The three finalists for this year’s Target Leadership Award proved there’s no template for a successful Oregon State College of Business student.
The trio all has different majors and even come from different countries, but each found a home at Oregon State and caught the attention of Target in the company’s annual award for OSU senior business students.
“I’m so impressed with the students and what they do on campus, the leadership they display, they’re just very impressive,” said Angelina Lusseti, Target Albany store team leader. “At Target when we talk about the caliber of students OSU always stands out.”
Daniel Changkuon, an accounting and business information systems major from Ecuador, Lidia Kusnadi, a finance major from Beaverton, and Leslie Mak, a marketing major from Toronto, were honored at a private lunch at the Big River Restaurant in Corvallis on Tuesday.
Changkuon was recognized as the Target Leadership Award winner, with Kusnadi and Mak finalists.
“They all did such a phenomenal job and it was such a great pool of candidates we wanted them all to be celebrated and recognized together,” Lusetti said.
Changkuon, who originally came to OSU on a study abroad trip and later decided to stay, will intern at Nike this summer. He said the diversity at OSU was a major reasons he decided to remain in Corvallis.
“I like diversity,” he said. “When I came over here I said I want to stay here even though I don’t know where I’m going to be. I like to know a lot of people.”
Kusnadi will be starting her second internship with Intel this summer. She said just being included with Mak and Changkuon was special.
“I was really excited to be a finalist because I was able to see the caliber of students who applied,” she said. “Just knowing Leslie and Daniel from the Dean’s Leadership Circle, I was honored to be chosen among them and sit down with Angelina.”
Mak, who will be starting a job with E & J Gallo Wines soon, said being honored by Target was significant because of the role the company has played in her time at OSU.
“For me it was a really nice award because it’s solidifying Target’s role in my education,” Mak said. “They’ve kind of been visiting my classes and helping us with these projects where we get real-life experience working with a company instead of just learning it in a classroom. And just earning this award is a huge honor because I know how incredibly accomplished all the seniors in the College of Business are.”
In addition to the lunch reception and award plaque each honoree received a Target gift card.
Lusetti, an OSU grad herself and frequent campus recruiter for Target, said the award helps the company strengthen its role with the university and its support of students in the College of Business.
“It’s just another piece to show we’re invested in their education and especially leadership,” Lusetti said. “ We want to show them we recognize the leadership they’ve had on campus. Since all our positions are leadership based, we truly value the leadership and scholastic abilities of the students who are at OSU.”
