Why did you choose Black Hills State University?
In 2008, before becoming a student, I co-started a business in the Black Hills. Although I have taken on a less active role in the company over the last year, it is still important to me to stay in or near South Dakota. I chose Black Hills State University because I had researched the programs offered and the profiles of the faculty who would be teaching my courses. The School of Business employs faculty members whose specialized educational backgrounds, publications, and research projects are fascinating and innovative and I felt I would receive the best education right here in Spearfish. Also, being less than 20 miles from a ski resort really expedited my decision to apply at BHSU.

What is your major and what made you decide on this major?
I am currently majoring in Economics and Finance. In my short lifetime I have witnessed the boom of the technology industry, the acceleration in innovation and consumption of new devices and gadgets, and the global advancement of international business due to the efficiency of mobile marketing and e-commerce. I am inspired to research the domestic and global economic struggles, policies, and transitions of the last decade that followed after the technology boom in the late 80's and 90's. Economics is just simply fascinating.

What has been your experience in your major?
It is really quite interesting, but other than involvement in the Jacket Investment Club, I have had little experience in my actual major other than research. I have chosen instead to gain the most experience in the field of Marketing and Advertising while I study Economics and Finance. When I came to BHSU, I jumped at the opportunity to belong to Buzz Marketing in 2010. As a result, I have had the privilege to market and advertise local festivals, write successful marketing plans for nonprofit agencies, and develop advertising materials including commercials, print, and radio PSA's. I have also gained experience in researching consumer technology preferences amongst college students as a marketing representative for Microsoft.

What was your favorite business course at BHSU and why?
My favorite course was Business Finance. Overall it was a challenging course but the work was supplemented with the opportunity to play the Stock Market Game. It was a very good technique that tied the material we learned in class to the practical application of analyzing firms and making the decision on whether or not to purchase their stock.

What do you like most about BHSU and the School of Business?
Black Hills State University offers so many opportunities for students to take control of their own learning environment. For example, as a student of the School of Business, I was introduced to my current internship; working as a Marketing Rep for Microsoft. Out of more than 1,000 undergraduate schools in the US, BHSU was chosen as 1 of 300 schools to have this internship opportunity. I have also added two student organizations and two community-based organization leadership positions to my resume shortly after becoming a School of Business student. What I love most about BHSU is that the level of commitment that I get back for working hard and being committed to my own future.

What activities are you involved in here at Black Hills State University?
I am currently President of Buzz Marketing, partner in the Jacket Investment Club, student marketing representative for Microsoft, the first American Advertising Federation student board member in South Dakota, and a member of the BHSU COBT Student Advisory Board. I am also currently working with a team of students on the development of marketing plan that Buzz Marketing will present to the COBT regarding the college's preparation for AACSB accreditation.

In what way do you feel BHSU has best prepared you for your future?
By offering and supporting student Organizations, flexible classes, and by supporting a diverse range of student activities, BHSU has made it possible for me to utilize my time here in order to maximize my B.A.'s value. I have developed the necessary interpersonal skills, confidence level, and professionalism needed to succeed in future interviews with employers.

Where do you see your career in 10 years?
I have spent the last 2 years at BHSU preparing my knowledge base, transcripts, and resume so that I can market myself successfully to the University of Washington, where I plan to obtain my PhD. In ten years, I will be teaching on a collegiate level as well as conducting research studies surrounding the resulting effects (both good and bad) of the global economic conditions and policies of 2000 through 2010.

Why did you choose Black Hills State University? 
Some of my family members are BHSU alumni, and I enjoy the activities which are possible in the Black Hills area, since I’ve spent much of my life close to the hills. I was also looking for a school with reasonable class sizes and personable professors, both of which are offered by BHSU.

What is your major and why did you choose this specific major? 
My major is Business Administration with specialization in Economics and Finance. I’ve always been analytically minded and I tend to view the world in terms of mathematical relationships. It’s become clear to me over the last few years that economic and financial matters are the primary force driving global behavior and that irresponsible economic and financial behavior has been the cause of the latest, if not all, economic crises. Since nobody can argue that the world needs more people who understand these forces in order to improve upon the existing global economic situation, it’s been my interest to seek greater understanding of the way modern economic and financial systems function with the desire to help enact meaningful change for future generations.

What has been your experience in your (major)?
During the time I’ve spent pursuing my major, I have had the pleasure of working closely with very talented and intelligent professors, as well as students, who are more than willing to entertain challenging questions and alternate viewpoints on the topics discussed in the various business classes, some of which affect our daily lives and are made ever more relevant in the context of the current domestic and global economic/financial situation. It’s been a very positive experience and I hope to carry the forward momentum of my experiences here into my professional career.

What was your favorite business course at BHSU and why? 
If I had to pick a single class to be my favorite, it would likely be Production and Operations Management (although the material covered uses the elements of Quantitative Decision Analysis heavily) due simply to the fact that the skills learned in the class(es), including multiple useful Excel operations and the ability to model production and operations activities algebraically, cross over to nearly every other aspect of economics and finance. That is to say, I gained much more knowledge from subsequent business classes by keeping in mind the skills I learned in this one. Also, I really appreciated the evident personal knowledge and interest brought to this class by Dr. Patrick Mackin.

What do you like most about BHSU and the School of Business? 
I find the openness and personable nature of BHSU faculty and staff to be the most appealing part of my education here. The School of Business is no exception, and I have had only the best of interactions with all the folks I’ve had the opportunity to work with during my time as a business student.

What activities are you involved in here at Black Hills State University?
I have had the honor of joining the Business Honor Society of Sigma Beta Delta and the National Honorary and Professional Management Fraternity of Sigma Iota Epsilon since beginning my BHSU education. I have also been a member of the Jacket Investment Club for a year and a half and currently hold the positions of Chief Trading Officer and Managing Partner in the club. On an academic note, I have recently had the opportunity to conduct special research with Dr. Sheng Yang regarding investors’ behavior in the Taiwan Stock Exchange which I will be presenting at the upcoming 13th Annual Black Hills Research Symposium, and am also the active Economics tutor this semester.

In what way do you feel BHSU has best prepared you for your future career? 
I believe BHSU has provided me with the knowledge and the personal networking skills with which to apply the academic learning I’ve done here to my future career. All the factual knowledge in the world is useless without the ability to communicate it, and it’s in this area where I feel I’ve made the most improvement while studying at BHSU.

Where do you see your career in 10 years?
In ten years, I will hopefully be working in a position in the finance field, either at a bank or other financial institution, as a financial advisor or in some managerial capacity, or independently.