Avila University has recently hired Anastasia Caffrey, MBA, as director of community engagement. This is a new position at the university to further support student success by garnering internships, research experiences and other meaningful partnerships in the community. Caffrey will work directly with the deans and faculty in Academic Affairs and in cooperation with offices such as the Office of Advancement to assist with community collaboration and the identification of opportunities for support of the Avila Promise, the strategic plan, and mission.
According to Caffrey, helping students have a successful experience at Avila, preparing them for the workforce is at the heart of her position. “As the job market continues to be competitive, we have the opportunity to gear up our students for what the community needs,” said Caffrey.
Earning her Master of Business Administration from Baker University and her Bachelor of Science in Mass Communications from Kansas State University, Caffrey has over 15 years of building relationships and leading enrollment teams within higher education. Caffrey has built her career around creating engaging training strategies and collaborative consulting.
When it comes to relationship-building, Caffrey credits her study abroad experience in the Czech Republic for her ability to find solutions to complex situations quickly, while creating thoughtful, long-term relationships. “People have time and treasures to share. Collaborating with Avila, whether through an advisory board, or a review of portfolios benefits everyone,” said Caffrey.
Caffrey’s position is directly tied to one of the four cornerstone-promises that Avila University made available to all full-time traditional undergraduate resident students enrolling in Fall, 2018. The Avila Promise guarantees an internship or research experience opportunity to students in every major. The task of building community engagement to generate these experiences is an integral part of this position. Caffrey will cultivate these relationships through advisory board members, mentors, speakers, program partners, internship sites and other similar types of volunteer leadership from the Kansas City business community.
Avila University, a Catholic University founded and inspired by the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet, provides undergraduate and graduate education in the liberal arts and professional studies, preparing lifelong learners who make meaningful contributions to the global community.