Hello World!

Hello! My name is Ashley Hurd, and while I grew up in the beautiful corn filled "fly over state" of Iowa, I currently live in Florissant and attend the University of Missouri - St Louis.  I believe I have changed my major more than Betty White has changed her undies in her lifetime, or at least it feels that way. I have finally settled in the Business Administration world, and until last semester thought I was sure about a career in finance. That is, until I enrolled in marketing 3700 with Michael Carter. I couldn't believe I'd found a major where I could not only use my creepy skills in mathematics, but also my creativity. I still plan on getting a minor in finance, so I can enhance my "awesome-ness" when it comes to the financial analysis portion of a marketing plan.
After finishing the course, I chose to explore deeper into the Marketing coursework with this course, International Marketing with Elizabeth Vining. I am also taking An Approach to Ethics with Noell Birondo and Basic Probability and Statistics with David Stamps. It is no surprise that in today's society the internet has taken control of every aspect of our lives, from dieting, and shopping, to research, and social networking. Marketing through the internet is a powerful tool, one that I want to learn more about since it affects my decision making on a daily basis.
My favorite class I've taken since I've been at UMSL is probably a solid tie between Calculus, and Basic Marketing. It seems as though many of the classes I've taken seem to get lost between the three colleges I've been enrolled in. Definitely those two at UMSL though.
My favorite thing about UMSL, is the coursework, and the knowledgeable instructors. I never feel like I'm in a class with someone who doesn't know the content, which, on occasion, was an issue in community college. I feel lucky that I can study with a business program that has been nationally recognized. My least favorite thing about UMSL, probably the campus, that sounds so negative, but growing up in small town Iowa where everyone knows everyone and you never locked your front door or your car, it gives me an uneasy feeling. My second semester here, during an ethics class we received word that "there was a gunman on campus, and were on lock down". News scenes from Columbine, and Virginia Tech flashed through my mind like a movie. My small town upbringing, combined with 3 years of community college has made my adjustment at a large state university a tough one. On the other hand, going non-smoking last July....was AWESOME!
Other than getting a top-notch education I'm not currently involved in any on-campus activities.  Off Campus, I'm a typical 23 year old college student I suppose. When I'm not working as a teller at First State Bank of St. Charles, I spend time with friends, go to concerts, movies, and LOVE the Art Museum.

And, because I just purchased my dream Macbook Pro last night, I will close with a quote from Steve Jobs,
“You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. You have to trust in something — your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. This approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.”

Ashley
(636)697-3726