ENMU Alumna Promotes Family Yoghurt Products
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arla van der Ploeg (BBA 10) immigrated to the United States in the early 21st century. Her family dairy farmed in the Friesland province of the Netherlands and extended that practice to Clovis, NM. The van der Ploeg family introduced a “yoghurt like no other” to not only New Mexico, but also West Texas: Freanna Original Yoghurt. A preWorld War II (1938) cow named Anna, along with her progeny, were major influences on the van der Ploeg recipe.
Karla van der Ploeg
Karla put a business model to that recipe. She says, “I am helping to get the business off the ground. I’m in charge of the marketing, sales, and promotions. A big part of my job is building networks too.” Accounting, shipping, tracking, searching
By Robert Graham
for new stores, production forecasts, helping with the production of the yoghurt, and container design, Karla says, are a part of her diverse daily workload. In addition to Business Administration, Karla has training in photography and interior design. “My diverse background helps in my field; it also helps me in my follow through,” a message Karla hopes will resonate with those walking a few steps behind her. Karla is one of the many presenters ENMU tapped to speak during Women’s History Month. A little over a decade into a new century, Karla says, “My goal is to help people lead healthier lives with our yoghurt. I think this is the direction that society is headed.”
Kaiwen Xu Calls New Mexico Home
By Robert Graham
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aiwen Xu (MBA 13, BBA 11) vividly remembers his first day as an undergraduate student, “I arrived on campus with two big suitcases and two handbags. Back then, I was a stranger to the campus.” Kaiwen earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration from ENMU through the World American Cultural Exchanges (WACE) program. WACE, established in 1997, coordinates multiple-year undergraduate study programs where students from China study at American universities. ENMU has been partnering with WACE since 2004. Kaiwen’s home university was Sichuan University in Chengdu, the capital city in the Southwest
China province of Sichuan. Kaiwen says, “the WACE program provided me with a bridge into American society.” Kaiwen extended this bridge by also earning his MBA from ENMU. After graduation, Cannon Federal Credit Union hired Kaiwen as an accounting manager. Kaiwen says, “I am excited for the opportunity to practice my craft by proving my value and by getting results. You can’t build a reputation on what you’re going to do.”
“You can’t build. a reputation on what you’re going to do.”
His time at ENMU not only contributed to his success, but also made New Mexico his new home and ENMU became a part of him as he was a part of ENMU. Unlike his first day, Kaiwen says, “today, I am now a part of the Eastern New Mexico community.”
Kaiwen Xu
Learn more about ENMU’s MBA program on page 13 and visit business.enmu.edu/mba/. Green & Silver | May 2014
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