Hello,

My name is Tanner Lyle, and I am a senior in college. Colorado is where I call home, but I am currently studying finance and accounting at Montana State University.

Year 1

Bus & Entrepreneurship Seminar: This course was instrumental to my college career thus far. As a first year student, I met some of my best friends in this class - I attribute this to all the group work. This was one of the only freshman classes that wasn't in a huge lecture hall, so I was able to build community more easily. I also really enjoyed developing an entrepreneurial mindset through our Venture Project Assignment where I was able to work on the finance and oral presentation teams of our small business.

Introduction to Design: Beyond an introduction to the design and creativity process through global architecture, I was reminded of an important life lesson in this class. Put yourself in uncomfortable situations and build relationships. I attended my professor's office hours to introduce myself. We shared many similarities, and she was kind enough to be a mentor figure for my first year on campus. From there on out, I knew it would be important to connect with as many faculty as possible.

Year 2

Principles of Financial Accounting: This course, along with the professor, sparked my interest in accounting. Accounting is similar to learning another language, and I didn't understand much until about four weeks in. Once it clicked, I felt as if I was constantly solving a puzzle and it felt very satisfying. After sitting down with my instructor, I changed my minor to accounting, and planned to sit for the CPA exam upon graduation.

Data Analytics: Reflecting on my courses, this Data Analytics class was vital in my success as a summer analyst intern. I learned the basic skills to build data models and format effectively in Excel. Although I found this class to be a steep learning curve, and quite time consuming, Excel is a skill many employers are looking for.

Year 3

Intro Ethics - Good & Evil: I examined traditional and contemporary concepts of good and evil in this course. This was the second philosophy course I had taken, as I enjoy using my brain for things other than numbers. I have learned that being open and receptive to others beliefs makes you a more dynamic person. This class helped me discover my own truths.

American Financial Institutions: Through reading "Stocks in the Long Run" by Jeremy Siegel, my general knowledge in the field of finance grew tremendously. This class was the catalyst for my interest in Investment Banking. Due to Covid, our class trip to NYC was postponed to this January. However, I look forward to visiting the NYSE trading floor and some of America's most iconic financial institutions in just a few weeks.

Year 4

Senior Thesis/Capstone: I look forward to working with other business majors in accounting, management, and marketing. We will explore how firms achieve competitive advantage in the context of single and multi-business firms using tools of strategic analysis.

Sophomore Surge Team Leader: I have been a Sophomore Surge mentor for two years and decided to take on a leadership role during my final year. I work closely with first-year students to guide, support, and help engage them with an active community. This has been a highlight of my college experience.