Major: Business Administration with an emphasis in marketing, Interdisciplinary (dance and management)
Why did you choose your majors?
When I was a freshman, I actually was a biology major. I realized after the first year that I really wanted to tune into my artistic side. Business marketing seemed like the perfect fit for me to fulfill my desire to be creative while still having a major I can use for many things. As for my interdisciplinary major, I really wanted to work with the TAD (Theater Arts and Dance) department to create a dance major for the school. I have been a dancer my whole life, I have been on the Cal Lutheran dance team for 3 years now, and I am currently the Modern 1 Dance professor for the department so being able to provide a dance major for not only me but my peers was something that interested me. However, creating a major takes years and needs different levels of approval so I knew I wouldn’t be able to create something this large in my short amount of time left on campus. This is when I learned I could have an interdisciplinary major. I was able to work with my counselor, a dance professor, chairs of a few different departments, and the interdisciplinary department team to form the perfect major and plan for me. I wanted it to align closely with my future goals so I chose dance along with management to be able to run my own dance company.
Would you recommend them to a future student? Why?
I would definitely recommend a business administration major because I really love the business department here on campus because there are so many routes you can take. I was able to learn so much about various aspects of business while still focusing on the marketing side of things. I’ve learned through this department that it is very important to understand all aspects of business even if your emphasis is in something else. I believe this has made me a more well-rounded individual.
I would absolutely recommend an Interdisciplinary I think this is such an amazing thing that Cal Lutheran offers. Being able to create your own major and do exactly what you love is something remarkable! The team I worked with made this process go incredibly smoothly and I was able to add it within a couple months. If you are having trouble deciding on two or three majors/departments, then why not combine them all?!
What are your future plans?
I am currently working as an intern at SoCal Approach Marketing and Consulting Group. I hope to stay with this company and improve on my marketing skills while I receive my MBA. I also am the Modern 1 Dance professor here on campus along with being the department assistant for the theatre arts department. I truly love teaching dance at a high level and hope to continue that after my graduation. As a department assistant, I am also able to see the “behind-the-scenes” work of a department I am very passionate about. Further down the line, I plan to have my own traveling modern dance company and an art center where people can come and explore various art forms.
Are there any particular experiences — in or out of the classroom — that have helped you identify that path?
For business, I really just spoke with many people. After hearing how much they loved the business program, I decided it may be a good fit for me too! For my Interdisciplinary, I formed a really great bond with one of my dance professors at the time and she inspired me to pursue my dreams of modern dance. I gained a level of confidence and knew if I just pushed myself I could achieve my dreams. The resources are there at Cal Lutheran, you just need to take advantage of them!