Alumni Profile: Michal Waechter
Michal Waechter has Texas State University in her blood. She grew up in San Marcos and graduated from San Marcos High School. Both of Michal’s parents were SWT alumni and worked for the university for over 30 years each.
“I grew up with SWT as our school,” Michal said. “It was an anomaly to have both parents who went to school there and went on to spend their careers at the university.”
Michal’s sister enrolled in Texas State, and just a few years later Michal decided to enroll as well. She ended up completing both her undergraduate and graduate degrees at Texas State. Michal earned her Bachelors of Science in Health Information Management in 2004 and her Master's in Healthcare Administration in 2006. She said her masters expanded her healthcare leadership opportunities.
“I always knew I wanted to do something related to medicine and healthcare administration was the perfect fit.” Michal said.
After graduating, Michal moved to San Antonio and started a job in marketing for North Central Baptist Hospital. She promoted through the organization over almost a decade and left as the Regional Director of Oncology Services for Baptist Health System.
Michal used her strong background in healthcare leadership and operations to start her own consulting business in 2017. Waechter Consulting Group provides new and established medical practices with customized business development strategies which optimize business performance and grow patient volume.
“I am grateful for the experience I gained from being in corporate healthcare, but I appreciate that now as a business owner I have a lot more autonomy and can move faster,” Michal said.
Housley Principled Leadership course, 2022
Almost 20 years later, Michal is returning to her roots and starting a scholarship for Texas State student leaders. The Housley Outstanding Female Scholarship is awarded to the top female student enrolled in the Housley Principled Leadership Course.
The Housley Principled Leadership Program is designed to bring self-awareness and skills to the development of student leaders. With sessions like You, Inc. covering individual brand power, themed discussions about the need for principled leaders and a panel stacked with business professionals that will challenge definitions of "service" and provide applicable and inspiring content each week.
Michal wants to encourage students who don’t want to go straight into the corporate industry after graduating. Instead, this award is meant to help a female leader who is pursuing entrepreneurship right out of college.
Michal is involved in the university in a myriad of ways. She is a member of the Alumni Association, serves on the Development Foundation Board of Trustees, is the Chair of the Board Development Committee, and supports her dad’s endowed scholarship in the English department. Her stepson just graduated from Texas State in May, which makes three generations of Texas State graduates.