Sales Floor to Corner Office: RSO Mentors Students in Career Readiness

For many U of A students, a part-time job at Walmart or Sam's Club helps pay the bills. For members of the university's Walmart & Sam's Associate Network (WSAN), it can also be the first step toward a corporate career.

Established as a Registered Student Organization in 2025, WSAN helps student associates connect their store-level experience to opportunities at Walmart's Home Office. The organization serves as a bridge between students and corporate leaders, offering career exploration, professional development and networking opportunities.

"Our main goal is to reach Walmart associates on campus and students interested in pursuing a career with the company," said Madisen Curry, WSAN treasurer.

While membership is limited to current Walmart and Sam's Club associates, all students interested in Walmart careers are welcome to attend meetings, which regularly feature senior leaders who share insights on company culture, career pathways and professional growth.

"Walmart leaders consistently reinforce the value of having store experience when applying to corporate positions," said Erica Estes, assistant vice chancellor and executive director of the Offices of Career Connections. "WSAN helps students better understand internship timelines, prepare for interviews and gain insight into Walmart's corporate culture through speaker stories."

Those connections are already helping students turn campus involvement into career opportunities. Curry, who began her Walmart journey in store operations and served in team lead roles across Digital, Apparel, Home and Food & Consumables, spent the summer as a merchandising intern supporting Walmart's digital team. Her role centered on growing digital sales and identifying opportunities to better serve customers through Walmart's online business.

"My involvement with WSAN was definitely instrumental in helping prepare me for my internship," Curry said. "Through the organization, I had the opportunity to connect with leaders, learn more about career paths within Walmart and build relationships with other associates who were interested in transitioning from store operations to Home Office roles."

WSAN President Kieper Pate also spent the summer at Walmart's Home Office but as a merchandising intern with the Meat and Seafood team. His work focused on analyzing the customer experience across the meat department, identifying opportunities to improve Walmart's Net Promoter Score, a measure of customer loyalty and satisfaction.

"Having support from Home Office leaders and store operators throughout the interview process and leading up to the internship was extremely impactful," Pate said. "Those experiences helped set me apart and allowed me to contribute more meaningfully throughout my internship."

Beyond helping students secure internships and explore career opportunities, WSAN is building a community of future leaders while strengthening ties between the university and Northwest Arkansas' largest employer.

"Corporate career pathways are limitless," Estes said. "A common theme from the professionals who have shared their stories is curiosity - being willing to learn about different departments, finding mentors who encouraged them and taking risks that helped them better understand the retail market and the customer."