Franklin Central alum Maggie Betz (Class of 2015) has been recognized by the Indiana Business Journal as one of their Top 20 in Their Twenties, an honor celebrating young professionals making a significant impact in their fields.
Today, Maggie leads operations, corporate outreach, and student coursework at The Data Mine at Purdue University in Indianapolis at the downtown Indianapolis campus. Through industry-sponsored projects, the experiential, living-learning community connects students with real-world research and data science leaders. Before stepping into this role, Maggie helped expand The Data Mine Corporate Partners program in West Lafayette from just one partner to more than 60 partners and 800 students in only four years.
Looking back on her time in Franklin Township Community School Corporation (FTCSC), Maggie credits academics and extracurricular opportunities to prepare her to succeed. “FTCSC provided me with academic rigor via AP classes and leadership opportunities through the AutoFlashes VEX Robotics team and Student Council,” she said.
A pivotal influence at Franklin Central was math teacher Mark Woodrow, who introduced her to Actuarial Science. That suggestion connected her love of math to real-world career opportunities and set her on the path to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Actuarial Science and Applied Statistics at Purdue University and later a Master’s in Biostatistics at Indiana University. “Mr. Woodrow – Your teaching makes an impact! Thank you for helping students make the connection of math beyond the classroom to career paths and real-world applications,” Maggie said.
Mr. Woodrow remembers Maggie as “an exceptionally hardworking and dedicated student. Her determination in the classroom was inspiring, but what truly set her apart was her selflessness. Maggie never hesitated to lend a hand to a classmate in need.” He added that his goal as an educator has always been to broaden students’ horizons: “There are so many rewarding and meaningful careers that students may not know exist. I want to help them see not just where they are now, but where they could go.”
To today’s Franklin Central students, she offers this advice: “Don’t be the one to tell yourself no. This means trying, asking, or taking the next step, but inaction will always mean the answer is no.”
Congratulations to Maggie on this well-deserved recognition. Once a Flash, Always a Flash!
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