Purdue Northwest alumna makes difference for NIPSCO
For many people, discovering their true passion or dream career might take years of learning and self-discovery. For Angela Rodriguez, a proud Purdue University Northwest College of Business alumna, her spark for accounting started while she was a fourth-grader, thanks to her father.
Ferdinando Perez Jr., a PNW alumnus from 1988, allowed Angela to shadow his work as a professional accountant while she grew up. Exposure to these workplace settings, as well as advanced coursework at Lake Central High School in St. John, solidified Angela’s love for accounting.
Angela followed Ferdinando’s footsteps and began her academic career at PNW in 2012. She pursued a bachelor’s degree in accounting and finance. Aside from her studies, Angela branched out and made connections with students, faculty and staff by participating in extracurriculars, such as the Finance and Accounting Club. Outside of school, she also earned an internship with Creekside landscaping, where she managed financing, timesheets, and profit and loss analysis.
“My professors made my projects and work at PNW a realistic experience,” Rodriguez said. “Our classwork involved real-life situations, and I was able to apply those skills directly in my future roles.”
After finishing her bachelor’s degree in 2015, Rodriguez initially worked as a financial analyst at St. Catherine Hospital in East Chicago. She reported to the chief financial officer and prepared annual budgets and financial analyses for the hospital’s departments and the Community Healthcare Network.
In 2017, Rodriguez was recruited as a budget analyst at Northern Indiana Public Service Co. Her drive and perseverance allowed her to rise and earn other roles, such as lead operations analyst, and forecasting manager.
Her responsibilities have proven wide-ranging, including collaboration on budget analysis and planning, supply and customer load forecasts, auditing expenditures, and advising NIPSCO leaders through presentations. Among her many highlights, she was part of the team that helped onboard the first set of renewable wind and solar assets, and calculated the load requirements to serve NIPSCO customers.
Among her many talents, Rodriguez also has been able to flex her networking and relationship-building skills with her colleagues and community constituents through additional workplace engagements. She proudly serves on NIPSCO’s Generating Opportunities for Latinos and Diversity employee resource group and Hispanic Heritage Month planning committee. Rodriguez also has helped facilitate Skills Enhancement Series and networking sessions for colleagues.
Outside of NIPSCO, Rodriguez has worked with Latinos Count based in Fort Wayne and networked with local PNW college students and high school students to share information about college aspirations and professional career paths.
“Purdue Northwest does a phenomenal job encouraging students to build their network to land a job right out of college,” she said. “… I am doing the same at NIPSCO through GOLD and other commitments, all of which have enabled me to continue to expand my network, build relationships and further develop my skills.”
She offers a little advice for today’s PNW students. “Get out of your comfort zone, join that club and take advantage of what your professors have to offer,” she said. “There is much to learn from meeting new people. It can open the door to the career path of a lifetime.” •
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