Category: Student Spotlight

2013 Tidwell Outstanding Man and Woman in Business Selected

About the Award

The Outstanding Man and Women in Business is awarded annually and the School of Business and Economics is confident that this year’s selections represent the student body well with their efforts in leadership and extracurricular activities. Undergraduate Scholarship Committee members Anne Warrington, Mari Buche, and Carly Benson were heavily involved in the selection of this award.

“I had the good pleasure of knowing Sam Tidwell, and I’m confident he would be extremely pleased with this year’s selection of the Tidwell Outstanding Man and Woman in Business,” said Eugene Klippel, Dean of the School of business. “Both students demonstrate high academic performance combined with proven leadership capabilities.  Thus, on behalf of the School, I wish to congratulate Nathan and Sara on their receipt of this award.”

Nathan Sturos and Sarah Ochs were named the 2013 Tidwell Outstanding Man and Woman in Business.

Nathan Sturos and Sarah Ochs are recognized as the 2012-13 recipients of the Sam B. Tidwell Outstanding Man and Woman in Business. This award is given to students who bring honor and pride to the School of Business and Economics through high scholastic achievement and involvement. Students eligible for this honor went through an intense interview process that included an essay and interview with faculty.

Mari Buche of the Undergraduate Scholarship Committee added, “Sarah and Nathan exemplify the qualities inherent in this prestigious award. They excel at their academic studies, demonstrate strong interpersonal communication skills, and serve as leaders both within the department and in the greater community. Their work ethic, integrity, and overall commitment place them at the top of their class. The School of Business & Economics faculty has high expectations for their career success after graduation. Without a doubt, they are true role models on campus.”

Outstanding Man in Business

Dean Eugene Klippel and Natahn Sturos at the Tidwell Outstanding Man in Business award presentation.

Nathan Sturos is a senior in the School of Business and Economics who will graduate as a double major in Accounting and Finance next spring. In his time on campus he has been President of the Finance Club, Treasurer of the Entrepreneurship Club, and member of Kappa Sigma Iota Accounting Club where he helped with the Volunteer Income Tax Program. This year Nathan was inducted into the International Honor Society Beta Gamma Sigma, and has also served on the Dean’s Student Advisory Council for the last two years. Nathan has a high level of professionalism that made him a strong candidate and the recipient of this award.

Outstanding Woman in Business

Dean Eugene Klippel and Sarah Ochs at the Tidwell Outstanding Woman in Business award presentation.

Sarah Ochs is a senior, Marketing major, who will graduate in December of 2013. An extremely involved student, Sarah served as the President and founder of the DECA chapter in the School of Business and Economics. She has served as a representative on the Dean’s Student Advisory Council for the past four years. Utilizing her networking skills, Sarah has been one of our most successful business students at the career fair completing internships at Caterpillar and Mercury Marine. Sarah has proven to be an outstanding student within our school and was one of the strongest candidates we have ever had for this award.

When asked about the selection process, Buche noted “the selection process was very difficult this year. All of the finalists were exceptional candidates: strong academic GPAs, demonstrated leadership skills, and clear commitment to the improvement of the school and Michigan Tech.” Other finalists for this year’s award included: Brett Ludwig, Frank Kampe, and Troy Hecht.

Two Bows seeks funds for summer apparel line!

Two Bows-- the apparel line with the outdoorsy woman in mind-- is seeking funding for their summer line samples!

Three years ago Management major Jessica Tompkins started her own company Two Bows LLC .  Now a senior in the School of Business and Economics, Jessica needs our support!

Two Bows has been accepted by Kickstarter – an online threshold pledge system for funding creative projects– to raise funds for their Spring/Summer apparel line. She encourages everyone to follow the project, choose a reward, and pass along the word.  Two Bows only has 30 days to reach their goal of $5,000.  This money would then allow them to move forward taking the next big step to develop their company.

Jessica credits the School of Business and Economics and her classes for her growing success. Day by day she uses skills and knowledge she has gained at Michigan Tech while continuing to build the company’s foundation. Two Bows has previously been funded from several resources including: business competitions, Crowdbackers crowdfunding, and non-monetary awards. These sources, combined with social media (Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin) have enabled her to market the company at a low cost.

However, in an effort to grow Two Bows, they are searching for additional funding sources to add a Spring/Summer line. This new line will supplement the products currently being sold for Fall and Winter. Jessica hopes the new line will allow Outdoorsy girls, like her, to be comfortable and look great while enjoying the hobbies they love!

By meeting their $5000 goal, Two Bows will have enough funding to create their new line, have professional photos taken, and update their website.  They only have 30 days to raise the money, and get their backers the rewards they earn in return for their funding! The rewards stack, so the more you back, the more you receive. Every donation helps!

Two Bows needs all the support it can get to reach their goal!  Let’s help out one of our own, click here to read more and make a donation!

Tech Business Teams Take 2nd and 3rd in THE Project

Business and Economics students from Michigan Tech had another successful showing at THE Project, taking 2nd and 3rd places respectively.

Two Michigan Tech teams competed in the second West Michigan Project Management Institute THE Project 2013 competition. There were seven collegiate teams competing for $10,000 prizes, and both Michigan Tech teams made it to the Final Four.

Michigan Tech Team B placed 2nd overall and received $3,000, and Michigan Tech Team A placed 3rd overall and received $2,000. Team B consists of Danielle Boettger (Economics), Evan Beckner (Operations and Systems Management), August Skultety (Operations and Systems Management). Team A consists of Kira Eck (Marketing), Mitch Fedie (Management), Amanda Halonen (Operations and Systems Management), and Mandi Severn (Management). All students were enrolled in BUS4950 Advanced Project Management this semester.

Details about the competition are located at: http://www.wmpmi.org.

Studying Across Cultures: Eli Karttunen

Eli Karttunen, a fourth year economics major studied in Germany during summer of 2012.

Why did you study abroad?

Studying abroad allowed me to see how economics and finance courses are taught from a European perspective. Also, to take classes with foreign professors and students gives you a large networking advantage, as well as the chance to work in multicultural teams, all of which are invaluable experiences for graduate school, as well as later in life. All too often, it seems that economics has the potential of being taught from a politically skewed or nationalistic point of view,so understanding how Germans view different economic theories or events like the European Sovereign Debt Crisis was appealing.

What did you experience?

The first part of the program was a course on German language,culture, and business, which is designed to not only give the US students a working vocabulary and knowledge of German language and grammar, but also to provide insight to German culture and political institutions. Students present on a variety of topics and have to write a paper by the end of the program. I presented on “The German Banking Sector” and “The German Social Security System.”So far, the difference has been that homework and projects aren’t that big in German education. It’s all about the exam grade. In fact, for university classes, you don’t actually register for them here, you just attend the lectures you want, memorize the note packet the professor sends out, and you register for exams and take them. Nothing else is graded.

What was the best part of your trip?

The best part of the trip is simply being in Europe and being able to travel around and experience the culture. So far, we’ve been to Hannover, Hamburg, Amsterdam, Berlin, and Luneburg. With travel plans to Rotenburg, Munich, Heidelberg, and Helsinki the capital of the land of my ancestry in Finland.

Would you study abroad again? Would you go somewhere new or to the same location?

Study abroad is an invaluable experience in many ways: academically,professionally, personally, and socially. You learn of new ideas, new ways of doing things, and meet tons of people you’d otherwise never have known. I definitely would do it again, given the opportunity. Germany is a great place, and I’m sure I’ll return someday, perhaps for work—I’d definitely need to learn more German first—but for sure for vacation some day. But in order to see other places around the globe, I’d probably want to check out somewhere new!

Originally published in Impact, Fall 2012.

Networking for Success

Caitlin Pionke '12, a management major at Michigan Tech, talks about how she used networking to secure a job at Dow Chemical in Midland, Mich.

“Networking” is no more than a vague concept for many students, something they might do in a far-off professional future. For management major Caitlin Pionke, networking came into play far earlier as a crucial job-hunting tool.

Like many graduating students, Pionke started her job search in a tough, highly competitive market.

“One of my friends applied for thirty-five jobs without success,” said Pionke. “I applied for two. And, thanks to networking, I got offers for both.”

Pionke’s networking opportunities came on the heels of her 2011 Woman of Promise award in the School of Business and Economics. Michigan Tech’s Women of Promise program, which was initiated in 1999 by the Presidential Council of Alumnae (PCA), is a way to recognize a female student in each department who goes above and beyond what is expected of them. Students who win the award gain an introduction into the network of alumnae who have been recognized for outstanding professional achievements.

Pionke made full use of the opportunities afforded her as a Woman of Promise, fearlessly using the network of PCA alumnae as a support system. “During the first event, I introduced myself to PCA members, asked for career advice, and sent my résumé to everyone I met,” she said. “All of the women in the network were supportive and happy to be of service. They helped me get my résumé to the right people.”

Well aware of the scarcity of jobs, Pionke worked tirelessly to build on these relationships in the months leading up to her senior job fair at Michigan Tech. “You have to actively show that you are interested in the job with regular contact and follow-ups,” she said. “Face-to-face connections and name recognition are important, especially when many students are applying online. You can’t just click “apply” and send a résumé.”

Using tools like LinkedIn, she branded herself as a strong communicator and promoted her experience as the business team leader for the International Business Ventures group, a member of the Beta Gamma Sigma national honor society, and a small business owner.

Pionke’s hard work and strategic job hunt paid off. By the time she arrived at Dow Chemical’s booth at the job fair, company representatives knew her by name. After several rounds of interviews, Pionke accepted a position as an information analyst in the company’s IT department, which she will start in June 2012.

“The whole experience was a lesson in the importance of networking,” she said. “I’d advise all students to do the same.”

PCA members pictured, top to bottom, are Ellen Horsch ’78, Carrie Schaller ’87, and Marie Cleveland ’82.
Originally published in Impact, Spring 2012.