Student Spotlight: Brendan Christian, Accounting; Management and Entrepreneurship

November 22, 2022

Brendan, tell us a little about yourself.

I am 21 years old. I come from a small town, which made the transition to Finlandia pretty easy, but I still had to adjust to not having some of the luxuries I have back home. I have played four years of soccer here at Finlandia and captained the team for my Junior and Senior year. I was a Resident Assistant for two years and I currently tutor students in general business subjects, specifically in Accounting. I’m also a member of the Finlandia Investment Laboratory. In my free time, I love to play golf as a hobby to get my mind off the stress of classes and work.

Why did you choose Finlandia University?

I chose Finlandia originally due to the ability to play soccer after high school. But once I got here, I fell in love with the area, the people, and the small atmosphere of the school. Being able to really get to know your professors has been a great asset to me in being successful in academics and being able to grow as a person during my time here.

Why did you choose to major in Accounting?

I chose Accounting as my first major here at Finlandia due to my analytic nature and my ease with mathematics. I had taken a few years of Accounting in high school and had fallen in love with the field. In terms of my double major with Business Management and Entrepreneurship, I originally wanted to minor in Management to accompany my major in Accounting. However, my advisor, who I trust heavily, said I should get out of my comfort zone, and pushed me to double major, which I could not be more grateful for.

What is Finlandia’s major in Accounting like?

The Accounting major here at Finlandia is pretty unique. I say this because of the style Laura Sieders uses to teach her courses. Her years of experience and the small classes allows her to continually test the students, to really push us out of our comfort zones. Instead of just teaching out of the book, she has taken a more hands-on approach in terms of having students work through problems, as well as teaching through examples. This has been a huge benefit to me.

Tell us about any interesting courses, projects, or other activities that you have found especially interesting. What made them special?

An interesting course I took, that every business major must take, is Business Computing Applications, which focuses on learning Excel, inside and out. I have found this to be one of the most impactful courses I have taken here at Finlandia, in terms of use in my internship and professional roles outside of the classroom.

What are your plans after graduation? What are your career goals? How has FinnU helped you toward achieving those goals so far?

After graduation, I will be working for McKeown Kraai Professional CPA’s. I signed a job offer letter back in September for the commitment to start in June of 2023. My experiences and knowledge from Finlandia have helped me land this position while still pursuing my degree, which has taken a huge load off my shoulders for my senior year. As far as career goals, I am unsure where I want to end up but I am up for the journey that will take me where I need to go.

Finally, what would you say to any student that is considering attending Finlandia?

I would say to look at Finlandia through a different lens, in that you would gain new experiences. Finlandia is such a unique opportunity. Being here at FU has taught me not to just take things at face value, and that the real value comes from those characteristics that may not be seen from the outside. The true worth of FU comes in its community, its small population, and the relationships that you can build, rather than having to try and fight against thousands of others to be recognized.

Article provided by Finlandia University International School of Business.