WIKA Employee Graduates Summa Cum Laude with Educational Assistance Program

WIKA USA would like to congratulate Monique Jones on her achievement of graduating summa cum laude in the spring of 2021 with her B.S. in Business Administration – Project Management from Liberty University. Monique was able to pursue her second degree through our Educational Assistance Program offered to employees at WIKA. Read below about what Monique had to say about her experience and what she enjoys most about working for WIKA USA in the Atlanta area.

Monique Jones

WIKA: How long have you been at WIKA and what do you do?

Monique: I have been working at the WIKA Lawrenceville location for 15 years this year and started as a customer service representative supporting our distributor customers. Currently, I work in the engineering department as the USA research and design project manager.

W: Tell us about your degree and why you chose this path.

M: WIKA offers an educational assistance program that allowed me to pursue my second degree in B.S. in Business Administration – Project Management from Liberty University and graduated summa cum laude on May 14th, 2021. I chose to receive my undergrad in project management instead of the PMP certification because I can learn and develop managerial concepts with project management principles by incorporating planning, organizing, managing, and resource allocation to achieve departmental and project goals.

W: How will your degree benefit your career goals?

M: Earning my degree in project management creates a foundation to properly manage current international and domestic new product development projects with a traditional and agile project management framework. My goal is to implement sustainable project management organizational behaviors within WIKA USA.

W: What’s the best part of working for WIKA?

M: Working at WIKA for close to 15 years has allowed me to develop professionally and establish a career path. As an electronic engineer and now having received my degree in project management, I am able to appreciate Mr. Wiegand’s innovative vision to optimize creative opportunities for the company’s growth, sustainment, earnings, and product portfolio by being a part of the new product development project lifecycle from concept to production. Moreover, WIKA’s leadership and executive management, a culture of communication, organizational inclusivity, development opportunities for employees, and WIKA’s mission statement are the best parts of working for WIKA.

W: What’s the best part of living in the Atlanta, GA area?

M: Since our family moved to Atlanta 16 years ago from Ohio, my husband and I have graduated three student/athlete sons from Division I colleges, all with college scholarships, and our last son has received the same achievements playing football for North Dakota State University. The diverse environment, cultural foods, sporting events, and shopping are key benefits to the work, live, play in Gwinnett. Now, I very seldom venture away from Gwinnett County, so my favorite dining place is Seasons 52. As the COVID-19 virus is slowly being eradicated, my family and I can start comfortably attending church and properly fellowship with our friends.

W: Tell us a little more about yourself outside of work.

M: Outside of work and before COVID-19, I volunteered in my church’s creativity department as a production/light specialist. So, I help to reflect a praise and worship atmosphere while the praise and worship team sings. I also enjoy traveling to my son’s collegiate football games. I have recently started making healthy daily life changes for better mental and physical health by working out, swimming, meditating and laughing with my husband, for “a day without laughter is a day wasted” (Charlie Chaplin).

To learn more about career opportunities at WIKA, visit: https://www.wika.us/career_employer_en_us.WIKA