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SOM Students Represent

What sets SOM apart from other schools are the extensive opportunities available for hands-on experiences outside the classroom. Each year, students help run major statewide events such as the Arctic Innovation Competition and the Business Leader of the Year. Students are encouraged to join at least one of ten SOM student organizations with focuses ranging from entrepreneurship to leadership to accounting. These groups provide more opportunities to give back to the greater Fairbanks area and gain the type of experience employers desire. This semester, students were invited to several events to present on the effectiveness of their out-of-classroom experiences.

Fairbanks Downtown Rotary Club

In October, students presented at a meeting of the Fairbanks Downtown Rotary Club.

Heidi Bryan, a senior business administration student majoring in marketing, shared her experiences working on the Arctic Innovation Competition. Heidi was able to gain substantial leadership skills, saying, “Before I got to UAF, I thought leadership meant that the boss was in charge and you did not ask questions. I now see leadership as setting the direction for the team, motivating others, and inspiring vision.”

 

 

Alec Hajdukovich, a senior business administration student majoring in finance, shared his experiences with the Student Investment Fund (SIF) course. Alec came to UAF with hockey as his primary interest. When he enrolled in the SIF course in his junior year he initially felt completely out of his depth. However, he quickly found himself learning more than he ever thought possible, decided to major in finance, and his mother calls it the “turnaround story of the century.”

 

James Gilchrest, a junior majoring in emergency management, touched on his experiences with the Homeland Security and Emergency Management (HSEM) program. James applied to UAF after seeing a Facebook ad for the HSEM program while stationed in Guantanamo Bay. Once he arrived on campus, he felt immediately supported by SOM. James believes the greatest contribution made by SOM instructors is to mentor future leaders, and said, “The School of Management inspires me to be fearless.”

 

Associated General Contractors of Alaska (AGC)

Jamie Boyle, a senior business administration major moving on the MBA program, presented to AGC about her experiences as a first-semester student in SIF. A generous donation is provided by AGC in support of a SIF scholarship. Jamie shared how the SIF course helped her learn how to value a stock, think differently about a company beyond the numbers, and be comfortable and confident in presentations. She said, “I look optimistically toward the future equipped with a quality degree and ample real-life experiences.”

UA Board of Regents

In December, students accompanied Dean Herrmann for a presentation to the UA Board of Regents, where Heidi, James, and Jamie shared stories similar to those they brought to the Rotary and AGC events.



Amy Isaacson, an MBA student who also holds an accounting degree, shared how glad she was to earn prestigious degrees from a university in her own hometown, and how critical her non-classroom experiences were to her education and growth. In particular, the Great Alaskan Accounting People helped connect her to the accounting field and secure employment, and participating in the Business Leader of the Year advanced her skills in teamwork, professionalism, and leadership.