Internship Sets the Foundation

Denise had an internship with John Deere over the summer before her senior year and was offered a job as an accountant after graduation. “Since then, I’ve spent a year in Fargo, North Dakota, as a capital accountant and am now in Moline, Illinois, where I work in the Treasury department,” she says.

Denise appreciates how Luther helped her learn how to think critically, ask questions, and write professionally. “All of these skills have been valuable to my career,” she says. “I’ve also discovered that having an accounting background is very attractive in the business world and the job possibilities are endless.”

Finding Her Major and Getting Involved

Since she was undecided on a major when she started at Luther, Denise opted to take classes in biology, Latin, business, and political science before settling on accounting and business management. “All of these classes enhanced my writing, communication, and analytical skills,” she says. “I draw on that experience today in my work at John Deere.”

In addition to the help it would give her in figuring out her major, Denise knew she wanted to go to a liberal arts school so she’d have lots of opportunities to get involved on campus. “It was perfect for me,” she says. “I was in band, went on two J-term trips, played intramurals, was part of the Student Philanthropy Council, held a work-study job, and attended numerous sporting events.”

Study Abroad and Luther Professors Make an Impact

Denise loved her study abroad trips since she enjoyed seeing new parts of the world while focusing on a certain topic. “My first trip was retracing Martin Luther's Protestant Reformation and my second was Green Germany and Norway where we learned about sustainability and renewable energy,” she says. “The opportunities we had on these trips were once-in-a-lifetime experiences.”

While at Luther, she also appreciated the helpfulness of Luther professors. “I found it very beneficial to meet one-on-one with some of my professors to get clarity on topics we were learning about in class,” she says. “I also found they were very flexible and accommodating to students' busy schedules.”