Student Success: Amanda Sather
Interview with Amanda Sather
Written by: Melanie Shires | Director of Marketing
Recent ASU grad, Amanda Sather, reflects on her time at Education at Work (EAW) as she gets ready to head off to the University of Connecticut in pursuit of her master’s degree and doctorate. She is grateful for the time spent, relationships made, and credits her EAW experience for the invaluable leadership skills and abilities she’s developed while earning a debt-free education.
Amanda Sather, who graduated from Arizona State University in May of 2023 with a bachelor’s degree, reflects on her time at Education at Work (EAW) as she begins at the University of Connecticut in pursuit of her master’s degree and doctorate in Human Development and Family Sciences.
Amanda started working at EAW for a U.S.-based financial services company in November of 2020 and continued with that same company throughout her college career moving her way up from customer service rep to supervisor. As she reflects, Amanda is most grateful for the relationships made and the invaluable leadership skills and abilities she developed, all while earning money to afford college and graduate debt-free.
During her time at EAW, Amanda gained recognition from her leadership team as she quickly grew her skills in account management, customer service interaction, workflow organization, and meeting high key performance indicator goals which resulted in high productivity. She was promoted to a leadership position within a year.
“While most college students must wait until after they graduate for the opportunity to experience the level of responsibility required to obtain lifelong professional skills, I was able to accomplish this while still an undergraduate student”, says Amanda.
As a Student Supervisor, Amanda was responsible for managing and coaching 15 student representatives until she graduated this past Spring. Upon graduation, she was hired full-time in that same leadership position prior to leaving for Connecticut. Amanda found that the most valuable skill she learned was how to be an effective leader for her team and credits her time at EAW for preparing her to effectively lead people and help them succeed.
Amanda pointed out that an additional key benefit to her time at EAW was the ability to have a flexible work schedule, working part-time while a full-time student and increase her hours when she didn’t have classes over the summer. This helped Amanda afford college and complete her degree with no student debt.
“The flexibility and convenience of earning wages and tuition assistance while still a full-time student is what I valued most about EAW”, Amanda says. “How I was able to work for a large corporation that worked with me around my classes, and then in the summer could pick up more hours to help pay for school.”
Amanda concludes, “My overall experience at Education at Work was truly rewarding. I had virtually no professional work experience going into EAW, and I walked out knowing how to navigate difficult conversations, overcome challenges, and hit performance goals, all lifelong professional skills that are extremely beneficial.”
Founded in 2012, Education at Work (EAW) is a national work-based learning nonprofit that helps students graduate with less debt and more skills, connections, and confidence by connecting them with flexible, paid employment opportunities. We help high-achieving college students gain the career-ready skills and financial stability needed to succeed after graduation. Our campus-based “learn and earn” model generates career outcomes for students, provides employers with a skilled workforce to address early talent needs, and helps colleges boost affordability while improving student success. We are proud that success stories like Amanda’s are evidence our work-based learning (WBL) model is working. If you are a student interested in applying for a position at EAW, have questions, or want more information, please contact us.
