Meg Martin’s perseverance and hard work is paying off.

Martin earned her Associate of Science and Arts degree with high honors from Montcalm Community College in December 2021 and transferred to Ferris State University.

Although she is not due to complete her bachelor’s program in business administration until Spring 2023, Martin, age 20, has already received a job offer from Patrick Industries, a leading supplier for the recreational vehicle (RV), marine, manufactured housing, and industrial markets. 

Martin explained that she interned for her future employer the last two summers before the job offer was presented to her after her 2022 summer internship ended.

“Ferris State has an internship built into the business administration degree that students are required to complete,” said Martin, which led to her choosing to complete her internship at Patrick Industries. “It provided me with great insight to the company and gave me a competitive advantage when interviewing for the position.” 

Also minoring in accounting, Martin does plan to continue her higher education via online studies at Butler University in Indianapolis, Ind., upon graduation from FSU. She plans to pursue her master’s in business administration (MBA). 

Although she has her future mapped out with goals of working in business, Martin will be the first to admit she was not sure what she wanted her day-to-day work life to look like when she began pursuing business administration. 

“I did not quite know what my strengths and weaknesses were in business,” she said. “I have always enjoyed every aspect of the business world, and I knew that a degree in business administration would allow me to explore many different avenues and tangents of business.” 

Martin’s official title in her future role with Patrick industries will be “Team 6 IMPACT Member.” IMPACT, which is salary-paid with full benefits, was designed to provide individuals with the chance to learn the business inside and out. 

According to Martin, members of this team will rotate through finance, operations, environmental health and safety, sales, human resources, and production with exposure to high-level situations, helping them to adapt to these environments and contribute to longevity with the company. 

Martin stresses that regardless of the degree, students should still put forth hard work and dedication, particularly in this competitive job market, pointing out how overwhelming this can be for students right out of college. For the remainder of her undergraduate journey, Martin can say that her future employer does go out of their way to make her feel part of the team. 

“The company has continued to show me support and excitement about my return by sending me care packages and ‘Patrick swag’ as I finish up my last two semesters of school. It helps me to feel included in the company and represents the company culture that I will be joining,” she said.