In 1995, the World Trade Organization was established, the O.J. Simpson trial captivated the country and Microsoft released Windows 95 to the public.
It was also the year Christine Werth joined the Registrar’s Office as a new employee of Newman University.
“(Thirty years) doesn’t seem that long,” Werth said of her milestone. “The saying ‘it feels like yesterday’ seems fitting.”
Werth, now the associate registrar, first learned about the job the old-fashioned way: through the “help wanted” section of The Wichita Eagle newspaper after moving to Wichita with her husband. She had him drive her to the campus the day before her interview to ensure she knew where to go.
“I was searching the classifieds,” she said with a laugh. “That sounds crazy in today’s technology age.”
She interviewed with longtime registrar Newman alumna Shirley Rueb ‘70, who hired her as a secretary. Over the years, Werth advanced to assistant registrar and later associate registrar.
Although her titles have changed over the years, Werth said her core duties have remained steady: supporting enrollment, commencement and records maintenance for thousands of Newman University students.
“When I started, we did everything by hand or on a typewriter,” Werth said. “We’d have lines of students waiting to enroll that stretched down the hall to the president’s office. For some years, we had fewer than 1,000 students.”
While technology has changed how Werth and her team do business, the heart of her job has remained constant.
“The most rewarding part of my job is helping others — students, staff and faculty — and knowing I’ve made their experience better,” she said. “There are so many good memories. … Too many to single any one thing out.”
Werth’s milestone was recently celebrated by colleagues in the Registrar’s Office on the third floor of Sacred Heart Hall with treats, laughter and memories spanning three decades.
“She has been a joy to work with and get to know throughout the years,” Rueb said. “I’m appreciative of her and her knowledge for working in the Registrar’s Office. She made my job so much easier.”
What’s next for Werth?
“Running reports … oh, so many reports!” she joked. “The job may get overwhelming at times, but the people make it better.”
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