Harding University alumni thrive at Little Rock educational technology company

Sept. 30, 2022 |

Ten Harding University alumni are making strides at Apptegy, an educational technology company in Little Rock, Arkansas. Beginning with only a handful of schools in Arkansas, the company has now grown to partner with and support more than 2,500 school districts across the United States.

Melissa Hite, a 2016 graduate, has worked at Apptegy for more than three years and says her time at Harding was instrumental in preparing her for her role as managing editor for their in-house marketing magazine, SchoolCEO .

“My time at Harding, both in and outside the classroom, really set me up to thrive at Apptegy,” said Hite. “The amazing professors in the English department challenged my thinking and made me a better writer. My time with student publications also introduced me to a professional writing environment and prepared me for the deadline pressure I now deal with working on our magazine. I don't believe I'd be where I am now in my career without the education and experience I got at Harding.”

The alumni at Apptegy represent a variety of programs available at Harding. Hannah Epperly, a 2021 graduate in business and health care management, now serves as a sales coordinator for Apptegy’s team. Although her education began at Harding, her growth did not stop at graduation.

“My experience at Harding not only prepared me for my day-to-day role at Apptegy, but also has given me the confidence to reach my full potential as I continue to learn,” said Epperly. “Working through the rigorous coursework led me to be a high performing member of my team. My professors instilled in me the drive for excellence, both in my work and as I serve the community I find myself in. I have embraced this by building meaningful relationships and harnessing that support to take on any challenge.”

At Harding, students can choose from more than 110 academic majors, more than 40 graduate and professional programs, 14 preprofessional programs and numerous study abroad opportunities including locations in Australasia, Peru, England, Greece, Italy and Zambia. But it isn’t only academics that set Harding apart. It’s the community — something Katie Cooper, an RFP Project Coordinator, says Harding and Apptegy have in common.

“Through Harding’s education, I was surrounded by professors and individuals who cared not only about my success as a student, but also for my well-being as a person, and I think both of those elements are central in Apptegy’s culture too,” said Cooper, a 2022 graduate. “Academically, I was pushed to learn, grow, excel and enjoy it along the way, and I’m glad I can carry over that mindset to my role here. I’m also grateful to be in a role/business that puts to use the specific skills and knowledge I gained at Harding. I was an English education major, so it’s awesome that my writing, editing and analysis skills are still being exercised in an area where my knowledge of education has also been useful.”

In order to help connect students with potential employers, Harding hosts a variety of career fairs throughout the year. Several students, including Coleman Branum, say they first connected with Apptegy at one of these fairs. Branum, a 2019 graduate, has been a data engineer at Apptegy for three years.

“College is such an incredibly formative period of life,” said Branum. “It challenges and teaches you in more ways than you can know. When I was nearing the end of my time at Harding, I was incredibly stressed about the job search process. … Spring of senior year was a whirlwind of applications and interviews. Apptegy was one of the companies that really stuck out to me because of the interactions I had with them at the career fair. … Apptegy’s recruiters made it easy to fall in love with this workplace because they were simply authentically representing this company and the great people who work there.”

Other alumni working at Apptegy include Client Success Managers Sandy Wells and Ethan Robson, Junior Recruiter Bailey McManus, Trainer Ian Thomas, Sales Development Representative Lindsey Bender and People Team Specialist Sofia Villegas.

“We are so excited to see the success of Harding alumni at Apptegy,” said Brian Harrington, director of Harding’s Center for Professional Excellence. “They have hired graduates from a variety of majors over the past few years. We always look forward to hosting Apptegy at our career fairs and helping them connect to current students.”

For more information about Harding University, visit harding.edu . Apptegy continues to grow rapidly and is looking to hire a number of new graduates across Arkansas. To learn more about working for Apptegy, see their open positions at apptegy.com/careers .