Q&A with Nathan

What does a typical day look like for you during the semester?
I wake up at 5:30 a.m. to beat traffic, typically arriving at school around 7:00 a.m. While there, I review my schedule, campus events, and assignments to make sure I am mentally prepared for the day. I get a snack at Rowdy’s Corner once it opens at 8:00. Until my first class at noon, I spend my time studying, joining a campus event, chatting with friends, or grabbing lunch. After my two on-campus classes, I attend any club activities I have and get home around 7:00 p.m.

What has your journey at MSU Denver been like?
Technically, I’ve had two journeys here—I’m a returning student! My first attempt wasn’t a success. I mistakenly thought a degree was a simple trade for a job, but that couldn’t have been further from the truth. During that first journey, I didn’t attend campus events, join any clubs, look for internships, or apply for scholarships. To top it all off, my work history at graduation consisted of a single part-time job. I accepted no help; I thought I was being proud and independent. The reality was that I desperately needed help. Ten years later, I am on my second journey, correcting all the mistakes I made the first time. To my surprise, the second journey is so much easier despite doing so much more. Maybe it’s because I’m older, or perhaps more mentally and physically durable thanks to a challenging decade in the retail world. Juggling full-time school, a full-time job, and multiple clubs now feels manageable.

What are you passionate about within business?
As a computer science major, I’m passionate about business because its principles are universal. Business frameworks connect technology to real-world impact. Whether you’re developing software or managing a team, understanding concepts like marketing, finance, and strategy is essential for success in any field or economy.

What are your future career plans?
My goal is to work for a major company as a software engineer or product manager. I’ve learned that you can’t always plan for the future, but you can absolutely prepare for it. With that knowledge, I will be prepared when I receive my diploma and move forward with my career.

What clubs, organizations, or events have you enjoyed the most at MSU Denver? 
Definitely Pi Sigma Epsilon (PSE), the marketing and sales fraternity. I am a big fan of PSE because the community, events, and networking opportunities it provides have been incredible. I’m also part of other clubs, such as the Cyber Bridge Club for Computer Science and a debate club to improve my public speaking. But PSE has been a cornerstone of my experience; the knowledge I’ve gained about the professional world there has made a huge difference for me.

What advice would you give to new business students?
Depend on clubs, depend on events, depend on your professors, depend on your fellow students, depend on internships, depend on scholarships, depend on your family, depend on your friends. Most importantly, depend on yourself to let you depend on others.

College is not the best time to try to be a completely independent adult. Trust me.

What’s something that you wish you knew before you started college?
Have you ever had that feeling where something just “clicks”? You can’t explain it, but you get a rush of excitement when the pieces of a puzzle fall into place in your head. You need that feeling. If you don’t have it, try harder. Are you passing a class with a perfect grade but not really understanding the material—just going through the motions? Find that click. Search for it. Do not end a semester without every concept clicking for you.

What’s your favorite thing about being part of the College of Business at MSU Denver?
The opportunity to reach out and guide other students. It’s just as easy to pass your classes as it is to get nothing meaningful out of college. Being part of the College of Business gives me a platform to help others succeed not just academically, but also in their future careers.