MCC GRADUATE AWARDED SANFORD HEALTH ADMINISTRATIVE FELLOWSHIP

Murray County Central alumna McKenzie Schmitz was recently notified she has been awarded the Sanford Health Administrative Fellowship in Corporate Services. The full-time, twelve month fellowship will be at Sanford Medical Center and begins in July. Ms. Schmitz is one of just four students chosen for this prestigious position this year, and she is thrilled she will work in nearby Sioux Falls.

The 2014 graduate earned her bachelor’s of science degree in human physiology from the University of Iowa in 2018. “At that time I was still considering medical school, so I started my graduate work at Minnesota State University in Mankato,” said McKenzie. “But when I started classes in health administration I found I loved them.” McKenzie spent considerable time with hospital administrators and chief executive officers in Slayton, Tracy and Westbrook, developing relationships and working on projects. She earned her master’s degree in community health education from MSUM and this summer she will finish an additional master’s degree in health care administration from Des Moine University. The Sanford fellowship will give Ms. Schmitz a marvelous opportunity to learn about the multitude of options in healthcare administration. “The application process was extensive: first an online essay, then submission of a resume, cover letter and three letters of recommendation, followed by an interview with six people through zoom and finally an in-person interview. I am really glad I will work at Sanford because I’m familiar with them in this area and I think that was appealing to them too.” McKenzie continued, “This is a paid position and though I don’t know many specifics, I’ll do whatever they need me to do. It may be projects, research or needs assessment and I’ll get to work in many different departments. I love learning and this is a great opportunity to learn from the top healthcare leaders in the industry.”

McKenzie worked hard to put herself in this position and has used her networking skills to learn from others. “I’ve learned a lot from Stacy Barstad (the CEO of Sanford Tracy Medical Center) and I talked to other people who earned the fellowship in past years because I knew a lot of people were applying. So this is super exciting! I really want a career where I can make positive changes for communities. Sanford has really helped the community where I grew up so that makes this extra special.”