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GREAT GRAD
Jack Beaumont ('21)
There were some real bright spots in Jack Beaumont’s first two years with the Mean Green cross country and track teams — like a conference championship and a memorable individual performance. The next two years, though, did not go as planned.
A long-distance runner from Winton, New Zealand, with a specialty in the 3000-meter steeplechase, Jack has been running since he was 6 years old. Some of his biggest accomplishments came in the World Mountain Running Championships, where he placed ninth in the under-20 group and had his best race in 2017, finishing No. 13 in the world in the elite senior division.
UNT was one of the first colleges he heard from that year — it turned out he knew two New Zealanders on the team — and he made the decision to attend soon after. He vividly remembers arriving in Texas.
“I get off the plane at DFW — huge airport, big roads — and I get to the university and Apogee Stadium is bigger than most of our international stadiums,” he says. “Everything was just amazing to me.”
He also was impressed with the resources UNT offers and the helpful people. Those included Dr. P.R. Chandy, the business professor who inspired his interest in finance and was more like an “academic coach” than a professor.
In Jack’s cross country career, the men’s conference championship in 2018 was definitely a highlight.
“We had a good sense that we could do well, but to actually achieve that and have every single guy run amazing? It was just awesome to be a part of that,” he says.
And his performance at the conference track meet in spring 2019, where he missed out on going to the national first rounds by one spot, was a personal high point.
But his luck went downhill in November 2019 with a stress fracture of the femur. He was back to form in a few months and set to compete in his first track meet of the spring — unfortunately it was spring 2020, and COVID-19 dashed those hopes as the season was canceled and classes moved online.
“We were actually at a meet when it was canceled. So, we went back to Denton and that was it. Season over. A week or two later, I was on a flight back to New Zealand,” Jack says.
He was required to quarantine for two weeks — his family passed food down to him in the basement. Then New Zealand went on lockdown for two months. And the 17-hour time difference made online classes interesting.
“I got up at 2 to 3 a.m. to do classes and also had to make sure I was taking tests on the right day,” Jack says. “I ended up taking most exams early, just to be safe.”
Returning to UNT in August for the shortened cross country season, he competed in just two races before injury struck again in October. This time a stress fracture of the sacrum required three months of little to no running.
“I was thinking there was no way I would be racing this year,” Jack says, but with help from a new training regimen, he worked his way back in time for outdoor track. He started competing again this April and set a new stadium record when he won the steeplechase at the North Texas Classic.
And he still has eligibility left due to being redshirted for the injuries and sidelined by the pandemic. After earning his B.B.A. in May, he’ll work on an M.S. in Finance while continuing to compete — a silver lining he’s quick to point out.
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GREAT GRAD
Lazayvion Hammick ('21)
Throughout his time at UNT, Lazayvion, a third-year undergraduate majoring in Business Computer Information Systems, has been involved on campus. During the summer of 2019, he was hired on as a building manager at the Union, and during his freshman year, he joined MARTIAL Eagles, which helped introduce him to many other organizations. He was a member of the Black Student Experience, and served as a facilitator during his second year and also was involved with the Dedicated Men; the Progressive Black Student Organization; the Professional Leadership Program, where he also served as a student director; the Association for Information Systems; the Student Government Association election board; and NT40.
“I’m a big believer of what you put in is what you’re going to get out of it,” Lazayvion says. “There are a lot of benefits to getting involved, so I decided to try a bit of this, try a bit of that, and once I started getting into these organizations, I started taking on leadership positions within them.”
MARTIAL Eagles, a community designed to promote academic success and leadership among African American freshmen males, was one of the most impactful organizations for Lazayvion. In June 2020, as a former member, he was asked to assist with the program. Initially, the program took him on to help with a few small tasks, but they liked the work Lazayvion was doing so much, he now works 20 hours a week for MARTIAL Eagles.
“Being a member of MARTIAL Eagles exposes you to many people who will stand up for you when you’re not in the room,” Lazayvion says. “Through MARTIAL Eagles, I was able to meet Joe Greene at a school fundraiser. I would not have had that same experience without MARTIAL Eagles.”
NT40, a group of 40 students who are actively involved at UNT and hold leadership positions in organizations, has also been incredibly impactful for Lazayvion, as it has exposed him to like-minded people with similar drives.
“The members of NT40 are the people who want to be involved in everything, and it shows,” Lazayvion says. “I really, really have enjoyed being a member of NT40. If you’re ready for it, I encourage anyone to apply.”
Having taken five to six classes each semester, as well as summer classes, Lazayvion is graduating a year early. But, looking back on his college experience, he wishes he would have worked toward a minor in Criminal Justice, slowed down and truly soaked up college life in its entirety.
“College is an experience that you really can’t get back or replay. Graduating in three years versus four is great, you’re trading a good experience,” Lazavyion says. “After college, you have a life, you have responsibilities and bills, but in college you get to have fun and do whatever you want — it’s your time. I would encourage anybody, if you can, to attend for four years, unless you have some real reason why you can’t.”
Wanting to eventually solidify a career in the IT field in the DFW area, Lazayvion saw UNT as a good option for college. Additional schooling may eventually be required for his desired field, but as of now, he’s looking at companies to join straight out of college.
“Graduating is bittersweet, but at the same time, I’m ready to go,” Lazayvion says. “This is the next chapter, and I’m a little afraid of leaving my comfortable space. You get comfortable here. You move through semesters, asking ‘What’s next?’ until you’ve eventually reached the end.”
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2020-2021 Scholarship Donors
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The G. Brint Ryan College of Business extends a special thank you to the donors that made its 2020-2021 student scholarships possible. In a year filled with uncertainty, these donors provided a lifeline for our students to depend on. Their support enabled our students to pursue their academic goals, free from financial strain — allowing them to focus on earning a top-quality education.
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UNT team wins 3rd Annual ISACA Case Competition
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A team of five UNT accounting students took home first place at the 2021 Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA) Case Competition.
In addition to a sizable gold trophy, team members Fariha Ahmed, Mackenzie Compton, Lauren Eaton, Arthur Hatch and Dalicia Savoie also brought home $6,000 in hard earned prize money.
The competition challenged teams from across North Texas to act as consultants for a health care payer company — evaluating its cybersecurity framework and IT infrastructure.
“We spent extensive time researching cybersecurity as it related to our ‘client’s’ industry before delving into more specific areas of research. This allowed us a relevant knowledge base from which we could brainstorm ideas,” explained senior accounting major Dalicia Savoie.
Meeting virtually each week to brainstorm ideas and develop solutions, the team learned how to be flexible — both with their ideas and with their time.
“The most challenging part was collaborating virtually,” said senior accounting major and team lead Fariha Ahmed. “However, we had a very strong team and we were able to execute our work seamlessly."
"I personally learned a lot about looking at a company’s infrastructure, and identifying weakness and strengths... This was a huge learning experience from which I grew both professionally and interpersonally,” continued Ahmed.
The team overwhelmingly credited their success to Dr. Jose Lineros and his IT Audit course.
“Professor Jose Lineros was an asset to all of us, and his guidance was paramount in our success,” said Ahmed.
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Accounting for perfection
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Fall 2020 accounting major Hope Trautwein knows all about assets, both in the classroom and off the field.
On April 11, Trautwein made history when she stepped off the pitcher's mound without a single ball hitting a bat from the opposing team, Arkansas-Pine Bluff.
Technically, Trautwein had thrown a perfect game—one where the pitcher prevents any players from touching a base—but this game was more than perfect. In fact, there is not a name for such a perfect game.
Every opponent Trautwein faced in the batter’s box was met with a strike. Twenty-one strikes in seven innings.
Only two other pitchers have been documented by the NCAA as serving up twenty-one strikeouts from the mound in a seven-inning game, but Trautwein is the first to couple that feat with a perfect game.
In addition to her newly established D1 NCAA record, Trautwein is also perfecting her time in the classroom. As a former accounting scholar—a program designed to prepare UNT’s highest-achieving scholars for a successful professional career in accounting—she is proving that accountants can truly do just about anything.
Trautwein is currently pursing her MBA at the G. Brint Ryan College of Business and we know she will keep her eyes on the ball and in the books. We look forward to Trautwein's continued pursuits of perfection both on and off the field.
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College students are getting valuable career experience working as brand ambassadors for companies like TikTok and Bumble
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Companies like TikTok and Bumble are hiring college students to work as brand ambassadors on campus. These jobs pay better than typical college jobs like food service and retail — and provide valuable career experience.
Students say they’ve learned about marketing, content creation and management while working as brand ambassadors — and grown their network by connecting with other campus representatives across the country. And, in a hyper-competitive internship and job market, brand ambassador experience is one way to stand out, the students said.
“My life changed because of the TikTok ambassadorship program,” said Bita Motiie, a senior at the University of North Texas G. Brint Ryan College of Business studying marketing.
Motiie has been working as a campus representative for the social media platform since the fall of 2019 and says it helped her identify her interest in branding and building online communities — and jumpstart her career.
“I have had so many new job opportunities,” Motiie said. “Even the place that I currently work at, they specifically hired me because I had experience as a TikTok brand ambassador.”
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Published by Hannah Miao, CNBC, April 2021
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UNT and PGA of America pair up for unique summer course on 'The Business of Golf in the 21st Century'
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Students at the University of North Texas can learn about the business side of an $84.1 billion industry and one of the United States’ most popular recreational activities directly from the experts themselves this summer.
The university’s sport entertainment management program has partnered with the PGA of America (PGA) to offer students an inside look at the modern-day business of golf. The course, listed as MGMT 4980 “Special Topics – The Business of Golf in the 21st Century,” is an eight-week summer course (May 11-July 3). It will be offered at UNT Frisco, and will be open to all students, not just sport management majors. There are no prerequisites for registering.
“We think this course is a great way to recognize the strong partnership between the PGA of America and UNT by creating an opportunity for everyone at the university to engage with our partners in an educational, valuable and interesting way,” said Bob Heere, program director of UNT’s undergraduate and graduate sport entertainment management programs. “Co-teaching this course perfectly blends the PGA of America’s educational mission with our own. It’s an amazing opportunity for our students to hear from top executives about best practices from a world-class organization.”
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Published by Leigh Anne Gullett, UNT, March 2021
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UNT and TCC deliver opportunity for high school students to soar during annual ACE summer camp
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UNT and Tarrant Community College (TCC) are partnering up to deliver another soaring opportunity for high school students.
From June 14-18, the Aviation Career Education Academy (ACE), a five-day innovative summer camp, will give students the chance to explore career options in aviation and aerospace.
“Fewer than 15 percent of the jobs in aviation involve the cockpit or the cabin of an airplane, but for most young students, their only experience with aviation is riding on a passenger airline. We want to change that,” said Steve Joiner, a lecturer in UNT’s Department of Marketing and Logistics and camp organizer.
ACE Camp gives students the awareness of aviation history, different career opportunities within aviation, preparation and planning a flight, the physics of flight, as well as the design and maintenance of aircraft. Students will even be given the chance to fly in an airplane with the US Aviation Academy.
Celebrating its 10-year anniversary, UNT offers the only four-year aviation logistics program in Texas, which was recently ranked first in the nation for median earnings for alumni after graduation by GradReports.com. The program aims to teach students how air transportation works in conjunction with other modes of transportation to help businesses manage their supply chain in the most cost- and time-effective manner. TCC also offers associate degrees and certificates in programs including professional pilot, airframe maintenance and electronics technology and aviation maintenance technology.
ACE Camp is for juniors, seniors and recent high school graduates, and will be hosted at TCC’s Erma C. Johnson Hadley Northwest Center of Excellence for Aviation, Transportation and Logistics, located at 2301 Horizon Dr. in Fort Worth. Registration is $350 per student. There will be a complimentary tour of the facility for interested parents on the first morning of the camp.
REGISTER TODAY
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Business Conversations: Financial literacy and getting more for your money
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Dr. Mark Evers joins the latest Business Conversations podcast to discuss the importance of financial literacy and what it means for your future.
Coming to UNT with over a decade of industry experience in financial services, along with over a decade of teaching experience, Dr. Evers discusses how he gives his students the foundation to succeed through practical advice that leads to success.
Tune in and listen to Dr. Evers' take on personal finance, and how you can get more for your money.
LISTEN TO THE PODCAST...
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PHILANTHROPIC OPPORTUNITIES AT THE RYAN COLLEGE OF BUSINESS
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$10,000
THE MCNATT EMERGENCY FUND
The McNatt Emergency Fund was established in 2019 by Jim ('66) and Linda McNatt to provide Ryan College of Business students facing financial crisis with the necessary funding to keep them enrolled and progressing toward their degree. Awards as large as $3,000 are granted to students to alleviate the financial stress they may be facing.
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$5,000
UNT CARES FUND
A $5,000 gift will support UNT's presidential initiative to provide financial support to students who have immediate and pressing needs related to the spread of the Coronavirus (COVID-19). Funds will fulfill short-term needs and help students achieve their long-term educational objectives.
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$1,000
G. BRINT RYAN COLLEGE OF BUSINESS DEAN'S EXCELLENCE FUND
The Dean’s Excellence Fund also provides immediate, essential support to our students. This fund serves as a vital resource to help our students and campus respond to opportunities and challenges as they occur. When you support the Dean’s Excellence Fund, you support the strategic vision of the college by allowing the Dean to have flexibility in directing the use of resources to the priorities of the college during this difficult time.
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