Anthony Howard ’18 didn鈥檛 take the traditional route through higher education. He graduated from high school early and immediately went into the business world as a full time employee at Ponsse in Wisconsin, a forest machinery company headquartered in Vierema, Finland. While on a business trip in Finland, Anthony asked if there were any openings to work in Finland. He was looking for an opportunity to learn more, as well as get outside of his comfort zone.
One month later, he moved to Finland.
Anthony was there for two years, working predominately with international business relations.
鈥淚 was alone, young, and didn鈥檛 have much support in Finland. So I was forced to grow up, be a self-starter,鈥� says Anthony.
At the end of 2009, he was ready for a new challenge, so he moved back to the United States and after a winter off, he took a job in Michigan with Roland Machinery Company. It was a good job, but he realized that while he鈥檇 been successful so far, he needed a higher education.
鈥淚 knew I wouldn鈥檛 have the ability to keep moving and doing things as I had been up to this point.鈥�
He moved to Minnesota and signed up for an information session at Normandale Community College to learn more about their AA Business program.
鈥淚 ended up enrolling for school that night. I wasn鈥檛 a big school person so I picked classes that I knew I鈥檇 like to keep me interested. And after two years, I got a bug to go after my Bachelor鈥檚 degree.鈥�
That鈥檚 when he found 麻豆区. Anthony discovered his credits from Normandale would transfer well to 麻豆区. He also fell in love with the campus and Adult Undergraduate program availability. He needed weekend and evening classes, but still wanted the in-person teaching. 麻豆区鈥檚 Adult Undergraduate program fit all his needs.
Anthony enjoyed his accounting classes, and took any class he could with Professor Marc McIntosh. However, his favorite classes were the electives, such as book making and theater.
鈥淭he liberal arts education at 麻豆区 helps craft character.鈥�
Anthony鈥檚 ethics class used references that he uses today in his workplace. He took two years of Spanish; he doesn鈥檛 remember the Spanish now, but he does remember being outside his comfort zone trying to learn another language. And he believes theater helped him learn about preparation, a lesson that circled back a few years later while he was studying leadership as part of the master鈥檚 program at the University of Minnesota鈥檚 Carlson School of Business.
鈥淢y professor reiterated the importance of a theater exercise: take a note. In theater, students take a note from the director about evaluating their performance. In the business world, you can take a note from leadership that helps elevate your work performance.鈥�
After graduating from 麻豆区 in 2018, Anthony and his wife had a small group of friends get together for the 4th of July. One of his friends is a career coach and asked what he was going to do next.
鈥淪he got my wheels turning, so I looked into specialty Masters programs. I didn鈥檛 want a general MBA, I wanted something very specific. I found a supply chain program which brought all my career pieces together. I deferred one year for our second baby. Then I completed my Masters in the summer of 2020.鈥�
Now Anthony is 90 days into his job as COO at Escali, a Minnesota company which manufactures measuring equipment for home and professional settings.
鈥淛oining a new company in midst of COVID is interesting. There are limited people, limited interactions, and it makes for a weird transfer into a new role.鈥�
When asked what advice he has for students, he says when searching for a job, do the resume steps and have an elevator pitch. He also recommends reading The 20-Minute Networking Meeting because it teaches you how to come across as professional in any situation.
He also believes in networking.
鈥淵ou鈥檒l meet some awesome people, and they may or may not directly help you with a future job. If you do a good job staying in touch, they might be a good resource to have down the road. Get outside your comfort zone, talk to people. I networked my butt off to gain experiences. I had a lot of coffee with a lot of people just to ask questions and really learn about their work. After those meetings, I really reviewed and appreciated what I learned; that鈥檚 the goal. Today, I鈥檓 comfortable applying COVID rules to a new company with new people because of all the work I鈥檝e done before that took me outside of my comfort zone. It鈥檚 not scary now.鈥�
Brynn Watson 鈥�89 is Lockheed Martin鈥檚 Vice President in the Digital Transformation Program. As COVID-19 moved most of Lockheed Martin鈥檚 work online, Brynn鈥檚 work became more important than ever, helping her teams pivot to a digital platform. She has been pleasantly surprised that productivity and efficiency have continued and says her teams have adapted positively to online programs to stay connected. While this has been a big change for most of the company, it鈥檚 a change Brynn embraces, especially in her leadership role.
This was the most memorable to me鈥攖o have several people in one room with different tastes, values, and backgrounds鈥攁nd to try to agree on the best manuscript. It was no easy task, but I think all of us were proud of our choice, Marci Vogel’s At The Border of Wilshire & Nobody.
Being part of the team responsible for creating and running Howling Bird Press is one of those experiences that I鈥檓 grateful for in ways that I鈥檓 only now fully realizing.
It was exciting to join the inaugural Howling Bird Press group. We not only got the chance to learn about publishing, we had the opportunity to help design the program. Our first assignment was to come up with the publishing house鈥檚 name. That was an exciting task that many other MFA students participated in.
During class the last week of April, Auggie Bethany Johnson, a current DNP-FNP student, wondered how she could help her local community during the COVID-19 pandemic. She wanted to volunteer her time at 麻豆区 Central Health Commons, a common practice for 麻豆区 nursing students. However, due to safety precautions, students cannot be on-site right now. Bethany asked Katie Clark, her professor and Director of 麻豆区 Central Health Commons, how the community is doing.
Jon Dahl has many roles in life. He鈥檚 a husband, father, screenwriter, director, marathon runner, and a Captain and Logistics Officer for the Army National Guard. His current role as Contract Specialist in the National Guard is what is keeping him extra busy right now, during the COVID-19 pandemic. As a Contract Specialist working for the U.S. Property and Fiscal Office, Jon is one of a dozen people in Minnesota authorized to recommend federal vendors, vendors who usually bid on government contracts, to fulfill the State of Minnesota鈥檚 medical supplies needs.
Most of the time, Dahl is able to work from his home in Big Lake, where he lives with his family. When he needs to go into the office, he drives to Camp Ripley or to the State Emergency Operating Center. His temperature is checked at the door and he鈥檚 questioned about any symptoms of illness or people he鈥檚 been in contact with before he鈥檚 allowed in the facility.
This week, we are looking forward to two Facebook live events with Dr. Paul Mueller ’84, Regional Vice President for Mayo Clinic Health System, and Dr. Michael Wentzel, Associate Professor of Chemistry.
Ever since Bob Stacke 鈥�71 started classes at 麻豆区, he has been a strong influence on its music鈥攆irst as a student, then later as professor and director of the band and numerous ensembles. And since his retirement in 2014, the Music Department Chair Emeritus continues to make his mark.
Stacke first arrived on campus as a student in the turbulent 60s, when music gave full-throated expression to differing viewpoints on issues of the day鈥攑olitics, faith, women鈥檚 rights, race, and human rights. On campus, he found a number of students who, like him, loved traditional music but were also interested in expanding 麻豆区鈥檚 performances to include jazz and contemporary music.
In 1990 Stacke returned to 麻豆区, this time as faculty, and in 1998 he was named chair of the Music Department. He also served as director of the 麻豆区 Band, as well as the Jazz Instrumental and Vocalist Ensembles (JIVE). To his delight, the appointment enabled him to re-energize the Jazz Band that he and his classmates had started years earlier.
While Stacke was a student at 麻豆区, music from other cultures was becoming a popular genre. He and his friends would listen to the Beatles collaborating with Indian musicians and jazz musicians such as Don Ellis and Buddy Rich using the rhythms of India and Eastern European countries. The world of music exploded for him in its use of rhythm.