For many, the transition from high school to college can be challenging. Trying to acclimate to the newfound freedom while balancing meeting new people, navigating a new place, and keeping a steady focus on academics is no easy task.
One of the best ways for students to make the most of their time in college is to jump right in. A perfect example of this is Joshua King, a first-year student studying finance and management from Bellevue, Nebraska.
Since the age of 14, King knew where he wanted to pursue higher education. While admittedly unaware of what Iowa State University had to offer at the time, he found himself drawn to the university, which was later sealed by a campus visit.
“Everyone was so welcoming and the curriculum that I learned about during the visit seemed to all align with my goals,” said King. “Now, after being truly immersed in the environment, I can confidently say I know why I am here. In just my first year at Iowa State, I have truly fallen in love with every aspect of the university.”
In addition to where he wanted to attend college, King knew what he wanted to study well before finishing high school.
“Growing up I saw my mother and other African Americans struggle with finances and it caused me to truly want to create a change in my community in how they deal with money,” said King. “I want to someday run a side business in which I go to low-income areas on the weekends and host financial literacy seminars for free or for low cost.”
Additionally, being around his uncle, a financial planner, from a young age has built a fascination in King with how businesses handle finances and how people generate wealth. Wanting to pursue this interest, King hopes to one day help the growth of a company through financial management, with the goal of being a key component to their success.
With King’s passion for reaching his goals burning bright, he has taken full advantage of every opportunity presented to him, starting with Destination Iowa State.
Utilizing Ivy resources
“In addition to the strong friendships that I have been building since my first day, my relationships with all my professors have been amazing,” said King. “I have had the pleasure of holding deep conversations with all my professors, and they have all made sure that any extra assistance I needed in their courses was provided to me.”
King has also made a practice of attending as many events as possible, such as Donuts with the Dean, the Thomas L. Hill Iowa State Conference on Race and Ethnicity (ISCORE) Conference, Multicultural Student Affairs field day, and many more. These experiences have been beneficial in expanding his network while also opening doors to opportunities that might have otherwise passed him by.
Further helping expand King’s network are his many involvements throughout his first year. King is vice president of the Multicultural Business Network, a member of the Black Student Alliance, Chi Alpha Campus Ministries, the Black Men Coalition, and co-founder of JCT Community Builders, a business he shared with friends, Cadence McDowell and Tyler Lattimore, which brings organizations together on campus to throw fundraisers for charities in the Ames and Des Moines areas.
Beyond events and involvements, he has sought out mentorship from various faculty and staff of the Ivy College of Business, noting Brady Talley, director of multicultural student success, as an especially amazing example. Through King’s utilization of what Ivy and Iowa State have to offer, he has already hit many goals in just his first year and is on pace to finish with a 4.0 GPA.
“Dean (David) Spalding has also been a tremendous help by connecting me with others to help me accomplish the leadership and business goals that I have set for myself,” said King. “And I can’t forget the career services office who have always been there to congratulate me every step of the way. Without all the connections I have built on campus, I wouldn’t be where I am right now.”
Another resource that has been a great benefit to King’s aspirations is the Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship. Coming into college, King had the idea of “Enoch Financial,” a company geared toward teaching members of low-income areas about financial literacy and how to get out of debt.
“This idea was burning in my heart to get started, so I reached out to the Pappajohn Center for Entrepreneurship to learn how I could go about growing my idea,” said King. “They expressed to me that the fall startup pitch competition was coming up in less than three weeks and provided me with everything I needed to know about it.”
Due to the short preparation time and the feeling that his business idea wasn’t perfected enough, King wasn’t sure if it was the right move. However, after further connecting with the Pappajohn Center and attending their pitch workshops, he decided to register and compete.
“It took a lot of preparation to get everything I wanted to say into 90 seconds, but ultimately, I got it done,” said King. “When the first day of competition came around, I was nervous, but I pushed through and presented my idea with confidence.”
King received the session’s first place prize, further reassuring himself that the hard work he is putting in pays off and that the benefits of chasing the opportunities presented to him are endless. Additionally, involvement in the pitch competition provided King with the knowledge and connections needed to launch his business in the future successfully.
Through all of King’s pursuits and involvements during his first year of college, he has accumulated a mountain of success and has even set himself up for the summer by securing a project management internship with Casey’s General Stores in Ankeny, Iowa.
“I knew Casey’s was meant for me this summer because of the great environment and mission of the company and because I had the goal of understanding project management, which encompasses many facets of business,” said King. “This summer, I hope to create great connections across the company, learn from everyone no matter their positions, foster new skills that will be beneficial for my future, and show myself to be a great asset.”
King’s accomplishments are a testament to what can come from putting yourself out there, setting high-achieving goals for yourself, and working hard to reach them.
To connect with King or to follow his academic and professional journey, visit his LinkedIn.
Learn more about involvement at Ivy.
May 9, 2024
