Dear Dr. Lee,

The purpose of this letter is to update you and the other faculty on my status as
a College of Business alum. In particular, I intend to focus on how the Business Administration
B.A. from Southeastern Louisiana University prepared me to achieve my goals and succeed
in my career in higher education.

Though I entered college with the intentions of studying economics, I did not begin
my studies in the College of Business with the goal of pursuing a graduate level degree,
especially not a Ph.D. The primary reason why I chose to attend Southeastern was the
fact it was a regional university focused on effective teaching and student development.
At the time, most of the students commuted in from the surrounding region, but the
small classroom size was effective in building a dense social network with strong
ties among peers and across cohorts. I always found the faculty members to be engaging
with an emphasis on the individual.

As it turned out, one of the greatest strengths of the Business Administration program
in the College of Business at Southeastern Louisiana University was preparing students
to succeed in their graduate studies. I was consistently offered strong and unwavering
support outside of the classroom. The prior was never truer than when I began to evaluate
prospects towards the end of my undergraduate studies at Southeastern. I sought out
my professors’ guidance continually and always found their support. For example, I
recall my last days on campus before departing for Columbia, Missouri, when the faculty
gave me stacks upon stacks of economic textbooks to bring to graduate school.

After completing an M.A. in Economics at the University of Missouri, it was a true
honor to return to my alma mater of Southeastern and join the faculty as a lecturer.
Again, I found their support to be steadfast before leaving Southeastern for a second
time, this time to pursue a Ph.D. in economics in the Spears School of Business at
Oklahoma State University.

My fields are urban and regional economics. Currently, I hold a joint appointment
in the School of Business and Economics at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point.
My titles are Assistant Professor of Economics and Chief Economist in the Central
Wisconsin Economic Research Bureau. The bureau provides broad level regional analysis
to the Central and North Central Wisconsin regions and is associated with a large
degree of community engagement on my behalf. My scholarly work focuses upon topics
such as regional growth patterns, state and local government finances, creativity
– arts and culture, and spatial econometrics. I either have published or have articles
forthcoming in the following peer reviewed journals: Journal of Regional Analysis
and Policy, Papers in Regional Science, Journal of Sports Economics, and Social Science
Quarterly as well as a student coauthored peer reviewed journal article in Journal
of Economics and Economic Research.

In sum, my Business Administration studies at Southeastern gave me the confidence
to embark upon a lifelong pursuit of knowledge. Moreover, the Business Administration
major prepared me to portray my intelligence successfully and, in part, shaped an
unwavering will to succeed in my career.

Sincerely,

Jerome Segura III

I initially chose Southeastern for the short commute and for the size of the University.
I felt a bit overwhelmed when I first arrived since it was the first time being on
my own, but Southeastern ended up being a great transition from high school.  The
majority of my classrooms were a great size to where I had that one-on-one interaction
with teaching staff.  

That interactions I had with my teachers was very important to me.  I vividly remember
enrolling in my first HR management course with Anna Bass (2012).  I enjoyed the way
she taught, and engaged with her students in a professional and elegant way.  I had
never really heard of Human Resources until this class, and really enjoyed the topic.
 After her class I decided to look into other courses I could take, ask questions,
learn about the profession and speak to my teachers and advisors.  She saw how interested
I was in and provided me with so much guidance in the profession.  It was because
of teachers like her and others at Southeastern that worked together as a team to
provide me with what I needed so I could succeed.  Not just classes but step by step
in completing my degree, from helping me find financial aid assistance, how to enroll,
drop, or request to be added to a “filled class”, and eventually into my professional
career. The staff and faculty have always been supportive and helpful.  

I never felt like a number.  They knew me by name. Even after 12 years post graduation
I will visit campus and see some of the same similar faces and love that they recognize
me.  

I don’t feel many schools were teaching or majoring in Human Resources at the time.
 Thinking back now, much of the information provided in classes was very up to date
on what was happening and how HR would be a future position to look out for.  I’m
grateful that SLU provided the class that shaped me to be the HR professional I am
today.

Attending Southeastern and picking to study Business has been one of the best decisions
I have ever made personally and professionally. With smaller class sizes, I was able
to establish a personal relationship with my professors. The College of Business is
also AACSB-accredited, so I knew I was receiving superior education to one day be
a leader in business. My business degree has successfully prepared for various business
functions in Human Resources, Marketing, Management, Supply Chain and Finance. To
gain a competitive advantage, I decided to pursue my MBA and was able to complete
the program in only a year and a half (including a study abroad trip)! Less than a
month after graduation I was offered a full-time position in Human Resources and have
been forever grateful to Southeastern for my career and professional connections.