LUKE KASCHMITTER
finance grad '24 outstanding grad

WHY WEBER STATE?   

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I've lived in Ogden my whole life, so I knew about Weber State. I took concurrent enrollment courses in high school, and knew people who attended Weber State. I actually started my college career at Westminster in Salt Lake, but after a year there, I transferred to Weber State, and found that WSU was the best option for me. It was so much more affordable, and the return on investment was so much higher. It worked well for me.

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WHY FINANCE?   

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When I first started at Weber State I declared a Business Administration Major. But after meeting with Brett Merrell, I was advised to think about choosing something more specialized. After taking some classes, I found I enjoyed finance the most. I liked the professors and what we learned in the classes. Once I got into the major I got set up with an internship, and recently I went to New York with other Finance students - it was fantastic.  

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A SCHEDULE THAT WORKED FOR ME   

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I think what surprised me the most about Weber State, in terms of comparisons, was that it had a private-school feel. There was not much of a difference in the sizes of classes from a private school, and I could still work and have a practical job experience while going to school. The professors were available and the educational experience has felt personalized. At Weber State I could have a job, and a class schedule that worked for me.

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FACULTY IMPACT   

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Dr. Yuhong Fan was the best - she really cared about the students, and gave all of the material presented in class a practical application that I appreciated. She made everything understandable and relatable. She made sure you really understood the material. 

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ADVICE   

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Take advantage of opportunities early. If you need to miss something or make a sacrifice to do it - do it. Work hard, but make sure you take advantage of those out-of-class opportunities. There is so much available outside of the classroom. Also, get to know your professors! Form a network. These are educated professionals that care about you and know your work ethic. If you represent yourself well, everything you do will reflect back on you and will come back to you. It gets easier.

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WHAT'S NEXT   

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I have accepted a full time position as an Analyst with a firm by Hill Air Force base.

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