TOM RHODES
business administration grad '24 outstanding graduate

WHY WEBER STATE?   

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I grew up in Davis County, so Weber State is nice and close. I didn't want student loans. Weber has an advantage - it's affordable, personable, especially in the business college. I have friends that are at the U and USU, they take their classes in a big lecture hall. But here at Weber State I have individual interactions with the professors and they know who I am.

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WHY BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION?   

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I've always been interested in how business works. I figured that business administration would give me a taste of everything. And once I was in the major, I felt that it didn't weigh anything too heavily. I feel I have a baseline to work from, and that there is nothing in the business world that I will be blindsided by. I have a great foundation for running a business. 

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APPLICABLE EDUCATION   

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I am an entrepreneur - I run a belt brand (Trono Belts). With the business administration major I wanted to learn new things, and get a taste of what I could do better and could implement into my business. I love entrepreneurship and the risk, creativity that goes into it. The stakes are high and I've loved that I can directly apply what I learn in the classroom. I love it. Weber State is great, great, great. When my fiance and I were dating, she had called her financial aid office at her university and had been on hold for about 40 minutes. I told her to 'watch this,' and called the financial aid office at Weber State. Someone (a live person) picked up almost immediately. The core competencies are just different here. Personalization is done better at Weber than anywhere else...from the professors to the departments to everywhere.

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FACULTY IMPACT   

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At Weber you can get so close to your professors. I loved Matt Thue's class. He has been great to help me outside of class as well. I needed some legal help, and he was kind enough to set me up with connections and give me much-needed advice. He made the learning environment fun, and encouraged critical thinking. He helped us to see both sides of issues, and to grow as a person. Rachel Child also demonstrated a legit intention to set us up for a successful future after school. She was always bringing in guest lecturers for a warm handoff from school to our careers.

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ADVICE   

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Cut out distractions to stay focused, and strategize your life. If you manage your life, school becomes easier. It turns from a chore to a payoff. And if you're doing it for a reason, you will value it more.

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WHAT'S NEXT   

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I'm going to stick with my belt business for a while. Digital marketing has brought in enough revenue for now that the game plan is to invest time in that. 

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