Scholarship Helps Student Develop Professional Skills

Mia Blomgren, a 21-year-old senior from Edwall, Washington, is balancing her final year of studies with a robust professional schedule.

Blomgren, a communications major with a public relations emphasis, works at a local coffee stand and as an assistant at a yoga studio. She balances work hours with class hours and studies and recently completed an internship at Numerica Credit Union.

For the past three years, Blomgren has also served on the board of the Eastern Washington University chapter of the Public Relations Student Society of America (PRSSA). Through her leadership in the organization, she organized a community-service project leading into the holidays that collected handmade cards featuring positive messages for residents at the Cheney Care Center.

“I joined [PRSSA] when I was a sophomore, and I just was looking for ways to get more involved on campus and create a community here,” Blomgren says. “It’s been really great for me to just create connections, not only on campus, but also off campus.”

Financial support played a pivotal role in applied learning that is helping her develop workplace skills. Last spring, a stipend provided through the Krumble Foundation allowed Blomgren to accept an unpaid internship with the EWU  advancement unit. That role helped her develop communication, interviewing and storytelling skills, which eventually led to her current position at Numerica.

The Numerica internship aligns with her long-term goal of working in corporate responsibility after graduation.

“I’ve just always worked for small businesses” and both Eastern and Numerica helped with “learning to communicate effectively with larger teams,” Blomgren says.

Through her work with PRSSA and EWU advancement, Blomgren has seen how scholarship donors impact the student body. She has heard, written about and shared stories from fellow students who couldn’t have finished college—or participated in internships—without donor support.

“I just want to express my thanks. I really deeply appreciate it,” Blomgren said.

To learn about opportunities to help students like Blomgren, please visit EWU/Give and find a fund that best fits your interests.

**Photo by Aaron Weer.