"NDSU Business Connections provided me the opportunity to meet with Jim Hambrick from Cornerstone Bank. I have a deep appreciation for the opportunity to participate in this program and to my mentor for the inspiration, motivation, and mentorship over this past year.
Throughout my mentoring experience, I had the opportunity to conduct a mock interview, have my resume critiqued, network with professionals in banking, and learn from different departments in the bank. The opportunity to conduct a mock interview and have my resume critiqued developed my confidence in the interview process. Networking with professionals at Cornerstone Bank helped me develop communication skills and build relationships while learning more about the functions of each department.
Ultimately, I am grateful for my mentor sparking my curiosity, allowing me to ask plenty of questions, giving me insight on the real world, and coaching me."
Karen Soutthivong, B.S. Management ('21)
“I want to express my gratitude for this amazing mentoring program. Through this program, I met Jeremy Ostrowski (Talent Management at Aldevron), who is an amazing mentor with a wealth of knowledge and experience, not just in his professional field but also in mentoring and developing young professionals. Among the myriad of valuable insights and support I received from him; I would like to highlight a few:
- Given his expertise in the HR domain, Jeremy provided invaluable guidance on crafting an effective resume. His advice on how to market myself effectively was particularly helpful.
- As a newcomer to the USA, I lacked knowledge about American companies, their workplaces, and corporate culture. Jeremy not only enlightened me through sharing his experiences but also graciously arranged a visit to his workplace at Aldevron, a pioneering biotechnology company. This opportunity allowed me to witness firsthand the intricacies of the industry and meet remarkable individuals, from HR to technology experts and even his supervisor.
- Jeremy wants me to be involved in such a community where like-minded individuals can come together under a single umbrella to foster innovation and growth. To do this, we attended the "Coffee + Coding!" event hosted by the Emerging Digital Academy at Prairie Den.
- I was particularly looking for a summer internship and Jeremy helps me to explore different companies for internships. Even before my interview with Gate city Bank, he provided invaluable interview tips on how to crack the interview like a pro. And guess what happened? I was selected as a Business Intelligence Intern at Gate City Bank and successfully completed my summer internship.
I am extremely grateful to Jeremy for his unwavering support and guidance throughout my journey, as well as to the Business Connections platform.”
Md Rakibul Hasan Khan, M.S. Business Analytics ('24)
“The Business Connections program at NDSU has increased my career knowledge monumentally. Last year, I had the opportunity to be mentored by Travis Wilson, Talent Acquisition Manager at KLJ Engineering. I enjoyed learning more about talent acquisition since this is the part of HR that I am most interested in for a career after college. Travis set me up to meet with Mandi Kurzweg, Talent Acquisition Manager at Border States for a meet-and-greet. Eventually, she ended up interviewing me for an open HR Intern position at Border States. I did get the position and I started in May 2023 and still work here part-time during the school year. Without Business Connections, I may have never had the opportunity to find this great company where I hope to continue working after graduation!”
Justin Rud, B.S. Management ('24)
“When I was in the Business Connections Program, I got the opportunity to meet with Justin Pavek who is the Chief Credit Officer at Wallwork Financial. During our meetings, we would discuss various topics such as career choices, educational paths, leadership styles, the books we are reading, and even economic factors which impact our decision making. In addition to learning real world skills and getting to know Justin personally, I also was able to tour his workplace and meet his team. I was inspired by Justin’s style of leadership where he fostered high levels of trust among his team and everyone was eager to contribute to meeting the objectives of the organization. I can confidently say that my experience in the Business Connections Program helped me to understand my own career goals and how pursuing an MBA would help me to achieve them.”
Parker Jabas, B.S. Finance ('23), MBA ('24)
“The Business Connections program has been of tremendous success to me. Here are the benefits I had from the program. I had the opportunity to have a great mentor, Mr. Jim Hambrick of Cornerstone Bank who has been and still is a key coach in my life and career. It's interesting to mention that we both had a common background- Bankers. This made our initial conversation exciting. Secondly, my mentor organized meetings for me to meet industrial players in my field of logistics where I interacted with Dan Pforr of TrueNorth Steel where I gained an in-depth understanding of the truck industry. Some take-home advice was when Dan mentioned I could be a tremendous asset to the industry if I choose that path. We also spent time with James Sipe of Border State Electrical, a big logistics company in the United States which works with supplies of electrical-related products. James took me through what the company's future plans were and the opportunities for students like me to start a career in that field.
This was my first ever encounter with industrial experts who shared what they knew and their challenges, as well as the success they have chalked in their field. After these encounters, I became confident and gained invaluable business ideas in this industry. Key leadership skills learned in my experience are good communication skills, and a passion to succeed even if you have encountered failure in the past. Proud to be a mentee in this program.”
Bright Parker Quayson, PhD student in Transportation & Supply Chain
"I was lucky enough to be matched with Jay Krabbenhoft, SVP of Office Services at Gate City Bank, which was a great pair as I have been banking with Gate City Bank my whole life. Right off the bat with Jay, I was able to learn so much both about him and his profession and knew we were a great fit! I was then also able to connect with many of his coworkers and learn more about them and their job. This led to me job shadowing, joining Jay on meetings, getting insight on the bank and its culture, and just overall seeing what a business professional's day to day looks like. We would try to meet at least once a week and I would look forward to this every time.
Toward the end of the program in the spring of 2023, Jay was able to help me find a job at the bank since I was heavily enjoying the culture and the experience I was encompassing. I became a Client Service Associate in the Investment Services and Insurance Agency at Gate City Bank for the summer as a temporary position. Today, I now work as a Customer Service Representative at a local branch in Moorhead and love serving the Gate City Bank customers every day and looking to follow the mission of Gate City and strive for a better way of life.
I owe all this to the NDSU Business Connections Program and the people involved with it, as they are the reason I was able to achieve and reach this position in my career! This program has been able to help me learn so much, both about business careers and professions, but also myself. And I will be able to carry these traits along with me for the rest of my life!"
James Larson, Senior, B.S. Business Administration ('24)