Exploring the world through DSU
October 15, 2020
Jacia Christiansen has always wanted to travel, so she was excited when her participation in track and the PBL Business Club enabled her to visit the Gulf Shores, Baltimore, Vancouver, Wash., and San Antonio.
“Exploring the world through DSU has led me to some pretty great adventures and memories,” she said.
Christiansen, a professional accountancy major and entrepreneurial studies minor from Viborg, S.D., originally chose Dakota State because she liked the idea of knowing her classmates, professors, teammates, and community.
“When I first stepped on campus that was the exact impression I got,” she said. “Everyone was very kind and caring. In a sense, it immediately felt like home.”
As an athlete on the track and cross-country teams, being involved with the sports program has been her most enjoyable experience at DSU. She is thankful for the impact her coach, Anthony Drealan, has had on her.
“He not only cares about my success as an athlete, but as a student and person as well,” she said. He has taught me that work ethic and capability go hand in hand. If you are determined and work hard for what you want, you will be capable of much more than you imagined.”
In addition to participating in athletics and the PBL Business Club, Christiansen is a member of the Newman Club, and is in her third year as a tutor on campus.
“I don’t think students realize how many opportunities there are on campus,” she said. “They have a chance to make friends, travel, help the community, have fun, and create memories.”
She hopes other students won’t be afraid to get involved and take a chance on themselves and DSU.
Upon graduation, Christiansen intends to take the Certified Public Accounting Exam to get her CPA license. She would like to start her career as an auditor for a CPA firm, and eventually become a CFO for a small non-profit organization.