Interview: Corrie Wernle ’17
A Q&A with this year's outstanding business school senior
Q. Where are you from and how did you hear about Shenandoah?
I am originally from Loudoun County, Virginia, and now live in Clarke County. I first heard of SU from an old teammate that I had played volleyball with during my freshman year of high school. She’s a student at SU, and strongly encouraged me to look into the school when I was looking to transfer from Slippery Rock University in 2015, and we ended up rooming together my first year at Shenandoah.
Q. Why did you decide to become a business major and what was your concentration?
When I transferred into SU, I had no idea what I wanted to do after graduation. So, I decided to choose a business major because I knew it would give me versatility when it came time to start the job hunt. I chose a marketing concentration after I took my first marketing class with Dr. Jackson and found it very interesting.
Q. Tell us about your award: what is the name of your award? Was there a presentation/ceremony? Please describe the qualifications for the award and how you were chosen for it.
I was chosen to receive the Alumni Award for Outstanding Senior from the Byrd School of Business for 2017. I was presented the award on May 12, during the MBA Hooding Ceremony, and the head of the alumni association was there to introduce and present the award. The credentials for the award were based on academic success, involvement in school, community, and/or public service, and being an excellent spokesperson for SU. I was completely surprised to have been chosen for this award, and extremely honored and humbled!
Q. What was your favorite business class and why?
My favorite class that I took at SU was Business Policy and Strategy, or “capstone” as most students refer to it, with Dr. Bret Sanner. It was easily the most challenging and time-consuming class I had during my two years at Shenandoah, but also the most rewarding. Dr. Sanner tied everything we learned from our previous classes into real-life scenarios and made everything seem applicable to our post-grad plans. The Business Strategy Game that Dr. Sanner had us participate in was also a very fun, although difficult and frustrating at times, way to combine our classroom lectures with experiential learning.
Q. Who was your favorite professor and why?
It’s very difficult to pick just one, so I’ll pick two. First, Dr. Sanner. I unfortunately only had the chance to take one of his courses, but if I had the option, I would take every class he offered. He is extremely knowledgeable and has so much life experience (especially for someone as young as he!) to share with the class, and his passion for teaching and his students is evident. He was always available for extra feedback and advice on assignments, and encouraged participation from the class in a way that really forced you to think and dig deeper into the material. Second, Dr. Montressa Washington. During my senior year at SU, I took three different courses with her – Design Thinking, Intro to Human Resources, and Small Business & Entrepreneurship. She is another professor who constantly related class concepts to the real world, often discussing current events and allowing the class to share their opinions and ask further questions. She takes such a genuine interest in her students, and not only during class. She was always willing to talk about post-grad plans, and give career advice to help us feel more confident in entering the workforce. Her classes were some of the most interesting that I took!
Q. Do you have any personal stories you’d like to share about your time at Shenandoah? Or, what do you feel was your greatest accomplishment?
In terms of experience, I’d say my biggest, and most fun, accomplishment was during my junior year, when I was lucky enough to be selected for the Global Citizenship Project. I traveled with a group of about a dozen students/faculty/administrators to Botswana, Africa during Spring Break. I was the only person in the group from the business school, so it really gave me a way to get to know more SU students since I only ever had classes with other business majors. The trip was not only my first time out of the country, but my first time off the East Coast as well. It was such an eye-opening trip, and traveling to Africa was something on my bucket list, so it was truly amazing. I am obsessed with elephants, and seeing one in the wild, in person, was incredible. Academically, my biggest success was graduating with my BBA in three years, and being the only graduate from the business school with a perfect GPA, not to mention the Outstanding Senior Award. It was so rewarding to see all of my hard work come to fruition, and it was all so worth it!
Q. Tell us about your post-graduation plans:
I don’t have anything set in stone yet, other than getting married in October. I am focusing on getting the plans finished for that first, but plan on finding a part-time job (possibly at SU!) and am considering going back to school for my MBA.
