify my resume and land my dream job. So, I would recommend the program just because it’s another achievement that employers will consider when choosing the right candidate for a position."
Learn more about UT System’s partnership with Google.
