• Jeremy Evans- MBA
• Jared Musick- MSA
• Alex Yeggy- Accountancy
• Lauren Garrett- Economics
• Landon Barnes- Entrepreneurship Management
• Kori Gibbs- Accountancy-Finance; Finance Honoree
• Nikolina Dragicevic – Human Resource Management
• Beth Brune- General Business Management
• Susan Bogdanski- Information Technology Management
• Kylie Redkey- International Business
• Shandra Naegle- Marketing
• Joseph Dorey- Supply Chain Management

Vera Zdravkova, Bachelor of Arts in International Business, with a Minor in Entrepreneurship
Zdravkova worked a wealth of real experience into her time as an undergraduate at Boise State and that has helped her land a position with a Taiwanese manufacturing and trading company. After graduation, she will move to Taipei to work in marketing and product development. Her experience in the International Business program allowed her to complete a number of comprehensive marketing and export plans that Idaho companies used as the foundation of their marketing/exporting efforts. She also completed two internships with the Idaho Department of Commerce (one at the Idaho Trade Office in Guadalajara and one at the Idaho Trade Office in Taipei), an internship with the U.S. Department of State at the U.S. Embassy in Mexico City and one with the Idaho District Export Council. Zdravkova said the international business major offered her abundant opportunities to connect with the real business world.

Gracie Bingham, Honors College, Bachelor of Science in Political Science and Bachelor of Arts in History, with a Minor in French

Bingham, who is this year’s student speaker, has taken advantage of many internship opportunities while a student at Boise State. This past summer, she served as a Press Office intern with the United States Embassy in Tokyo, Japan. She also interned with the Idaho State Historical Museum, worked with the Idaho Statesman’s Intern Fellows program and spent an additional summer as an intern with the U.S. Department of State in Washington, D.C. She has been active with ASBSU, served as a mentor and translator for the Francophone Refugee Mentoring Program and served as a teaching assistant in both history and French. “I could not have asked for better academic opportunities than I was offered during my time at Boise State,” she said. She is graduating with honors from the Honors College.

Jackie Nelson, Bachelor of Fine Arts in Visual Art and Art Education

As president of the Idaho Art Education Association and a cancer survivor, Nelson is a non-traditional student in the truest sense. She began her career with a cosmetology degree from a beauty school in Maine and briefly pursued a degree in human resource management and business administration at a school in New Hampshire. She then moved her family west in search of a drier climate that wouldn’t aggravate her daughter’s severe asthma. She took classes at the University of Nevada, Reno, before finally making her way to Boise State in 2006. While here, she was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. Determined not to miss school, Nelson scheduled all of her treatments around classes and tests. She has been on the dean’s list with honors every year since 2007 and will graduate with a degree in art education and visual arts. She is hoping to become a full-time art teacher once she completes her student teaching at a local district.

Terry Caster, Bachelor of Applied Science with a Minor in Information Technology and Supply Chain Management

Having been laid off as an engineer with a Boise company after 16 years of work, Caster knew he had to go back to school to improve upon his associate’s degree. He felt a bachelor of applied science degree would make him more competitive in the job market, but at age 50, he had some mixed emotions about going back to school with a much younger population, including his son who also is a Boise State student. After more than two years of coursework, which includes a minor in information technology, Caster is now graduating and hoping to rejoin his old employer or another firm in Boise. The bachelor of applied science degree provides students with an associate’s degree the opportunity to combine their technical course work with academic core and upper-division coursework to earn a bachelor’s degree.

Noelle Lovern, Bachelor of Arts in Communication, with a Public Relations Emphasis

Lovern, a non-traditional student, came to Boise State after escaping an abusive marriage. Her story of seeking shelter from her abuse, moving through the public relations program and going on to complete her degree is an example of the type of commitment and determination that should be emulated. Boise State became part of rebuilding Lovern’s life. She threw herself into school and committed herself to bettering both her own life and to helping others succeed. She has given back to the program through her time, becoming the Blue House Public Relations executive director, serving as a teaching assistant and spending countless hours mentoring others. Because she understands the financial struggle students can face, she helped develop the very successful $20.11 campaign to fund SSPA student scholarships.

“Lovern is not one to look around to see what she is supposed to be doing or learning simply to prepare for an exam or paper,” said Mary Frances Casper, assistant professor or communication. “Learning matters to her, not only as a student in our classes, but as a citizen and as a person.”

Craig Laudicina, Bachelor of Science in Psychology

One of the most impressive things about Laudicina is his background. He’s been a disc jockey, a nightclub manager and security head, and a graphic artist. But the thread that runs through his life, no matter what he had to do employment-wise to make ends meet, is an incredible devotion to helping others. Laudicina has volunteered with Big Brothers Big Sisters, the Boys and Girls Club, Planned Parenthood and English as a second language agencies. He has been a caregiver, a behavioral technician and a community outreach assistant.

Jared Bauer and Jenni Herberg, who will receive their Executive MBA degrees in May 2012, have formed the Idaho Business Council. They have gathered a good deal of support — from legislators from all parties, community and business leaders and universities — are fund-raising for the organization and plan to present their ideas to the Idaho Legislature in the upcoming session.

Their goal is to develop a comprehensive list of business and community leaders in Idaho, survey those leaders annually on issues they are facing doing business in Idaho. Then students at Boise State, University of Idaho and Idaho State University would participate in extensive research on the problem areas and their findings would be used to target solutions. The research results would be made available to both state decision makers and the public.

“This is the first such project of its kind in Idaho, and possibly anywhere in the U.S.,” Bauer said. “It will bring together the three universities on important research and assures that the outcome of that research will be applied to real problems in the state.”

Patrick Shannon, dean of Boise State’s College of Business and Economics, said the council holds promise for bringing together a broad coalition of people to focus on key issues and push for positive changes.

“It’s a good opportunity for our students, particularly our graduate students, to do research that serves the community, the state and the region,” Shannon said, adding that the research could involve students from other disciplines in addition to business.

For more details, visit www.idahobusinesscouncil.org.

• Matthew Campbell – MBA
• Tyson Weekes – MSAT
• Thomas Golden – Accountancy
• Steve Canty – Economics
• Joseph Danes –  Finance
• James Simpson – Information Technology Management
• Mallory Douraghi – International Business
• Ryan Loveday – Management
• Cornelia Sprung – Marketing

A COBE Signature Student:

• Has a strong knowledge of business and economics disciplines
• Is ethical on both a personal and professional level
• Possesses leadership potential
• Is an effective communicator
• Has a passion for business/economics and/or entrepreneurship
• Is a problem solver
• Has hands-on experience
• Possesses a love for learning
• Has a national/global perspective

Congratulation to the following students who have received this outstanding distinction:
(Click on name to view photo and bio)

Athena Barkdull
Debra Bonkoski
Amanda Burnett
Dominique Elliott
Kelsey French
Nate Goode
James Hess
Dawn Jones
Robbie Richards
Ryan Warburton

The graduates, their majors and faculty representatives were as follows: 

• Dominique Elliott, Accountancy, Dr. Dan Fox
• Jenny Josephson, Master of Science in Accountancy (lives out of state so no faculty representative)
• Kathy Hurley, Master of Science in Accountancy Taxation – Dr. Frank Ilett
• Debra Bonkoski, Economics – Dr. Donald Holley
• Chase Wolfe, Entrepreneurship Management – Dr. Jeff Sugheir
• Athena Barkdull, International Business – Dr. Mark Buchanan
• Skylar Jett, International Business, Dr. Meredith Taylor
• Humberto Arechiga, Finance – Dr. Harry White
• Robbie Richards, General Business – Dr. Mark Buchanan
• Ryan Warburton; Human Resource Management – Debi Mundell
• Monica Anders, Master of Business Administration – Michael Bixby
• Andre Dixon, Information Technology Management – Dr. Karen Corral
• James Hess, Marketing – Dr. Jason MacDonald
• Casey Jordan, Supply Chain Management – Dr. Pat Shannon

Debra Bonkoski

The Top Ten Scholars award is one of the highest honors given to a Boise State student and recognizes exceptional academic success. To qualify for consideration, a student must have a 3.85 or higher grade point average. Candidates then are reviewed based on breadth of coursework, research, creative works and publications, presentations at professional meetings or conferences, and extracurricular community and campus service.

Bonkoski’s honored Faculty is Dr. Donald Holley, professor, Department of Economics

EMBA student, Jason Sears (Class of 2012), is already applying the skills he learned in the latest EMBA session about presentations and use of powerpoint in his role as Operations Director at the Boys and Girls Club of Ada county.

Sears says, “I have found that much of what I’m learning in class can be applied directly to my work setting. The coaching and teaching in presentation methodologies and techniques have been particularly useful. The EMBA program has started generating returns for me at work long before I had expected when signing up. It’s a truly amazing learning experience!” View his recent PowerPoint creation …

Click here to view the embedded video.

To learn more about the Executive MBA Program and upcoming informational open houses please go to: http://cobe.boisestate.edu/emba/

• Noah Geier – MBA
• Alexis Owen – MSAT
• Eric Schuler – Accountancy
• George Fenton – Economics
• Janae Young – Accountancy Finance Finance honoree
• Andre Dixon – Information Technology Management
• Snjezana Borak – International Business
• Robbie Richards – Management
• Amanda Burnett – Marketing