Valerie Schwartz joined NC State in July as assistant director of the Park Scholarships program.

Schwartz’s responsibilities will include leading the program’s recruiting efforts, organizing student activities such as the retreat for new Park Scholars, and advising student committees planning events such as the Krispy Kreme Challenge, Service Raleigh, the William C. Friday Award, and the Park Scholar Senior Gala. She will also play a key role in the program’s three-stage selection process, including application review and two rounds of interviews.

Valerie Schwartz on a recent trip to Australia.

She brings 9 years of experience in higher education, including work with admissions and scholarships as well as in student development.

Schwartz previously worked at Duke University in Undergraduate Admissions, playing a key role in scholarship selection as the liaison to Duke’s Office of Undergraduate Scholars and Fellows. She also worked in Duke’s Office of Student Activities and Facilities, where she founded the Duke Innovative Design Agency, a student-staffed nonprofit marketing and graphic design agency.

She holds bachelor’s degrees from Gettsyburg College, where she was a Presidential Scholar, and a master’s degree from NC State.