LSUS Degree: BS, Management & Administration, 2006 (cum laude)

How I got to LSUS:
I originally planned on just doing my first year of college at LSUS, and then transferring to somewhere else. After my first year, I knew that LSUS was where I was supposed to be.

What I do now:
I'm a Service Manager for Cintas Corporation's Linen Division in Baton Rouge, LA.

About my job:
Currently I supervise 13 routes that service roughly 2,000 customers in our market. One of the primary responsibilities of my position is developing relationships with customers that go further than just delivering napkins and tablecloths. Since I started with Cintas in November 2005, I've been an intern, Management Trainee, First Aid & Safety Sales/Service Manager, Plant Manager, and now Service Manager. My short-term goal is to become a General Manager by the time I'm 28. Long-term, I hope to become a Group Vice President.

Fond memories of LSUS:
Mexico trip with Wolfgang (Hinck). Spring Flings.

LSUS faculty who helped me:
Dr. Wolfgang Hinck, who taught Marketing 301, was also my advisor for numerous semesters. Dr. Lisa Burke was an incredible professor. I really got a grasp of management's theories/principles from her course. Dr. Hatcher actually deserves the most credit for where I am in my career today. He originally approached me about an internship with Cintas during my senior year.

How LSUS helped me succeed:
My professors truly cared about the education I was receiving. They made learning fun, and provided valuable experiences that students could relate to.

Advice to college-bound students:
Take your time deciding what you want to do as a career. Have fun, and use your professors as a resource.

Advice to someone who wants to enter my field:
It's not all about the title you have. You have to be willing to take assignments that no one else wants. That's what truly gets you noticed. You get many more opportunities by being the person that is willing to take on anything, than someone who picks and chooses.

Tips on choosing a major or career:
You have to pick something you're excited about. If you wake up and truly dread going to work, it's probably time to find something else to do.

My toughest professional challenge:
Passing Certification at Cintas. I took both my Plant Manager and Service Manager Certifications on the same day. Essentially, it is a five-hour oral exam with the Group Vice President, Service Director, Sales Director, Production Director, and a General Manager. You spend roughly an hour with each of them while they ask you questions related to their area of expertise. That was by far the toughest challenge I've experienced while with Cintas.

Successes (honors, awards, etc.) in my life:
I graduated nine months early from our Management Trainee program at Cintas and was promoted to Plant Manager. At the time, I was twenty-three years old, and became the youngest Plant Manager in a company that employs roughly 34,000 partners.

I've learned this from life:
Hard work ALWAYS pays off. It might not be today, tomorrow, or even five years from now, but it ALWAYS pays off.

What I'd be doing if I had all the time in the world:
Traveling. I love going to new places and experiencing new cultures. Additional comments:
"Think not of yourself as the architect of your career but as the sculptor. Expect to have to do a lot of hard hammering and chiseling and scraping and polishing." -B.C. Forbes, Scottish journalist and founder of Forbes magazine (1880-1954)