Brooke Kaltz, '05

Majored in Economics and Management, French

Originally from Clarkston, Mich.

Now living in Royal Oak, Mich.

Current employer: Mercedes-Benz Financial Services USA LLC

Title: Procurement Specialist

What is your role and/or responsibilities?
Responsible for non-production procurement for Mercedes-Benz Financial Services.

What was most valuable about your Gerstacker experience?
From a career perspective, the most valuable Gerstacker experience that I had was doing my two internships. These internships allowed me to realize what I did and didn't want to do for a career. Also, the internship gave me great talking points and examples for when I did need to interview for my first job.

How did you feel about career outlook upon graduating from Albion? How did Gerstacker prepare you?
I was lucky since I was graduating in December, so I wasn't competing with all of the May graduates. Gerstacker prepared me for my interviews by creating a portfolio of my college experiences. The best part of the portfolio was it allowed me to direct the interview and made me unique when compared to other candidates. I had multiple interviewers tell me that the portfolio was something that they remembered.

What did you enjoy most during your time as a student in the Gerstacker Institute?
Summer school was a lot of fun, but also a lot of work. One thing, that at the time I thought was boring, was when we had a CFP come in and speak about retirement planning and the importance of saving. I now realize that the advice that he gave our class was priceless.

Do you have any advice for prospective students interested in business and management?
Networking is one of the most important skills you can have in business. You never know when you might need a job or advice.