YPW Member Spotlight: Thea Pajunen
Who are the Young Professionals of Wichita? Find out in upcoming blogs and video posts showcasing some of our members. We range from engineers and marketing gurus to teachers and small business owners. Anyone that feels they are a professional in their field is a Young Professional of Wichita! Not a member yet? You can join today by clicking here.
YPW Member: Thea Pajunen, Apples & Arrows
Why did you join YPW
I joined YPW after moving to Wichita from out of state. Fresh out of college, I wanted to build my personal and professional networks back up, as well as get to know the city a bit better. After finding out about YPW’s various opportunities to fulfill those goals, I became a member.
Why should others from your profession join
Advertising is one field that touches every industry, so the greater your breadth of industry knowledge, the better! You never know who your next client could be, after all. While I don’t formally approach my YPW experiences as field research, it’s been incredibly beneficial to learn more about Wichita’s business and to meet the people that work for them.
How would you like to see Wichita grow?
I’d love to see a few more big companies choose Wichita as their home to stabilize our economy some and to attract more people to Wichita. Aside from this, I’d like to see all the positive growth that is happening to increase an accelerated speed. Lots of great things are happening, I’d just love to see more of it!
What keeps you engaged in YPW?
The variety of opportunities. YPW provides countless ways to learn more about our city, the people who make it a great place, and how a healthy, growing community functions from all angles.
What are your favorite things about the Wichita Community?
The desire to be great is my favorite thing. Wichita’s residents know we’re an underdog of sorts, but they’re determined to not let that status define our city. Everyone is working tirelessly to become better and better.
Aside from that, I love our music scene. I am astounded by how diverse and active it is; there’s something for everyone and on any night of the week.
How has your YPW membership impacted you?
It’s helped me really feel comfortable in Wichita. I don’t think I would have the valuable connections I have today if it weren’t for YPW, nor would I have such a rich peer network.
Where do you volunteer?
Last year I served as a volunteer member of Serve Up, a YPW program that helps non-profits with marketing assistance, and I have been involved in a strategy group focused on developing economic development initiatives aimed at young professionals. One of my favorite volunteer roles is as programming coordinator for Hurts So Good films, which screens the best of the worst movies.
