Category: Students

Finance  alumna Sara Stillwell just graduated from Oregon State University’s College of Business in June, but has already transitioned into her career as a financial adviser with Pacific Capital Resource Group in Lake Oswego (in the Portland metro area), Stillwell shares her experiences and advice with current and future business students on how they can make the most of their time at Oregon State.

Did you complete an internship while attending OSU?

I did an internship with Oregon State’s Printing and Mailing Services as a marketing intern where I ran social media campaigns and promotions for the business during my sophomore year and over the summer. It was good learning experience in that it helped me determine that I did not want to pursue marketing as a career after that.

What advice would you give current and future College of Business students about how to be successful in their program and in seeking a job?

Join a club to get more information about the industry you are considering. There are many more jobs out there than people realize, especially younger students who are just getting familiar with their career options. Also, take advantage of joining a club if you choose to do so. Club officers are usually very interested in getting ideas from members and are a good resource if anyone has questions about classes to take and things to do to be successful. They’re also a great resource for networking, as they have multiple contacts within the college.

Did you utilize the services at the Career Success Center?  How did they help you prepare to enter the job market?

I definitely utilized the CSC, and I’d recommend them and their services to everyone. Getting your résumé checked out is too easy not to just go and do! Also, connecting with Brandi Fuhrman, Pam Knowles and Tamara Mitchell has helped me network with so many professionals and members of the College of Business and have been a great resource and a huge help.

Did you participate in the #MySuccessIs campaign?

Yes, I was the president of the Finance Club, and we participated in a competition among the clubs. I am also a member of the Dean’s Student Leadership Council (DSLC) where we also did some brainstorming about the campaign.

If you could have any superpower, what would it be?

I’d want to have a photographic memory.

How would you have used your superpower while getting your degree?

It would have been amazing to only have to read slides and textbooks once while studying.

What is your favorite thing about Corvallis?

I love the closeness of everything and the ability to walk to class.

What’s your favorite thing about Oregon State?

My overall experience with the College of Business — the professors and faculty, the opportunities I had, and getting to know and collaborate with my peers — was amazing.  Also, football games are my favorite things about OSU!

If you knew you were leaving Corvallis for good, where would you go for your last meal here? What would you order?

I would go to The Laughing Planet downtown and would order the Zapatista Salad.  It’s my favorite!

Finance and International Business alumna Haley Polis just graduated from Oregon State University’s College of Business in June, but has already landed the exact kind of job she was hoping for. Now an Associate Project Manager at Ivey Performance Marketing in the Portland metro area, Polis shares her experiences and advice with current and future business students on how they can make the most of their time at OSU.

Did you complete any internships while attending OSU?

I completed one internship with Merrill Lynch after my junior year and another one with Miller Ferrari Wealth Management after my senior year (I was a fifth year senior) where I procured clients through cold calling and one-on-one meetings. Both internship experiences taught me a lot about building relationships with potential clients and what it’s like to work in a professional environment, and I think students should definitely seek out opportunities for internships or work experience. No matter how hard you work in school , there’s just no replacement for getting actual experience in your chosen field.

What advice would you give current and future College of Business students about how to be successful in their program and in seeking a job?

Start networking early! Relationships and connections are what make you successful more than a resume ever will.

Did you utilize the services at the Career Success Center? How did it help you prepare for entering the job market?

While I didn’t get involved with CSC until my last year, Brandi Fuhrman was so incredibly helpful in giving me advice on contacting future employers. I went to the Business Round Table multiple times, participated in mock interviews and took part in other networking events as well.

If you could have any superpower, what would it be?

Hmm… That’s a tough question. I think I’d have to go with teleportation.

How would you have used your superpower while getting your degree?

I would have used it to get to Germany for my study abroad!

What is your favorite thing about Corvallis?

It’s a friendly town and everyone is excited about the Beavers!

What’s your favorite thing about OSU’s campus?

Probably all of the beautiful flowers in the springtime.

If you knew you were leaving Corvallis for good, where do you go for your last meal here? What do you order?

Either American Dream for a slice of cheese and pineapple or Les Caves for a pretzel and beer cheese.

Austin Charles Russell has owned and operated his own photography business for about three years now, and many of the projects he worked on involved fashion photography.

“I immediately fell in love with the creativity and collaboration involved with the process,” said Russell. “I came back to Oregon State after being away for about five years with the intention of not only completing my graphic design degree, but also making an impact on the Oregon State campus,” he said.

Having just graduated from the School of Design and Human Environment’s graphic design program, Russell certainly did leave behind a lasting impression with his “Millennial Fashion” senior thesis project. Russell says that his project was Oregon State University’s first fashion trend campaign. His initial research involved analyzing the business strategies of today’s most successful “fast fashion” companies.

“Fast fashion” is a term used by industry experts to describe how designs move from design conception to production very quickly in order to capture the most current fashion trends. Russell came to the conclusion that a large portion of fast fashion success is due to the high demand among consumers that’s created when these companies are able to act much more swiftly than what is typical of the industry.

Russell made it his goal to utilize this strategy and the principle theories of fashion marketing in order to create a product or service that would appeal to a specific target audience; the Oregon State University student community.

“I am very interested in human behavior and the fact that besides basic human necessity, the one thing that everyone in the world has in common is fashion,” said Russell. “Even in the smallest tribal villages, there is a certain fashion style that demonstrates culture, personality or social status,” he added.

Russell drew inspiration from the many different cultures on campus and wanted to create a project that brought more inclusiveness to the Oregon State community. He said that within just two days of observing campus fashion, four clear trends emerged:  wayfarer sunglasses, tank tops, horizontal stripes and neon colors. A LOT of neon colors.

“Obviously these trends were due to the changing season, but it was still interesting to notice how quickly people shifted from neutral, winter colors to bright, spring colors,” said Russell.

Russell took what he gleaned from his research and observations and created the Millennial Fashion trend book. He says that his project encouraged him to pursue a career in the fashion industry, hopefully in a marketing and advertising role.

Russell says that with pursuing a career choice like fashion, networking is essential.

“I would just like to say to other SDHE students, never doubt your abilities, be alert, and take advantage of the opportunities presented to you,” said Russell. “Use the knowledge you have acquired throughout your experience at Oregon State and create something that you are truly passionate about and can be proud of. Dare to take chances! Do great things! And for the love of God; NETWORK, NETWORK, NETWORK! I can’t emphasize that enough,” he said.

Check out Russell’s project campaign video below:

As the spring term winds to a close and students prepare for commencement and the feelings of freedom that summer inspires, now is the perfect time to reflect on the hard work and dedication demonstrated by our tremendously talented Graphic Design students from the School of Design and Human Environment (SDHE). Over the last week, there were two events that showcased the students’ work.

The first took place on June 4, as  a very crowded Room 215 in Milam Hall was abuzz with energy as graduating graphic design seniors presented their final thesis projects to faculty, staff and classmates. Projects were far-ranging in their scope and intent, but all shared a common thread: each of them combined a thoughtfully designed project that had practical business applications.

Take for example Lillian Kansaku’s project for “Kenny: Your Money Pal,” a  project comprised of a website and printed collateral designed to help college students navigate the sometimes confusing and overwhelming financial aspects of being a college student, or Michael McDonald’s “Sparkbulb” project that helps teach basic graphic design and digital marketing strategies to owners of start-ups who might lack the resources to hire a professional in the early stages of starting their business.

“Every year, I continue to be impressed with the talent, creativity and design acuity demonstrated by our graphic design students,” said Professor Andrea Marks. “Our students’ thesis projects not only demonstrate their research and design ability, but also provide proof that our students come up with truly creative and engaging solutions for practical, real-world business issues,” she said.

Check out some photos from the seniors’ design projects in the below gallery:

On June 9, junior year graphic design students taking Professor Christine Gallagher’s Collaborative Processes class presented their final game projects. Students in the class were divided into six teams and tasked with creating a board or card game from scratch. Not only did the students have to conceptualize a new game and establish all the rules and determine how actual game play would unfold, but they also had to design every aspect of their games from the game boards and cards to the game pieces and boxes that house them all. The results were very impressive as evidenced in the below slideshow, and the students had a great time playing each others’ games.