Student Success Stories – Shane Walk
January 26, 2022 2024-01-22 14:42
What was it like to be a student at RMC?
A lot of fun. College is inherently awesome. Rocky is even more rad because it is located in Montana. When you aren't studying or attending class you can enjoy some of the most incredible geography that the country (and even world) has to offer.
What was your favorite part of being a student at RMC?
My favorite part of being a student at RMC was the relationships I formed. I am not referring solely to the life-long friendships I formed with several of my peers , but also the relationships I was able to form with professors. Colleges and universities always claim there are benefits associated with small classes and the student-to-faculty ratio, but I didn’t realize how beneficial those things are until my time at RMC. Knowing the department’s professors on a personal level allowed me to feel far more comfortable interacting during class. I whole-heartedly believe this comfort level directly correlated to my ability learn and comprehend complex material.
Why you would recommend Business and Accounting at RMC?
Generally speaking, I would recommend a Business degree because I believe it is one of the most flexible degrees that a person can get. It gives you the skills and tools necessary to begin a career in a field that aligns with something you are passionate about.
Specific to RMC, I would recommend a Business and/or Accounting degree because of the college’s faculty. During my time at RMC the professors were very effective at relating our coursework to the real world and showing students how the things we were learning in the classroom would apply in a real-world situation.
Did you complete an internship as a part of your RMC experience? How was that?
During my senior year at RMC, I was contacted by a professor about an internship opportunity at a local company that finances and develops real estate, Mountain Plains Equity Group, Inc.. Shortly after interviewing with an RMC alumnus who worked at Mountain Plains, I was offered the internship, which lasted throughout my final semester of college.. I am t At this particular internship I was able to put a large majority if the things I was learning at RMC to use. I was utilizing knowledge and terms I learned my accounting, finance, and business classes every day during my internship. Terms like “internal rate of return”, “depreciation”, “amortization”, etc. were no longer a solely important definitions from a textbook, but rather a part of my everyday vocabulary and discussions. Following the completion of my internship and after graduating I was offered a full-time position at Mountain Plains Equity Group, Inc. This past January I celebrated my three-year anniversary with the company.
How's life after Rocky?
I can state with 100% certainty that my life would be drastically different had I not attended RMC. Two major events have occurred in my life over the past 12 months and they are both interconnected to the time I spent at RMC. First and foremost, I was fortunate enough to be able marry my best friend and the woman of my dreams in September of 2018. My wife (also a RMC alum) and I met through a mutual friend at a RMC football game over six years ago. Before I knew it, we were dating and have been together ever since. Second, this past December my wife and I purchased a beautiful home here in Billings. If I did not have my current job right now, any my wife did not get her job as a 3rd grade teacher right after college, the likelihood that we could have afforded to purchase our home is very slim. Both my wife and I were fortunate enough to be able to step into a great career immediately following graduation. So, in summary my time at RMC has had a significant impact in shaping my family, my home, and my career.
