Elizabeth Verkuilen, a junior University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire professional sales
marketing major from Neenah, WI, has been named the 2015 College of Business
Emerging Leader.
The Emerging Leader award is presented
to a current business student who has shown
early leadership and potential for success. Students were nominated for the award by the faculty and staff members.
Verkuilen will be recognized at the 2015
University Student Excellence Awards reception on Thursday, May 7 at 5 pm in
the Davies Center Ojibwe Ballroom. The reception is hosted by the
UW-Eau Claire Alumni Association, UW-Eau Claire Foundation, and UW-Eau Claire
University Centers.
For more information, contact Gretchen Hutterli, assistant
dean, UW-Eau Claire College of Business.
Meet Liz Verkuilen
"I always knew I wanted to go into business, but it wasn't until I was involved in DECA in high school that I decided to be a marketing major," said Liz Verkuilen, the 2015 College of Business Emerging Leader. "I liked how marketing is the creative side of business."
Verkuilen chose UW-Eau Claire because of its business school.
"I wanted to attend a university that had an exceptional college of business," she said. "After learning that the College of Business was AACSB Internationally accredited, I felt confident that UW-Eau Claire would provide me with the resources I needed to succeed as a business professional."
And she has succeeded.
Although only a junior, Verkuilen has already completed two sales internships, competed in seven sales competitions, and has held multiple leadership positions in Pi Sigma Epsilon, a national sales and marketing professional fraternity, where she currently serves as president. In early April, she will travel to the National Collegiate Sales Competition at Kennesaw State University where she is one of two alternates on the UW-Eau Claire team.
This summer Verkuilen will intern in Philadelphia for Laird Plastics, a national distributor for global manufacturers of sheets, rods, tubes, films and related plastics products used in commercial, engineering, and advertising industries. Currently, the company has over 50 services centers located throughout the United States and Canada.
"I met representatives from Laird Plastics at the Florida State University International Collegiate Sales Competition in Orlando this past semester," said Verkuilen. "I look forward to learning more about the industrial side of sales, as well as explore the historical city of Philadelphia."
Verkuilen is driven to be the best sales professional she can be. Eventually she would like to be a manager and lead a team of sales representatives. But there is more to her than a passion for marketing and sales. For the past two summers she has coached a Special Olympics bocce ball league near her hometown.
"Special Olympics is about transforming lives, including my own," said Verkuilen. "I've learned the positive impact that a volunteer can have on Special Olympic athletes. The memories I have experienced will stay with me forever."
