Create You - Business and Computer Science Alumni Stories

“CSU

has done an outstanding job being innovative in the educational realm of cyber security. The new degree program has greatly expanded my horizons to how higher education has changed over time, and the impact that can come from continuing this innovation. My coursework introduced me to many technologies and applications that are currently used to secure information and systems. It is vital that this relevancy occurs in the educational field as students enter the technical workforce.� Jacob Worthington, B.S. Computer Science ’18

Columbus State University takes students from where they are to where they need to be. Are you prepared to make a real impact?

Undergraduate Degrees

Bachelor of Business Administration

- Accounting - General Business (also available online) - Cybersecurity Management - Finance - Management Concentrations: in Entrepreneurship Human Resources - Management Information Systems - Marketing

Bachelor of Science

- Computer Science Tracks: Applied Computing, Cybersecurity Enterprise Computing, Games Programming Software Systems, Web Development - Cybersecurity - Information Technology (also available online)

Graduate Degrees

Master of Business Administration (also available online) Master of Science Organizational Leadership

Tracks: HR Mgmt, Leader Development, Servant Leadership

Master of Science Computer Science (also available online)

Tracks: Cybersecurity, Modeling and Simulation, Software Development

Master of Science Cybersecurity Management (online only) Need help? We are here for you.

Ms. Deidre Tilley Tilley_Deidre@ColumbusState.edu 706-507-8158

Certificates and Endorsements also available for select programs.

Ready to apply? Visit: https://admissions.columbusstate.edu/

Cultivating

Creativity While attending CSU I can say we had the opportunity to build or create what we wanted to see. At the time the collegiate FBLA chapter didn't exist and we were supported by the administration when starting the program. I also remember being introduced to subject matter experts along the way if I was looking for information on areas of study. I continue to cultivate those relationships today!

Columbus State University has a culture that promotes open communication and innovative thought. Small class sizes make it easy for more intimate interactions between students and faculty, thus cultivating an open environment in which creativity can flow. The diverse courses, as well as extracurricular activities, instilled in me the ability to engage in inventive ways to overcome challenges in both my professional career and personal life.

What you put in is what you get. CSU was a great environment to polish your skills for the real world including your creativity.

I was able to amplify my leadership skills, communication skills, and business acumen by simply participating on campus and thinking outside of the box when it came to challenges. A lot of the real world is how creative you can get with solving problems.

CSU was pivotal in terms of inculcating a culture of open discourse and exchange of ideas. Professor and student engagement were important facets for opening a dialogue conducive to cultivating creativity and independent thought. This closely ties with inspiring collaboration as well. Through various group projects and class discussion there was a spirit of free ideas and deliberative discussion, everything a university of top tier academic excellence should provide.

Many of my classes at CSU allowed me to think outside of the typical bounds of the classroom, which catalyzed creative thinking to solve real-world problems. I was able to creatively scope my projects to solve multiple industry issues and set the stage for future research on the topic. The Turner College of Business provided that platform for me to elevate my creativity to find purposeful and novel solutions to projects.

My time at CSU fostered the desire to cultivate creativity in my workplace.

Principles of love, inclusivity, integrity and serving others were introduced in a way that changed the trajectory of how I approached my career. I learned that management was a ministry and not a position to take lightly.

Business is about people, the way we treat others both inside and outside the organization can give you the competitive advantage. I’m so thankful CSU provided this amazing program because it helped shape the leader I am today.

Would you like to share your story?

Email Sean Russell at Russell_Sean@ColumbusState.edu subject line: “Turner Trailblazer” for more infomation.

I stumbled on CSU because of the military.

You always had to collaborate with people in your courses. This forced me to be more open-minded to diverse thoughts of mind.

CSU helped me get comfortable with working and leading teams of talented individuals. One of my proudest moments was working with my team in Business Strategy. We struggled in the beginning but through communication and commitment were able to pull an amazing presentation and deliverable, that I still keep on display to this day.

Large open source projects are a fast-paced and collaborative effort, usually leveraging the most cutting-edge ideas and technology. At CSU, we practiced software engineering every day like we do on the field. We solve real problems and we worked together to do them. At Mozilla, I was ready to ask questions and start a discussion, which is exactly what the open source community is about! As a child I was never much of a team player, but now as an engineer I collaborate with lots of different minds and CSU helped to prepare me for that.

I was afforded so many opportunities at CSU to collaborate with professors, business professionals, and fellow students. The spirit of collaboration has followed me through the years to my current position with the Columbus Sports Council. We follow the T.E.A.M. approach in Columbus for recruiting events to our communit (T.ogether E.veryone A.chieves community.

M.ore) We are grateful for partners that believe in the vision which helps create a winning team!

There were several classes which encouraged students to work as a team to solve a problem, create a proposal, or rely on each other's strengths to accomplish a goal.

Dr. Finley's class on computer applications was the best example. Our textbook was a reference, but Dr. Finley involved the entire class in finding a creative way to solve a problem. The material was potentially quite dry, but his approach to finding a solution got the whole class involved and forced everyone to think creatively and collaboratively.

My time at CSU helped inspire collaboration because all of those group projects actually simulated real life! You have to be able to communicate effectively with others, balance competing priorities, and build relationships when working with others, no matter what industry you're in. And when you are able to find the wins for everyone involved, that is what makes collaboration towards a common goal really magical.

My involvement with campus organizations allowed me to collaborate with people from all walks of life. Whether you are a first year student, commuter student, international student, non-traditional student, student-veteran, or anything in between, Columbus State has a place for you! By interacting with my peers, I had the opportunity to engage in impactful group research projects, participate in student led discussion panels, and develop lifelong friendships.

Inspiring

Collaboration

Reimagining

Education Initially, I was a fine arts major with a plan of getting into graphic design, but my passion for constant interaction with the public led me to changing my major to Business – honestly, with some reluctance since I felt I was giving up on my creative spirit. However, to my surprise, the business department at CSU possessed great diversity in the student body. There I found a place to combine the two for a strong career foundation.

CSU taught me to reconsider how I envision my educational experience. For example, one of my most impactful moments was when I joined the upstart American Marketing Association. The experiences during that time period played an integral role in the development of who I became as a professional and as a person.

Education opens doors to the whole world! I was blessed with Professors that inspired and challenged me to see new perspectives and opportunities. This encouraged me to create an environment in my career field that focuses on education and creativity, and ultimately educato The also lead me to be an educator. world is limitless with knowledge on our side!

CSU created a boutique learning environment that was massively impactful on me. The small class sizes, the incredible professors and the diversity of the student body contributed to an experience that has helped me continue to grow and learn ever since. CSU valued individuals; you weren’t just a student number, and that encouraged me to learn more and more. I have taken this with me into every position and leadership role I have had since.

Going back to school as a mid-30s student was a little daunting. I had not been in school in a long time, but CSU made it easy. From the registration process, to the schedule, financial aid, all were smooth and assisted me in starting back on the right track. I really did not know what to expect but was rewarded beyond my imagination. My time at CSU was amazing. The people in the classes and the professors were all wonderful.

From study abroad in Ireland to real life ad simulations in the classroom, I was able to gain experiences that I would have not likely had the chance to experience elsewhere. I feel this gave me the upper hand in job interviews because it was rare for a student to come out of college knowing exactly how to run ads and interpret the results.

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Columbus State University takes pride in expanding our minds in regards to being culturally intelligent, and I am thankful for that. The coursework was always presented with a global scale in mind. In the Negotiations course, we regularly discussed concepts by looking through the filter of di different cultural and social norms. My biggest takeaway in this regard was that we must recognize and respect each other’s differences and be super mindful of the uniqueness of people that we interact with day to day. Each person is the product of their culture and experiences.

Among other things, my time at CSU really helped me to expand my world.

There is a wide variety of student organizations and extracurricular activities. The class selection is also great, including study abroad options that are available for course credit. By taking advantage of everything that is offered, you can definitely “Create You.”

The CSU Turner College of Business Department of Finance provided exceptional foundation and knowledge in strategic business. Adding my CSU B.B.A. Finance degree with my professional experience in Customer Support Service Management expanded my choices in career paths. The quality of my CSU education and the challenges of the D. Abbott Turner College Of Business Finance program have directly contributed to promotional advancements through five levels of management.

CSU has helped me expand worlds academically by encouraging cross disciplinary studies outside of my marketing major. I enjoyed interacting with professors outside of my discipline and doing research in fields like biology in order to expand my knowledge and skillset. Personally, the or organizations that I joined at CSU have connected me with people from all different backgrounds and majors. Having the experience of working with a diverse team has certainly helped me become more open minded and receptive to different ideas.

Going through the M.S.O.L. program and learning about differing leadership theories helped shape my understanding of servant leadership and the importance of helping employees find value and purpose in their work. Becoming a leader that understands that people are more important than "tasks" and the value of active listening has shaped my core philosophies of kindness and stewardship. The education I received at CSU truly expanded my world.

I am from India and coming to US was a culture shock for me. But with all the warmth from everyone at CSU I felt at home.

This created an opportunity for growth and development while I got to interact with many people which gave me certain soft skills that are ideal for my workplace. bette Overall CSU helped me become a better, more well-rounded person.

Expanding

Wo r l d s

#TurnerTrailblazers D. Abbott Turner College of Business | Columbus State University