Ryan Anglesey

WHY WEBER STATE

I grew up in North Ogden, so I was quite familiar with Weber State. I had heard that 91·çÁ÷ had a great business/finance program, so that obviously grabbed my attention. Also, I figured it would be beneficial to stay local for the financial benefits, as opposed to going south or out of state. Receiving a scholarship offer was also a plus because I wouldn’t have to pay for anything. Originally, I wanted to teach elementary and may pursue that passion further down the line. In the meantime, finance caught my eye. I’ve always loved numbers – anything with numbers. I enjoyed finance just as much as teaching. In high school I did a lot of education classes, but I thought, “Let’s throw finance in the mix and see if it sticks.” And it did.

WHY FINANCE

I wanted a degree that involved numbers and provided financial stability in the long run. I didn’t see many opportunities in mathematics or math teaching; however, I wanted to ensure that I had financial stability in whatever career I went into. In the end, finance was the clear choice. I also felt that finance was more broad of a concept, as opposed to the more focused concept of accounting. This line of thinking also helped me decide to minor in economics.

WHAT'S NEXT

For the next year or so, I am going to search around the job market and be prepared for any opportunities along the way. Ideally, I would like to work at a large investment bank, but I’m going to keep my options open. Right now, I’m an assistant store manager at a grocery store, and I really enjoy it. I am planning on sticking around until something else pops up, but there is no deadline, and I am in no rush.

PROFESSOR IMPACT

I believe that I have been largely impacted by all of my professors in one way or another; however, I believe there were three professors that had the largest impact on my overall educational experience. Dr. Fan, Dr. Ahmad, and Dr. Thue really piqued my interest in their respective fields and were the most memorable. Dr. Fan really grew my love for investments. Dr. Ahmad showed me the great investment opportunities that can be had internationally. Lastly, I had the pleasure of taking two classes with Dr. Thue. Business Law and Business Ethics were two of the most interesting classes that I took throughout my entire college career.

ADVICE FOR OTHER STUDENTS

You can do it! It’s as simple as that. There is a lot in the world that can make it seem like everything is against you or circumstances are too difficult, and I have seen that first hand; however, it doesn’t matter what you’re faced with. It is the resilient people that end up succeeding. Live your life like the cards you were dealt were the ones that you wanted the whole time. Don’t think that you can’t achieve because of your circumstances. This type of thinking doesn’t get you anywhere. Tough times build tough people. If you hold onto that thought, it will not only carry you through your schooling, but through anything that you may face in your life.

OVERALL EXPERIENCE

91·çÁ÷ is very inviting. Being able to have a faculty and student body that cared about my personal success made it easier to put aside the things of the world and focus on my education. I was able to foster my love of learning and focus on my individual success.