30 in Their Thirties: Jessica Knapik // 35

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Data Analyst, Walsh College, Troy
Enrollment: 4,038 Revenue: NA Education: Walsh College

As a data analyst at Walsh College in Troy, Jessica Knapik finds joy not in numbers, but in the number of jobs she can juggle at one time. Since starting her career more than a dozen years ago, Knapik’s role at the school has continued to evolve and progress. And she likes it that way.

“(The college administration has) seen my potential, understands my interests, and I’ve been able to incorporate what I like to do into something useful for the college,” she says. As a self-described liaison between the college’s departments, Knapik monitors student enrollment data, manages social media pages, and coordinates special events for the school, among other duties. “I have a variety of things that I can work on, from brainstorming ideas with the marketing team to coming up with ideas for school events or solving problems for students, and I enjoy it all,” she says.

Kapnik is also active outside of her job. In 2008, she helped create an outreach project to collect school supplies for the Blackwell Institute, an elementary school in Detroit. The program has since expanded under her guidance, and now includes tutoring sessions provided by nearly 250 volunteers skilled in reading, writing, and math. She also sits on two fundraising committees for Gilda’s Club, and serves on the mentoring program for the Michigan Council of Women in Technology.